Shloka 226
Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon
वायुना द्विपदां श्रेष्ठ कथितो जगदायुषा । यह दुष्कर धर्म ऋग्वेदके पाठमें स्पष्टरूपसे पढ़ा गया है। नरश्रेष्ठ! सुपर्णसे उस सनातन धर्मको इस जगत्के प्राणस्वरूप वायुने प्राप्त किया
vāyunā dvipadāṃ śreṣṭha kathito jagadāyuṣā | yaḥ duṣkara-dharma ṛgvedake pāṭhe spaṣṭa-rūpase paṭhā gayā hai | naraśreṣṭha! suparṇase usa sanātana-dharmako asya jagat-ke prāṇa-svarūpa vāyunā prāpta kiyā |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik antara makhluk berkaki dua, ajaran ini disampaikan oleh Vāyu—nafas hayat bagi jagat raya. Dharma yang kekal itu, yang sukar diamalkan, dibaca dengan jelas dalam tradisi bacaan Ṛgveda. Wahai yang terbaik antara manusia, Vāyu, yang berfungsi sebagai daya hidup alam semesta, menerima dharma yang abadi itu daripada Suparṇa (Garuḍa).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that ‘sanātana-dharma’ is ancient, authoritative, and difficult to practise, and that it is preserved through a sacred lineage of transmission—grounded in Vedic recitation—linking cosmic forces (Vāyu) and divine beings (Suparṇa/Garuḍa).
Vaiśampāyana identifies the source and pedigree of a Dharma teaching: it is said to be taught by Vāyu (the world’s life-breath), explicitly attested in the Ṛgvedic tradition, and received by Vāyu from Suparṇa (Garuḍa), establishing its antiquity and credibility.