Garuda Seeks His Father's Counsel on Winning the Nectar

Verse 1 (13.25.1)

तथेत्युक्त्वा तु विहगः प्रतिज्ञाय महाद्युतिः । अमृताहरणे वाचं ततः पितरमब्रवीत् ॥

tathetyuktvā tu vihagaḥ pratijñāya mahādyutiḥ | amṛtāharaṇe vācaṃ tataḥ pitaramabravīt

Saying "So be it", and having pledged his word to fetch the nectar, the radiant bird then spoke to his father.

Note on the text: Removed the speaker heading "भीष्म उवाच" (with a stray backtick) printed as the first line of the verse text; it is made the speaker. Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 206-207, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0206-0207.

Verse 2 (13.25.2)

कामं वै सूनृता वाचो विसृज्य च मुहुर्मुहुः । यच्चाप्यनुज्ञां मातुर्वै न च सा ह्यनुमन्यते ॥

kāmaṃ vai sūnṛtā vāco visṛjya ca muhurmuhuḥ | yaccāpyanujñāṃ māturvai na ca sā hyanumanyate

"Though I spoke gentle words to her again and again, and asked leave for my mother, she will not grant it.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 208-209, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0208-0209.

Verse 3 (13.25.3)

सा मा बहुविधा वाचो वज्रकल्पा विसृज्य वै । भगवन्विनता दासी मम माता महाद्युते ॥

sā mā bahuvidhā vāco vajrakalpā visṛjya vai | bhagavanvinatā dāsī mama mātā mahādyute

She hurled at me many words hard as thunderbolts, saying that my mother Vinata, O venerable and radiant father, is her slave.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 210-211, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0210-0211.

Verse 4 (13.25.4)

कद्रूः प्रेषयते चैव दासीयमिति चाब्रवीत् । आहरामृतमित्येव मोक्ष्यते विनता ततः ॥

kadrūḥ preṣayate caiva dāsīyamiti cābravīt | āharāmṛtamityeva mokṣyate vinatā tataḥ

Kadru sends her on errands, saying, 'She is my slave.' And she told me, 'Bring the nectar; only then will Vinata be freed.'

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 212-213, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0212-0213.

Verse 5 (13.25.5)

सोऽहं मातृविमोक्षार्थमाहरिष्य इति ब्रुवन् । अमृतं प्रार्थितस्तूर्णमाहर्तुं प्रतिनन्द्य वै ॥

so'haṃ mātṛvimokṣārthamāhariṣya iti bruvan | amṛtaṃ prārthitastūrṇamāhartuṃ pratinandya vai

So, saying, 'I shall bring it, to free my mother,' I agreed at once when I was asked to fetch the nectar."

Note on the text: Corrected सोहं → सोऽहं (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha; CE so 'haṃ). Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 214-215, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0214-0215.

Verse 6 (13.25.6)

अमृतं तात दुष्प्रापं देवैरपि कुतस्त्वया । रक्ष्यते हि भृशं पुत्र रक्षिभिस्तन्निबोध मे ॥

amṛtaṃ tāta duṣprāpaṃ devairapi kutastvayā | rakṣyate hi bhṛśaṃ putra rakṣibhistannibodha me

"Son, the nectar is hard to get even for the gods; how then could you get it? It is guarded very closely by guards. Listen to me about it.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 216-217, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0216-0217. Page heading पितोवाच ("the father") = Kashyapa (the CE heads these verses kaśyapaḥ); speaker given by name.

Verse 7 (13.25.7)

गुप्तमद्भिर्भृशं साधु सर्वतः परिवारितम् । अनन्तरमथो गुप्तं ज्वलता जातवेदसा ॥

guptamadbhirbhṛśaṃ sādhu sarvataḥ parivāritam | anantaramatho guptaṃ jvalatā jātavedasā

It is well guarded by waters, surrounded on every side; and beyond that it is guarded by blazing fire.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 218-219, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0218-0219.

Verse 8 (13.25.8)

ततः शतसहस्राणि अयुतान्यर्बुदानि च । रक्षन्त्यमृतमत्यन्तं किङ्करा नाम राक्षसाः ॥

tataḥ śatasahasrāṇi ayutānyarbudāni ca | rakṣantyamṛtamatyantaṃ kiṅkarā nāma rākṣasāḥ

Then hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands and tens of millions of rakshasas, the Kinkaras, guard the nectar with great vigilance.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 220-221, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0220-0221.

Verse 9 (13.25.9)

तेषां शक्त्यृष्टिशूलांश्च शतघ्न्यः पट्टसास्तथा । आयुधा रक्षिणां तात वज्रकल्पाः शिलास्तथा ॥

teṣāṃ śaktyṛṣṭiśūlāṃśca śataghnyaḥ paṭṭasāstathā | āyudhā rakṣiṇāṃ tāta vajrakalpāḥ śilāstathā

The weapons of those guards, son, are spears, lances, pikes, shataghnis and pattisas, and rocks hard as thunderbolts.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 222-223, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0222-0223.

Verse 10 (13.25.10)

ततो जालेन महता अवनद्धं समन्ततः । अयस्मयेन वै तात वृत्रहन्तुः स्म शासनात् ॥

tato jālena mahatā avanaddhaṃ samantataḥ | ayasmayena vai tāta vṛtrahantuḥ sma śāsanāt

Then, at the command of Indra, slayer of Vritra, it is bound all around by a great net made of iron.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 224-225, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0224-0225.

Verse 11 (13.25.11)

तत्त्वमेवंविधं तात कथं प्रार्थयसेऽमृतम् । सुरक्षितं वज्रभृतां वैनतेय विहङ्गम । इन्द्रेण देवैर्नागैश्च खड्गैर्गिरिजलादिभिः ॥

tattvamevaṃvidhaṃ tāta kathaṃ prārthayase'mṛtam | surakṣitaṃ vajrabhṛtāṃ vainateya vihaṅgama | indreṇa devairnāgaiśca khaḍgairgirijalādibhiḥ

Being so, son, how can you hope for the nectar, so well guarded by those who wield the thunderbolt, O Vainateya, O bird, by Indra, the gods and the serpents, with swords, mountains, waters and the like?"

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 226-228, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0226-0228.

Verse 12 (13.25.12)

पुत्रगृद्ध्या ब्रवीष्येतच्छृणु तात विनिश्चयम् । बलवानुपायवानस्मि भूयः किं करवाणि ते ॥

putragṛddhyā bravīṣyetacchṛṇu tāta viniścayam | balavānupāyavānasmi bhūyaḥ kiṃ karavāṇi te

"Out of a son's eagerness I speak thus; hear my resolve, father. I am strong and I have the means. What more shall I do for you?"

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 229-230, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0229-0230.

Verse 13 (13.25.13)

तमब्रवीत्पिता हृष्टः प्रहसन्वै पुनः पुनः । यदि तौ भक्षयेस्तात क्रूरौ कच्छपवारणौ ॥

tamabravītpitā hṛṣṭaḥ prahasanvai punaḥ punaḥ | yadi tau bhakṣayestāta krūrau kacchapavāraṇau

His father, pleased, laughing again and again, said to him, "If you eat, son, those two fierce creatures, the tortoise and the elephant,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 231-232, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0231-0232.

Verse 14 (13.25.14)

तथा बलममेयं ते भविता तन्न संशयः । अमृतस्यैव चाहर्ता भविष्यसि न संशयः ॥

tathā balamameyaṃ te bhavitā tanna saṃśayaḥ | amṛtasyaiva cāhartā bhaviṣyasi na saṃśayaḥ

then you will have immeasurable strength, without doubt, and you will surely be the one to bring the nectar, without doubt."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 233-234, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0233-0234.

Verse 15 (13.25.15)

क्व तौ क्रूरौ महाभाग वर्तेते हस्तिकच्छपौ । भक्षयिष्याम्यहं तात बलस्याप्यायनं प्रति ॥

kva tau krūrau mahābhāga vartete hastikacchapau | bhakṣayiṣyāmyahaṃ tāta balasyāpyāyanaṃ prati

"Where are those two fierce ones, O fortunate one, the elephant and the tortoise? I shall eat them, father, to renew my strength."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text: CE Appendix I No. 1A, lines 235-236, printed inline after 13.8.28 as 13.8.28d@001A_0235-0236.