Rules and regulations Quote by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
““TRANSLATION Hurled by the mighty demon with all his strength, the flying trident shone brightly in the sky. The Personality of Godhead, however, tore it to pieces with His discus Sudarśana, which had a sharp-edged rim, even as Indra cut off a wing of Garuḍa. PURPORT The context of the reference given herein regarding Garuḍa and Indra is this: Once upon a time, Garuḍa, the carrier of the Lord, snatched away a nectar pot from the hands of the demigods in heaven in order to liberate his mother, Vinatā, from the clutches of his stepmother, Kadrū, the mother of the serpents. On learning of this, Indra, the King of heaven, hurled his thunderbolt against Garuḍa. With a view to respect the infallibility of Indra’s weapon, Garuḍa, though otherwise invincible, being the Lord’s own mount, dropped one of his wings, which was shattered to pieces by the thunderbolt. The inhabitants of higher planets are so sensible that even in the process of fighting they observe the preliminary rules and regulations of gentleness. In this case, Garuḍa wanted to show respect for Indra; since he knew that Indra’s weapon must destroy something, he offered his wing.””
About This Quote
Source Scripture: Bhagavata Purana, Canto 1, 5th century CE
A divine being sacrifices a part of himself to honor a more powerful deity, showing humility and respect even in conflict.
In simple terms: A god gives up a wing to respect another god's weapon.
Honor higher principles over personal loss.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- ritual worship
- inter‑deity diplomacy
- teaching moral lessons
- cultural storytelling
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance personal integrity with respect for authority?
- When is self‑sacrifice justified?
The story assumes all participants accept hierarchical authority, which may not hold in all belief systems.