Shloka 4
Garuḍa–Śakra Saṃvāda and the Retrieval of Amṛta (गरुड–शक्र संवादः अमृत-अपहरण-प्रसङ्गः)
हन्यादेतान् सम्पतन्ती शाखेत्यथ विचिन्त्य सः । नखैर्दढतरं वीर: संगृह्द गजकच्छपौ
hanyād etān sampatantī śākhety atha vicintya saḥ | nakhair dṛḍhataraṃ vīraḥ saṅgṛhya gajakacchapau ||
Melihat para resi agung tergantung pada dahan pokok beringin yang sedang rebah, Garuḍa berfikir: “Dahan ini sedang runtuh; jika ia jatuh, para ṛṣi ini pasti terbunuh—jangan sampai kematian mereka terjadi kerana aku.” Setelah menimbang demikian, Garuḍa yang gagah menggenggam gajah dan kura-kura itu lebih erat dengan cakar, lalu—takut akan kebinasaan para pertapa—menyambar dahan itu dengan paruhnya, melakukan keperkasaan yang menakjubkan semata-mata demi melindungi para asketik.
रौहिण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even immense power must be governed by dharma: one should act with vigilance so that one’s actions do not cause unintended harm, especially to the innocent and to those devoted to tapas. Garuḍa’s restraint and protective choice exemplify ethical responsibility.
Garuḍa, while carrying an elephant and a tortoise, notices that a banyan branch with sages clinging to it is about to break and fall. Fearing that the falling branch would kill the sages and that he might become the cause, he firmly holds the animals and lifts the branch with his beak to save the seers.