Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

रौहिण उवाच यैषा मम महाशाखा शतयोजनमायता । एतामास्थाय शाखां त्वं खादेमौ गजकच्छपौ,वटवृक्ष बोला--पक्षिराज! यह जो मेरी सौ योजनतक फैली हुई सबसे बड़ी शाखा है, इसीपर बैठकर तुम इस हाथी और कछुएको खा लो

Transliteration

Rauhiṇa uvāca: yaiṣā mama mahāśākhā śatayojanam āyatā | etām āsthāya śākhāṃ tvaṃ khādemau gajakacchapau ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Rauhiṇa: “Ito ang pinakamalaki kong sanga, na umaabot sa sandaang yojana. Dumapo ka sa sangang ito at kainin ang dalawang ito—ang elepante at ang pagong.”

Word by Word

रौहिणःRauhiṇa (proper name)

उवाचsaid

याwhich

एषाthis

ममof me / my

महाशाखाgreat branch

शतयोजनम्a hundred-yojana (in extent)

आयताextended, long

एताम्this (branch)

आस्थायhaving mounted / having taken refuge on

शाखाम्branch

त्वम्you

खादeat

इमौthese two

गजकच्छपौthe elephant and the tortoise

Speaker

रौहिण उवाच

Characters & Entities

र

रौहिण (Rauhiṇa)

म

महाशाखा (great branch)

व

वटवृक्ष (banyan tree) (implied by context)

प

पक्षिराज (bird-king) (implied addressee in the given Hindi gloss)

ग

गज (elephant)

क

कच्छप (tortoise)

य

योजन (yojana, unit of distance)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights providing an appropriate support or setting for an action—offering a secure perch and sufficient space—suggesting that even powerful acts should be carried out with due consideration for stability, propriety, and the welfare of the supporting environment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rauhiṇa points out an immense main branch and invites the bird-king to sit on it and consume the two creatures (elephant and tortoise), framing the branch as a safe platform for the bird’s feeding.