Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) (13 page)

‘Carefully, they took up positions around the amrita. Shatakratu Indra also stood there, vajra in hand. They wisely clad themselves in wonderful golden armour, expensively adorned with lapis lazuli. They brandished diverse terrible weapons in their thousands, emitting flames, sparks and smoke, the edges and points sharpened—chakras, iron clubs, tridents, battle axes, many sharp spears, spotless swords,
maces of terrible forms, weapons most appropriate for their respective bodies. Armed with these radiant weapons and decorated with divine ornaments, the army of gods stood there, their fears pacified. With unparalleled strength, energy and radiance, capable of razing the cities of the asuras and displaying themselves in forms as radiant as the blazing fire, the gods stood there, their minds set upon protecting the amrita. Thus, that supreme battlefield, with the gods and with hundreds and thousands of clubs, looked like another firmament, lit up by the radiant rays of the sun.’

Shounaka asked, ‘O suta! What was Indra’s fault and how was he negligent? How was Garuda born through the austerities of the valakhilyas? How did Kashyapa, a Brahmana, have the king of the birds as a son? How did he
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become invincible and indestructible to all creatures? How did the bird have the power to travel anywhere at will and summon up every power at will? If they are recounted in the ancient tales, I would like to know the answers to these questions.’

Souti said, ‘O Brahmana! What you wish to know is indeed narrated in the ancient tales. Listen to me, as I briefly recount it to you. Prajapati Kashyapa undertook a sacrifice in order to have a son and it is said that he was helped by the rishis, the gods and the gandharvas. Kashyapa appointed Shakra,
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the other gods and the valakhilya sages to bring firewood for the sacrifice. Because of his great strength, the lord Shakra picked up firewood that was as large as a mountain and carried it, without any effort at all. On the way, he saw some rishis who were no larger than the joint of a thumb. Together, they carried a single leaf of a
palasha
tree.
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The ascetics were extremely weak from lack of food and their bodies were lean.
A cow’s hoof had left a print
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and this had filled up with water, causing them grief. Vain about his valour, Purandara
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was amazed at this sight and contemptuously laughing at them swiftly passed over them, stepping over their heads. At this they were angered and began a great act
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that would bring danger to Shakra. According to the rites, these great sages, rigid in their austerities, poured libations into the sacrificial fire and chanted mantras saying, “The gods will have another Indra, capable of going anywhere at will and capable of summoning up any power at will. He will bring great fear to the present king of the gods. Through the fruits of our austerities, there will be born one, swift as the mind, who will be a hundred times better than Indra in strength and valour.” On learning of this, Shatakratu,
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the king of the gods, was greatly alarmed and sought refuge with Kashyapa, rigid in his vows.

‘Hearing everything from the king of the gods, Prajapati Kashyapa went to the valakhilyas and asked them if their act had been successful. The truthful ones replied that it had been. Then Prajapati Kashyapa pacified them and said, “O ones blessed with the power of austerities! The present Indra has been appointed by Brahma as the lord of the three worlds. You are trying to create another Indra. O supreme ones! You should not make Brahma’s words false. Nor should I make your intentions false. Let there be another Indra for winged beings, endowed with great strength and valour. Show mercy to the king of the gods who is a supplicant before you.” Having been thus addressed by Kashyapa, the valakhilya ascetics saluted Kashyapa, supreme among sages, and said, “O Prajapati! Our act was for the purpose of creating an Indra. It is also something that you wish, because it was meant to bring you a son. Please accept this act and its fruits. Do whatever seems to you to be the best course of action.” At that time, the beautiful and illustrious goddess Dakshayani
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Vinata desired to have a son.

‘Having performed austerities and rites for the birth of a son and bathed, the pure one served her husband. Kashyapa told her, “O goddess! This act of yours will bear fruit and you will obtain what you desire. You will give birth to two valorous sons, lords of the three worlds. Owing to the austerities of the valakhilyas and through my own desire, these sons will be extremely fortunate and will be worshipped in the worlds.” Marichi’s illustrious son
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again told her, “Take good care when you bear these auspicious seeds in your womb. One of these will be a valorous bird, the Indra of all winged beings, capable of summoning every power at will and esteemed by the worlds.” Pleased, Prajapati
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then spoke to Shatakratu,
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“O Purandara! You will have two powerful birds as brothers. They will cause no injury to you. O Shakra! Stop worrying. You will continue to be Indra. But in your arrogance, never insult those who have knowledge of the brahman. Their words are like poison, their anger is fearsome.” At these words, Indra’s fears were dispelled and he went to his world. Vinata was delighted, because her wishes had been fulfilled. She gave birth to two sons, Aruna and Garuda. Aruna, with the malformed body, became the one who comes before the sun.
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Garuda was instated as the Indra of the birds. O descendant of the Bhrigu lineage! Now listen to his great deeds.’

Souti said, ‘O best of the twice born! When this turmoil was going on, Garuda, the king of the birds, swiftly came to where the gods were. Having seen his great strength, the gods began to tremble in fear. They even began to attack each other with their weapons.
Among those guarding the soma, was Bhouvana,
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as radiant as the lightning and fire and unparalleled in his great valour. But after an instant’s great fight, he lay dead, ripped apart by the beaks, talons and wings of the Indra among birds. Darkening the worlds with a great storm of dust created by his wings, the giant bird overwhelmed the gods, and overcome with that dust, the gods were deluded. Those who were guarding the amrita could not see it because of that dust. Thus, Garuda brought complete turmoil to the world of the gods. He ripped the gods apart with his wings and beak. Then, the god with the thousand eyes
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commanded Vayu,
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“O Marut! It is your duty to drive the dust away.” Then the mighty Vayu drove the dust away.

‘When the darkness had disappeared, the gods attacked the bird. He roared in the sky, like a giant cloud, terrifying all beings. Attacked by the army of the gods, the immensely valorous king of the birds, the destroyer of enemies, rose into the sky, above the heads of the gods. Led by Indra and armoured, they attacked him with many weapons like lances, iron clubs, spears, maces, many sharp swords and chakras as radiant as the sun. Attacked from every side, the king of birds didn’t even tremble. Vinata’s powerful son fought a tremendous battle, showing no signs of tiring out. Like the roar of thunder in the sky, Vinata’s powerful son attacked the gods from all sides with his wings and breast and scattered them in all directions. Oppressed and mangled by Garuda’s beak and talons, a lot of blood flowed from the bodies of the gods and they fled. The saddhyas and gandharvas fled to the east, the vasus and rudras to the south, the adityas to the west and the Nasatyas
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to the north. They retreated while fighting and looked back repeatedly at the immensely energetic enemy. He fought with the brave Ashvakranda, the bird Renuka, the brave Krathana, the bird Tapana, Uluka, Shvasana, the bird Nimesha, Praruja and Pulina. Vinata’s son tore them into pieces with
his wings, talons and sharp beak, like the wrathful and enemy-destroying Pinaki
⁹⁹
at the end of a yuga. Those immensely powerful and energetic warriors, draining showers of blood from their many wounds, looked like dark clouds.

‘Thus rendering the gods almost dead, the best of the birds went to where the amrita was and found it surrounded from all sides by fire. The flames of that great raging fire covered up by the entire sky and moved by violent winds seemed to burn up the hot and sharp rays of the sun. The great-souled Garuda thereupon assumed ninety times ninety mouths and drank up with these mouths water from rivers. Returning with great speed and using his wings as a chariot, he quenched the blazing fires with the rivers. Putting out the fires, he adopted a very small form, wishing to enter.’
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Souti said, ‘Assuming the form of a golden body as bright as the rays of the sun, Garuda entered with great force, like a river entering the ocean. He saw a wheel near the amrita, with keen edges and sharp blades, revolving continuously and murderously around it, blazing like the fire and the sun, a fearful instrument skilfully created by the gods to slice down those who wished to steal the soma. The bird saw an entry through this. He made his body very small and in an instant passed through the spokes in the wheel.

‘Behind the wheel, he saw two large snakes, standing guard over the amrita. They blazed like flaming fire and their tongues were like lightning. Their power was immense and their faces and their eyes were fiery. They were terrible, angry and always mobile and their eyes had venom in them. Their eyes did not blink and displayed rage. Anyone who was even seen by those two was instantly burnt
to ashes. The one with the beautiful feathers
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instantly flung dust into their eyes and thus making them sightless he attacked them from all directions. Vinata’s son, the traveller in the skies, attacked their bodies and at will tore them into shreds. Without any delay, he then went to where the soma was.

‘Vinata’s powerful son picked up the amrita from where it was. The valorous one flew up into the sky, in the process shattering the instrument into pieces. The bird soon emerged, grasping the amrita, but without drinking it. He proceeded on his way, not tired at all, making the sun’s radiance seem dark.

‘Then Vinata’s son encountered Vishnu in the sky. Narayana was pleased with him at his act of self-denial and told the bird, “I am the god who grants boons that don’t decay.” The bird said, “I always wish to remain above you.” He again told Narayana, “I wish to be immortal, free from the decay of age, without the amrita.” Having received these boons, Vinata’s son told Vishnu, “O illustrious one! I wish to grant you a boon too.” Krishna
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asked for the boon that the powerful one should always be his vehicle.
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The illustrious god Narayana placed the bird on his flagstaff and said, “Thus you will always be above me.” The bird agreed.

‘As the bird, the enemy of the gods, flew on with the amrita, Indra powerfully struck him with his vajra. Struck by the vajra, Garuda, supreme among those who fly, tauntingly told Indra in a pleasant voice, “I shall respect the rishi from whose bones the vajra has been constructed. O Shatakratu! I shall respect the vajra and you too. I will cast off one of my feathers and you will never be able to find its ends. I have not felt the slightest pain at being struck by your vajra.” On seeing that beautiful feather, all the beings were amazed and exclaimed, “Let this bird be called Suparna.”
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On seeing this marvellous act, the thousand-eyed Purandara was surprised and concluded that the bird must be a great being. He
said, “O supreme among birds! I wish to know the extreme limits of your incomparable strength. I wish to be your eternal friend.”’

‘Garuda said, “O Purandara! As you wish, let there be friendship between us. But know that my strength is great and hard to bear. O Shatakratu! There is no doubt that the learned do not approve of speaking highly of one’s own strength or of praising one’s own qualities. O friend! Since we are now friends and since you ask me, I will tell you, though there should never be self-praise without reason. O Shakra! On a single one of my feathers, without any fatigue, I can bear the wide world with its mountains, forests, oceans and even you suspended there, even all the worlds together, with all their mobile and immobile objects. Know this to be my great strength.”

‘O Shounaka! When the hero said this, the illustrious and prosperous lord, the crowned king of the gods, the bringer of welfare to all beings, said, “Now accept my eternal and supreme friendship. If you do not require the soma, please return the soma to me. Those to whom you give it will always overcome us.” Garuda replied, “There is a reason why I am taking the soma away. I will not give the soma to anyone to drink. O god with the thousand eyes! O ruler of the three worlds! When I have put it down, you can immediately pick it up and bring it back.” Shakra said, “O you who are born of an egg! Your words please me. O best of the birds! Ask from me any boon that you desire.” Being thus addressed, he remembered Kadru’s son and his mother’s slavery through deception and said, “O Shakra! I have the power to do what I desire. Yet, I will be a supplicant before you. Let the mighty snakes be my food.” The enemy of the danavas agreed and said, “I shall take the soma away when you have put it down.” Thereafter, with great speed, Suparna went to his mother.

‘In great delight, he told all the snakes, “I have brought you the amrita. I will place it for you on this
kusha
grass. O snakes! Drink it
after bathing and purifying yourselves through rites. I have done what you asked me to do. Therefore, as you had promised, let my mother be freed from her slavery at this very instant.” The snakes agreed and went off to have their baths. Shakra picked up the amrita and went off to heaven. After bathing and purifying themselves through prayers and rites, the snakes joyfully returned to the place where the soma had been kept, to drink it. But the snakes found that they had been deceived. They began to lick the
darbha
grass on which the soma had been placed. Because of this act, the tongues of the snakes were split in two and became forked. From that day, because of contact with the amrita, the darbha grass became sacred.