SánscritoIASTSignificado
मातुः वचनं निशम्य पक्षौ वितत्य नभः उत्पपातmātuḥ vacanaṃ niśamya pakṣau vitatya nabhaḥ utpapātahaving heeded his mother's word, he spread his wings and soared into the sky
निषादान् उपागमत् बुभुक्षितः कालः इव अन्तकःniṣādān upāgamat bubhukṣitaḥ kālaḥ iva antakaḥhe came upon the Nishadas, hungry, like great Time the destroyer
रजः समुद्धूय नभः-स्पृशंrajaḥ samuddhūya nabhaḥ-spṛśaṃraising dust that touched the very sky
समुद्र-कुक्षौ पयः विशोषयन् भूमिधरान् विचालयन्samudra-kukṣau payaḥ viśoṣayan bhūmidharān vicālayandrying up the water in the bay of the ocean, shaking the mountains nearby
महत् आननं चक्रे निषाद-मार्गं प्रतिरुध्यmahat ānanaṃ cakre niṣāda-mārgaṃ pratirudhyahe opened his enormous mouth, blocking the Nishadas’ path
निषादाः त्वरिताः यतः मुखं तस्य प्रवव्रजुःniṣādāḥ tvaritāḥ yataḥ mukhaṃ tasya pravavrajuḥthe Nishadas, in panic, rushed straight into his mouth
विवृतं आननं समभ्ययुः अर्दिताः खगाः इवvivṛtaṃ ānanaṃ samabhyayuḥ arditāḥ khagāḥ ivathey flew into the gaping mouth like frightened birds
सहस्रशः पवन-रजः-भ्रम-मोहिताःsahasraśaḥ pavana-rajaḥ-bhrama-mohitāḥby the thousand, blinded by the whirling dust
खगः वदनं समाहरत् निषूदयन् मत्स्य-भक्षिणःkhagaḥ vadanaṃ samāharat niṣūdayan matsya-bhakṣiṇaḥthe bird closed his mouth, destroying the fish-eaters (the Nishadas)
ततःtataḥoriginal form “tataḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मातुर्māturoriginal form “mātur”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नभnabhaoriginal form “nabha”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form “tato”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बलवान्balavānoriginal form “balavān”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उपागमद्upāgamadoriginal form “upāgamad”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कालkālaoriginal form “kāla”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवान्तकोivāntakooriginal form “ivāntako”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महान्mahānoriginal form “mahān”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तान्tānoriginal form “tān”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निषादान्niṣādānoriginal form “niṣādān”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उपसंहरंस्upasaṃharaṃsoriginal form “upasaṃharaṃs”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form “tadā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नभःस्पृशंnabhaḥspṛśaṃoriginal form “nabhaḥspṛśaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समुद्रकुक्षौsamudrakukṣauoriginal form “samudrakukṣau”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form “ca”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समीपगान्samīpagānoriginal form “samīpagān”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततःtataḥoriginal form “tataḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महद्mahadoriginal form “mahad”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form “tadā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निषादमार्गंniṣādamārgaṃoriginal form “niṣādamārgaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पक्षिराट्pakṣirāṭoriginal form “pakṣirāṭ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form “tato”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निषादास्niṣādāsoriginal form “niṣādās”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रवव्रजुर्pravavrajuroriginal form “pravavrajur”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यतोyatooriginal form “yato”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भुजंगभोजिनःbhujaṃgabhojinaḥoriginal form “bhujaṃgabhojinaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाननंtadānanaṃoriginal form “tadānanaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विवृतम्vivṛtamoriginal form “vivṛtam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अतिप्रमाणवत्atipramāṇavatoriginal form “atipramāṇavat”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समभ्ययुर्samabhyayuroriginal form “samabhyayur”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गगनम्gaganamoriginal form “gaganam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवार्दिताःivārditāḥoriginal form “ivārditāḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पवनरजोभ्रमोहिताpavanarajobhramohitāoriginal form “pavanarajobhramohitā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महानिलप्रचलितपादपेmahānilapracalitapādapeoriginal form “mahānilapracalitapādape”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वनेvaneoriginal form “vane”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततःtataḥoriginal form “tataḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
खगोkhagooriginal form “khago”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वदनम्vadanamoriginal form “vadanam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अमित्रतापनःamitratāpanaḥoriginal form “amitratāpanaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परिचपलोparicapalooriginal form “paricapalo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाबलःmahābalaḥoriginal form “mahābalaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बहुविधमत्स्यभक्षिणोbahuvidhamatsyabhakṣiṇooriginal form “bahuvidhamatsyabhakṣiṇo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बुभुक्षितोbubhukṣitooriginal form “bubhukṣito”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गगनचरेश्वरस्gaganacareśvarasoriginal form “gaganacareśvaras”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form “tadā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
The image of Garuda devouring the Nishadas “like Time the destroyer” is fearsome, yet it demands right understanding. Garuda acts not out of cruelty but by the sanction of dharma and his mother’s word — taking permitted sustenance for the sake of a higher end, the freeing of his mother and the winning of the amrita. In the Vedic order every being has its appointed food, and here Garuda is the instrument of a cosmic law, like Time (Kala) itself. Yet this is no endorsement of violence for its own sake: the comparison with Antaka (death) reminds us that Garuda merely executes the inevitable, rather than being its source. It is striking that even in this fearsome might Garuda keeps the boundary of dharma — he will not touch a brahmin, as his mother charged him. Thus scripture shows that both strength and sustenance must submit to law: what is permitted is permitted, but what is forbidden — harm to the brahmin, the innocent — remains sacred. Garuda, bearer of the future Lord, is terrible to obstacles on the path of duty, yet unwavering in dharma — an image of the devotee who is bold in service to the Lord but never transgresses the commandment.