निषादविषयं हत्वा शाखया पतगोत्तमः।
प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे मोक्षयित्वा महामुनीन्।
शाखानिपातभीतांश्च शाखां चोत्सृज्य सर्ववित्॥
niṣāda-viṣayaṁ hatvā śākhayā patagottamaḥ
praharṣam atulaṁ lebhe mokṣayitvā mahā-munīn
śākhā-nipāta-bhītāṁś ca śākhāṁ cotsṛjya sarvavit
niṣāda-viṣayam = the niṣāda village; hatvā = destroyed; śākhayā = with that branch; pataga-uttamaḥ = the best of birds; praharṣam = delighted; atulam = incomparably; lebhe = and became; mokṣayitvā = and released [from danger]; mahā-munīn = the great sages; śākhā-nipāta-bhītān = [when] they were frightened that the branch might fall [on them]; ca = and; śākhām ca = [that] branch; utsṛjya = then left; sarvavit = the omniscient Garuḍa.
The best of birds destroyed the niṣāda village with that branch and released the great sages [from danger when] they were frightened that the branch might fall [on them]. The omniscient Garuḍa then left [that] branch and became incomparably delighted.
“The great sages” refer to the Vaikhānasas and so on [mentioned earlier] as well as the brāhmaṇas tortured by the niṣādas.
The following is implied: Garuḍa slew the niṣādas in order to protect those brāhmaṇas. Because all the niṣādas who tortured the sages were killed upon being struck by the branch [of the banyan tree], Garuḍa attained incomparable delight that the civilized had been protected and the miscreants had been suppressed.