Garudapanchasath-slokas 28 to 30

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28. Chaayaathaarkshyaan aheenaam phaNamaNimukura SreNivispashtabimbaan

thraaNaapekshaaDhrtha svaprathikrthimanasaa veekshyajaathaanukampah

theshaam dhrshtvaa aTha prathigarudagaNaasankayaa thungaroshaH

sarpan dharpodDhatho nah Samayathu dhuritham sarpasanthaanahanthaa

May Garuda who , first took pity on the serpents seeing his form reflected on the gem of their hoods, thinking that they were trying to propitiate him, later got angry when they started moving around suspecting that they were gathering support from others like him and destroyed them.

The form of Garuda, chaayaathaarkshyaan, is reflected in the head-jewel of the serpents, phaNamukuramasreNi vispashtabimbaan. He thought that they are bearing his form out of fear and wish to propitiate him, thraaNaapekshaaDhrtha svaprathikrthi. So he took pity on them seeing what they have done, veekshya jaathaanukampah. But when he saw the forms on the hoods moving hither and thither he suspected that the serpents have mustered the support of other garudas against him, prathigarudagaNaasankayaa, and got angry, thungaroshah. He moved about, sarpan with arrogance destroying the clan of serpents, sarpasanthanahanthaa. May that Garuda destroy our sins, dhuritham, also.

The word sarpa is used in the sense of serpents as well as the verb sarp, to move.

 

29. ucChvaasaakrshta thaaraagaNaghatitha mrshaamoukthikaakalpaSilpah

pakshavyaaDhootha paaThoniDhi kuharaguhaagarbha dhatthaavakaaSaH

dhrshtim dhamshtraagradhootheem prThushu phaNabhrthaam preshayan utthamaangeshu

angairangaani runDhan avathu pipathishuH pathriNaam agrNeeh naH

May Garuda who was adorned by the stars drawn towards him by his breath like pseudo-pearls, who made a hole in the sea by the flutter of his wings enabling him to enter the netherworld, whose glance went before his fangs and struck the heads of the serpents and who poised by pressing his limbs with his wings to leap on the serpents, protect us.

Garuda wanted to enter the netherworld to attack the serpents where they live, and the force of his breath drew the stars around him, ucChavaasaakrshta thaaraagaNa, and it looked as though he is adorned with false pearls, mrshaamoukthika. His powerful wings made a dent in the middle of the sea, pakshavyaaDhoothapaaThoniDhi, and made way for him to enter, kuharaguhaagarbhadhatthaavakaaSah the nether world. He fixed his eyes on the serpents even before his fangs sank into them and hence the glance seem to forewarn the serpents that his fangs will descend on them soon, dhamshtraagradhootheem dhrshtim. He was poised to swoop down, pipathishuh with holding his wings to his side pressing his legs and other parts of the body, angaih angaani runDhan, with the wings.

Garuda is referred to as pathriNaam agraNeeh, the first and foremost among the birds.

 

30.aaveDhaH souDhaSrngaath anuparathagatheh aabhujangendhralokaath

SrENeebanDham vithanvan kshana pariNamitha aalaathapaathaprakaarah

Paayaath nah puNyapaapaprachayamayaH punah garbha kumbheenipaathaath

Paathaalasyaantharaale brhathi khagapatheh nirvighaatho nipaathah

May the leap of the king of birds from the world of Brahma till the world of serpents through the wide gap of the netherworld, uninterrupted and like instant firebrand , protect us from falling into the terrible hell of entering into the womb for rebirth through the hosts of puNya and papa.

From the world of Brahma, aa veDhaah souDhaasrngaath, the fall of Garuda till the world of serpents, aa bhujangendhralokaath, through the wide gap of the netherworld, brhathi paathaalasya antharale, is uninterrupted and swift like an instant firebrand, kshnaparinamitha aalaathapaatha.

The rebirth necessitating the entry into the womb, which is compared to the hell called kumbheepaaka, which is supposed to be the hottest of all the hells, is due to the karma resulting in both puny and papa. As actions both meritorious or otherwise cause rebirth they are equally shunned by the wise. That is why karmayoga and bhakthi yoga are prescribed in which the actions are done without expectation of any result and as an offering to God. The incessant leaps into the world of serpents in the act of destroying them are compared to the instant fall of the firebrands which is capable of preventing us from falling into the hell of rebirth.