दासत्वम् अगमत् पूर्वं नागानां गरुडः खगः मातृदास्यात् तदा दुःखपरिसंतप्तमानसः कदाचिच् चिन्तयाम् आस रहः स्थित्वा विनिश्वसन्
Once, Garuḍa, the king of birds, became a servant to the serpents; afflicted in mind by the sorrow of serving his mother, he sometimes reflected in solitude, sighing deeply.
त एव धन्या लोके ऽस्मिन् कृतपुण्यास् त एव हि नान्यसेवा कृता यैस् तु न येषां व्यसनागमः
Truly blessed in this world are those who have performed meritorious deeds; only those are fortunate, for whom no servitude has come, and who have not been subjected to others.
सुखं तिष्ठन्ति गायन्ति स्वपन्ति च हसन्ति च स्वदेहप्रभवो धन्या धिग् धिग् अन्यवशे स्थितान्
They live happily, sing, sleep, and laugh—blessed are those who are self-reliant; shame, shame on those who remain under another's control.
इति चिन्तासमाविष्टो जननीम् एत्य दुःखितः पर्यपृच्छद् अमेयात्मा वैनतेयो ऽथ मातरम्
Thus overwhelmed by such thoughts, the immeasurable-minded Vainateya, sorrowful, approached his mother and questioned her.
कस्यापराधान् मातस् त्वं पितुर् वा मम वान्यतः दासीत्वम् आप्ता वद तत्कारणं मम पृच्छतः
Mother, by whose fault—yours, my father's, or mine—have you become a servant? Tell me the reason, for I am asking you.
साब्रवीत् पुत्रम् आत्मीयम् अरुणस्यानुजं प्रियम्
She spoke to her own son, the beloved younger brother of Aruṇa.
नैव कस्यापराधो ऽस्ति स्वापराधो मयोदितः यस्या वाक्यं विपर्येति सा दासी स्यान् मयोदितम्
There is no fault of anyone else; I have declared my own fault. She whose word is overturned becomes a servant—this I have stated.
कद्रूश् चापि तथैवाहं सा मया संयुता ययौ कद्र्वा ममाभवद् वादश् छद्मनाहं तया जिता
I, along with Kadrū, was involved in a wager; by her deceit, I was defeated, and thus Kadrū became my mistress.
विधिर् हि बलवांस् तात कां कां चेष्टां न चेष्टते एवं दासीत्वम् अगमं कद्र्वाः कश्यपनन्दन यदा दासी तु जाताहं दासो ऽभूस् त्वं द्विजन्मज
Fate, my son, is powerful—what actions does it not bring about? Thus I became a servant to Kadrū, O son of Kaśyapa; when I became a servant, you too became a servant, O twice-born one.
तूष्णीं तदा बभूवासौ गरुडो ऽतीव दुःखितः न किंचिद् ऊचे जननीं चिन्तयन् भवितव्यताम्
Then Garuḍa, greatly distressed, remained silent, saying nothing to his mother, pondering the course of destiny.
कद्रूः कदाचित् सा प्राह पुत्राणां हितम् इच्छती आत्मनो भूतिम् इच्छन्ती विनतां खगमातरम्
Once, Kadrū, wishing for the welfare of her sons and her own prosperity, spoke to Vinatā, the mother of the bird.
पुत्रः सूर्यं नमस्कर्तुं तव यात्य् अनिवारितः अहो लोकत्रये ऽप्य् अस्मिन् धन्यासि बत दास्य् अपि
Your son goes to salute the sun unhindered; ah, even in all three worlds, you are blessed indeed, though you are a servant.
स्वदुःखं गूहमाना सा कद्रूं प्राह सुविस्मिता
Concealing her own sorrow, Vinatā, greatly astonished, spoke to Kadrū.
तव पुत्रास् तु किम् इति रविं द्रष्टुं न यान्ति च
But why do your sons not go to see the sun?
पुत्रान् मदीयान् सुभगे नय नागालयं प्रति समुद्रस्य समीपे तु तद् आस्ते शीतलं सरः
O fortunate one, take my sons to the abode of the serpents; near the ocean there is a cool lake where they dwell.
सुपर्णस् त्व् अवहन् नागान् कद्रूं च विनता तथा ततः प्रोवाच मुदिता वैनतेयस्य मातरम्
Then Suparṇa carried the serpents, as well as Kadrū and Vinatā; after that, Kadrū, delighted, spoke to the mother of Vainateya.
सुराणां नेतु निलयं गरुडो मत्सुतान् इति पुनः प्राह सर्पमाता गरुडं विनयान्वितम्
Garuda, the leader of the gods, was again addressed by the mother of the serpents, who spoke to him with humility.
पुत्रा मे द्रष्टुम् इच्छन्ति हंसं त्रिजगतां गुरुम् नमस्कृत्वा ततः सूर्यम् एष्यन्ति निलयं मम हण्डे त्वं नय पुत्रान् मे सूर्यमण्डलम् अन्वहम्
My sons wish to see the swan, the guru of the three worlds; after offering their respects, they will then proceed to the sun, which is my abode. Please, each day, lead my sons to the solar sphere.
सा वेपमाना विनता दीना कद्रूम् अभाषत
Vinatā, trembling and distressed, spoke to Kadrū.
नाहं क्षमा सर्पमातः पुत्रो मे नेष्यते सुतान् दृष्ट्वा दिनकरं देवं पुनर् एव प्रयान्तु ते
I am not able, O mother of serpents; my son will not lead your children. After seeing the sun god, let them return again.
विनता स्वसुतं प्राह विहगानाम् अधीश्वरम् नमस्कर्तुम् अथेच्छन्ति नागाः स्वामित्वम् आगताः
Vinatā spoke to her own son, the lord of the birds: The serpents wish to offer their respects, having attained mastery.
भास्वन्तम् इत्य् उवाचेयं मां सर्पजननी हठात् तथेत्य् उक्त्वा स गरुडो माम् आरोहन्तु पन्नगाः
The mother of serpents said to me, 'Lead us to the radiant one.' Garuda, having said 'So be it,' allowed the serpents to ascend onto him.
तदारूढं सर्पसैन्यं गरुडं विहगाधिपम् शनैः शनैर् उपगमद् यत्र देवो दिवाकरः ते दह्यमानास् तीक्ष्णेन भानुतापेन विव्यथुः
Then the army of serpents mounted Garuda, the lord of birds, and slowly approached the place where the god, the sun, was. Scorched by the intense heat of the sun, they trembled.
निवर्तस्व महाप्राज्ञ पतंगाय नमो नमः अलं सूर्यस्य सदनं दग्धाः सूर्यस्य तेजसा यामस् त्वया वा गरुड विहाय त्वाम् अथापि वा
Turn back, O wise one; salutations to the sun-bird. Enough of the sun's abode; we are burned by the sun's radiance. Let us depart with you, Garuda, or leave you and go ourselves.
एवं नागैर् उच्यमान आदित्यं दर्शयामि वः इत्य् उक्त्वा गगनं शीघ्रं जगामादित्यसंमुखः
Thus addressed by the serpents, Garuda said, 'I will show you the sun.' Saying this, he swiftly went through the sky, facing the sun.
दग्धभोगा निपेतुस् ते द्वीपं तं वीरणं प्रति बहवः शतसाहस्राः पीडिता दग्धविग्रहाः
Their bodies burned, they fell upon that island of reeds; many, hundreds of thousands, afflicted and scorched.
पुत्राणाम् आर्तसंनादं पतितानां महीतले आश्वासितुं समायाता तान् सा कद्रूः सुविह्वला
Hearing the anguished cries of her sons fallen to the earth, Kadrū, greatly distressed, came to comfort them.
उवाच विनतां कद्रूस् तव पुत्रो ऽतिदुष्कृतम् कृतवान् अतिदुर्मेधा येषां शान्तिर् न विद्यते
Kadrū spoke to Vinatā: Your son has committed a great wrong, acting with excessive malice, for whom there is no peace.
नान्यथा कर्तुम् आयाति स्वामिवाक्यं फणीश्वरः स काश्यपो बृहत्तेजा यद्य् अत्र स्याद् अनामयम्
There is no other way to act; the lord of serpents must follow the master's command. If the great sage Kāśyapa, full of splendor, were here, there would be no harm.
भवेच् चैवं कथं शान्तिः पुत्राणां मम भामिनि कद्र्वास् तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा विनता ह्य् अतिभीतवत्
How then can there be peace for my sons, O beautiful one? Hearing these words, Vinatā became extremely fearful.