Shloka 24

Garuḍa’s Breach of the Amṛta-Guard and Boons with Viṣṇu; Encounter with Indra (Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 29)

Devanagari script

एवमन्योन्यशापात्‌ तौ सुप्रतीकविभावसू । गजकच्छपतां प्राप्तावर्थार्थ मूढचेतसौ,इस प्रकार सुप्रतीक और विभावसु मुनि एक-दूसरेके शापसे हाथी और कछुएकी योनिमें पड़े हैं। धनके लिये उनके मनमें मोह छा गया था

Transliteration

evam anyonyaśāpāt tau supratīkavibhāvasū | gajakacchapatāṁ prāptāv arthārthaṁ mūḍhacetasau ||

Translation

Sa gayon, dahil sa sumpaan sa isa’t isa, ang dalawa—si Supratīka at si Vibhāvasu—ay nahulog sa mga kapanganakang elepante at pagong. Nalason ng pagkahumaling sa yaman ang kanilang isipan, at ang pagkahumaling na iyon ang naging sanhi ng kanilang pagbagsak.

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

अन्योन्य-शापात्from (due to) mutual curse

तौthose two

सुप्रतीक-विभावसूSupratīka and Vibhāvasu

गज-कच्छपताम्elephant-hood and tortoise-hood (the states of being an elephant and a tortoise)

प्राप्तौattained, came to

अर्थ-अर्थम्for the sake of wealth (lit. for an object/wealth)

मूढ-चेतसौhaving deluded minds

Speaker

कश्यप उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kaśyapa

Supratīka

Vibhāvasu

Elephant (gaja)

Tortoise (kacchapa)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Attachment to wealth (artha) can cloud discernment (moha), leading to unethical actions and severe consequences; the verse frames downfall as arising from moral delusion and the karmic force of mutual hostility expressed as curses.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaśyapa explains that Supratīka and Vibhāvasu, having cursed each other, were reborn in animal forms—one as an elephant and the other as a tortoise—because their minds were overcome by delusion in the pursuit of wealth.