Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गरुत्मान्‌ वज़सदृशै: पक्षतुण्डनखैस्तथा । प्रहर्तुकामो न्यपतदाकाशात्‌ कृष्णपाण्डवौ,एक गरुडजातीय पक्षी- वज्जके समान पाँख, चोंच और पंजोंसे प्रहार करनेकी इच्छा रखकर आकाशसे श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनकी ओर झपटा

Transliteration

garutmān vajrasadṛśaiḥ pakṣatuṇḍanakhaiḥ tathā | prahartukāmo nyapatad ākāśāt kṛṣṇapāṇḍavau ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ବଜ୍ରସଦୃଶ ପକ୍ଷ, ଠୁଣ୍ଡ ଓ ନଖ ଥିବା ଗରୁତ୍ମାନ୍ ପ୍ରହାର କରିବା ଇଚ୍ଛାରେ ଆକାଶରୁ ଶ୍ରୀକୃଷ୍ଣ ଓ ପାଣ୍ଡବ ଅର୍ଜୁନଙ୍କ ଉପରେ ଝପଟି ପଡ଼ିଲା।

Word by Word

गरुत्मान्Garutmān (Garuda)

वज्रसदृशैःwith (things) like a thunderbolt

पक्षतुण्डनखैःwith wings, beak, and claws

तथाalso/likewise

प्रहर्तुकामःdesirous of striking

न्यपतत्fell down / swooped down

आकाशात्from the sky

कृष्णपाण्डवौKrishna and the Pandava (Arjuna)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Garutmān (Garuḍa-like bird)

Kṛṣṇa

Arjuna (Pāṇḍava)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the sudden rise of hostile intent and the ethical demand placed on the righteous: to meet danger with discernment and restraint, protecting dharma without being swept away by impulsive violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

A powerful Garuḍa-like bird (Garutmān), described with thunderbolt-like wings, beak, and talons, dives from the sky toward Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, intending to strike them.