Shloka 17

Garuḍa’s Inquiry on Permissible Prey and Vinatā’s Counsel (ब्राह्मणावध्यता–उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

महाकायो महातेजा: स स्थास्यति पुरो रवे: । करिष्यति च सारथ्यं तेजश्नलास्य हरिष्यति

Transliteration

mahākāyo mahātejāḥ sa sthāsyati puro raveḥ | kariṣyati ca sārathyaṃ tejaśnalāsya hariṣyati

Translation

పితామహుడు పలికాడు— “మహాకాయుడు, మహాతేజస్సుగల ఆ అరుణుడు సూర్యుని ముందర నిలుస్తాడు. అతడే సారథ్యాన్ని నిర్వహించి, తన స్వతేజపు ఆవర్తనంతో సూర్యుని దాహక కాంతిని హరించివేస్తాడు.”

Word by Word

महाकायःhuge-bodied

महातेजाःof great splendor

सःhe

स्थास्यतिwill stand

पुरःin front

रवेःof the Sun

करिष्यतिwill do / will perform

चand

सारथ्यम्charioteering / the role of charioteer

तेजःsplendor, radiance

अनलfire

अस्यof him / his

हरिष्यतिwill take away / will remove

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

प

पितामह (Pitāmaha, the Grandsire)

र

रवि (Ravi, the Sun)

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 tejas—extraordinary inner power and earned brilliance—as a force that can surpass even cosmic symbols like the Sun. Ethically, it implies that true greatness is recognized through capacity and duty: the same hero who can ‘stand before the Sun’ is also willing to serve in the demanding, responsible role of a charioteer.

What is happening in the narrative?

Pitāmaha delivers a laudatory, predictive description of a formidable figure: someone immense and radiant who can face the Sun and even outshine its glare, and who will take up charioteership—signaling both martial readiness and the acceptance of a crucial supportive role in forthcoming events.