Shloka 84
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
न वैनतेयो गरुड: प्रशंसति महाजनम् । दृष्टवा सुपर्णोडपचितिं महत्या अपि भारत,भारत! सुन्दर पंखोंवाले विनतानन्दन गरुड़ विशाल सेनाका भी विनाश होता देखकर अधिक जनसमूहकी प्रशंसा नहीं करते हैं
na vainateyo garuḍaḥ praśaṃsati mahājanam | dṛṣṭvā suparṇoḍapacitiṃ mahatyā api bhārata ||
Vyāsa berkata: “Bahkan Vainateya, Garuḍa—putera Vinatā yang bersayap indah—tidak memuji keramaian yang besar. Kerana, wahai Bhārata, meskipun telah menyaksikan kebinasaan luas suatu bala tentera yang gagah, orang bijaksana tidak mengagungkan semata-mata jumlah; mereka lebih menghargai ketajaman pertimbangan dan kelakuan yang benar daripada angka.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Numbers and mass enthusiasm are not reliable measures of truth or righteousness; the wise do not glorify mere crowds, especially when they lead to ruin. Discernment and dharma matter more than magnitude.
Vyāsa uses Garuḍa as an illustrative example: even a mighty being, after seeing the devastation of a great host, does not praise the ‘great multitude.’ The point is to caution against valuing sheer size or popular acclaim in the context of conflict.