Shloka 26

Vālakhilya-Tapas and the Birth of Garuḍa (वालखिल्यतपः-गरुडोत्पत्तिः)

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्या भारत आदिपव॑के अन्तर्गत आस्तीकपरवर्में गरुडचरित्रविषयक छब्बीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

iti prakāra śrīmahābhārate ādiparvaṇi antargata āstīkaparvaṇi garuḍacaritraviṣayaka ṣaḍviṃśatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ

Translation

ดังนี้ จบลงแล้วซึ่งบทที่ยี่สิบหก ว่าด้วยเรื่องราวของครุฑ ในอัสตีกปัรวะ อันอยู่ในอาทิปัรวะ แห่งมหาภารตะอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์

Word by Word

इतिthus

प्रकारम्manner/way

श्रीमहाभारतthe revered Mahabharata

आदिपर्वकेin the Adi-parvan section

अन्तर्गतincluded/contained

आस्तीकपर्वणिin the Astika-parvan

गरुडचरित्रविषयकconcerning the story of Garuda

षड्विंशतितमःtwenty-sixth

अध्यायःchapter

पूर्णःcompleted/finished

अभवत्was/became

Speaker

पितामह उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Ādi Parva

Āstīka Parva

Garuḍa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This line is a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse: its function is to mark textual completion and to locate the chapter within the epic’s nested structure (Ādi Parva → Āstīka Parva → Garuḍa narrative). The ethical implication is indirect: the Mahābhārata presents moral causality through carefully segmented narratives, and colophons help preserve that ordered transmission.

What is happening in the narrative?

The text is announcing that the twenty-sixth chapter dealing with Garuḍa’s story has concluded, within the Āstīka section of the Ādi Parva. It is an editorial/recensional closure statement, not spoken dialogue advancing the plot.