Mahabharata 1.27.11 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 27, Shloka 11
Vālakhilya-Tapas and the Birth of Garuḍa (वालखिल्यतपः-गरुडोत्पत्तिः)
वहास्मानपरं द्वीपं सुरम्यं विमलोदकम् | त्वं हि देशान् बहून् रम्यान् व्रजन् पश्यसि खेचर
vahāsmān aparaṃ dvīpaṃ suramyaṃ vimalodakam | tvaṃ hi deśān bahūn ramyān vrajan paśyasi khecara ||
“Bawalah kami ke sebuah pulau yang lain—teramat indah, dengan air yang jernih lagi suci. Kerana engkau, wahai pengembara langit, ketika melintasi angkasa, menyaksikan banyak wilayah yang menawan; maka bawalah kami ke suatu pulau yang permai, berair bening tanpa cela.”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights practical discernment and reliance on appropriate expertise: the speaker appeals to the sky-roamer’s wider vision and experience to guide the group toward a better, purer place—suggesting that wise leadership consults those who can truly see farther.
Pitāmaha addresses a ‘khecara’ (one who moves through the sky) and requests to be carried to another beautiful island with clear water, noting that the sky-roamer has seen many pleasant regions while traveling through the air.
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