Shloka 28

Gāruḍa-Māhātmya and Tārkṣya-Stotra: Fruits of Hearing/Reciting and the Power of Garuḍa’s Praise

Devanagari script

यत्र जिह्वाद्विधाभूताः पन्नगानां द्विजोत्तम / विनता मोचिता दास्यात्कद्वा पूर्वजिता रणे

Transliteration

yatra jihvādvidhābhūtāḥ pannagānāṃ dvijottama / vinatā mocitā dāsyātkadvā pūrvajitā raṇe

Translation

ข้าแต่ทวิชผู้ประเสริฐ ณ ที่นั้นเองลิ้นของพญานาคทั้งหลายแตกเป็นสองแฉก; และ ณ ที่นั้นเอง วินตาได้พ้นจากความเป็นทาสของกัทรุ ผู้ซึ่งเคยชนะนางมาก่อนในการประลอง।

Word by Word

यत्रwhere

जिह्वात्from the tongue

विधाtwofold

अभूताःbecame

पन्नगानाम्of the serpents

द्विजोत्तमO best of the twice-born

विनताVinata

मोचिताwas freed

दास्यात्from slavery

कद्वाwhen indeed/or when

पूर्वजिताpreviously conquered

रणेin battle

Speaker

Narrator (Purana voice, traditionally Suta/disciples recounting the account)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Consequences of rivalry and deceit; bondage and liberation unfold through truth, effort, and cosmic justice.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala within saṃsāra; bondage (bandha) is contingent and removable through right action and divine order.

Application: Avoid deceitful contests and harmful speech; uphold truth and responsibility to family; recognize that servitude and freedom are shaped by choices and their results.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.240 (context: Vinatā–Kadrū rivalry; Garuḍa’s role; Nāga-episode)

Characters & Entities

Vinatā

Kadru

Pannagas (serpents)

Dvijottama (addressed sage/brahmin)

FAQs

What is the importance of Vinatā and Kadru in the Garuda Purana?

This verse recalls the foundational backstory of Garuḍa’s lineage: Vinatā’s bondage to Kadru and her eventual release, a narrative often used to frame themes of bondage, obligation, and liberation.

How does this verse explain the origin of snakes’ forked tongues?

It functions as an etiological statement: at that place/event, the serpents’ tongues “became split in two,” giving a mythic reason for a visible natural feature.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

The verse can be read as a reminder that humiliation or bondage can be temporary, and that sustained effort aligned with dharma leads toward release from adverse conditions.