Mahabharata 1.24.9 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 24, Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

सहाय एव कार्येषु न च कृच्छेषु दृश्यते । पश्यन्ति ग्रस्यमानं मां सहन्ते वै दिवौकस:

Transliteration

sahāya eva kāryeṣu na ca kṛcchreṣu dṛśyate | paśyanti grasyamānaṃ māṃ sahante vai divaukasaḥ ||

Translation

“సాధారణ కార్యాలలో సహాయకుడు కనిపిస్తాడు; కానీ ఆపదలో ఎవ్వరూ కనిపించరు. దేవతలు నన్ను రాహువు గ్రసిస్తున్నదాన్ని చూస్తూనే మౌనంగా సహిస్తారు—సహాయం చేయరు.”

Word by Word

• सहायः: helper, ally
• सहायः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहाय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कार्येषु: in tasks/affairs
• कार्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कृच्छेषु: in difficulties, in distress
• कृच्छेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• दृश्यते: is seen, appears
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present, Atmanepada (passive-like usage), Third, Singular

• पश्यन्ति: they see
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• ग्रस्यमानम्: being seized/devoured
• ग्रस्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस्
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• सहन्ते: they endure, they tolerate
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह्
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Plural

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• दिवौकसः: the gods (dwellers in heaven)
• दिवौकसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवौकस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

युपर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• युपर्ण (Suparṇa/Garuḍa)
• दिवौकसः (the gods/devas)
• राहु (implied by the simile of being seized/devoured)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Support is often visible in routine matters, but true loyalty is tested in संकट (crisis). The verse critiques passive spectatorship—especially by the powerful—when someone is being wronged or overwhelmed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Suparṇa speaks in complaint: when he is in severe trouble, no ally comes forward. Even the heavenly beings merely watch him being overpowered (evoking the image of Rāhu seizing the luminary) and do nothing.