01.029
Library: Narayana’s boon to Garuda, Indra becomes a friend.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
jāmbūnadamayo bhūtvā marīcivikacojjvalaḥ। praviveśa balātpakṣī vārivega ivārṇavam ॥1-29-1॥
The bird, transformed into a golden form and shining brightly like the sun, forcefully entered the ocean with the speed of water.
sa cakraṁ kṣuraparyantamapaśyadamṛtāntike| paribhramantamaniśaṁ tīkṣṇadhāramayasmayam ॥1-29-2॥
He saw a sharp-edged iron wheel constantly revolving near the nectar.
jvalanārkaprabhaṃ ghoraṃ chedanaṃ somahāriṇām। ghorarūpaṃ tadatyarthaṃ yantraṃ devaiḥ sunirmitam ॥1-29-3॥
The gods constructed a fearsome and radiant machine, designed to cut down the enemies of Soma, with an exceedingly terrifying appearance.
tasyāntaraṃ sa dṛṣṭvaiva paryavartata khecaraḥ। arāntareṇābhyapatatsaṅkṣipyāṅgaṃ kṣaṇena ha ॥1-29-4॥
Seeing the gap, the bird turned back. Meanwhile, it approached, contracting its body in an instant.
adhaścakrasya caivātra dīptānalasamadyutī। vidyujjihvau mahāghorau dīptāsyau dīptalocanau ॥1-29-5॥
Below the wheel here are indeed beings with blazing splendor equal to fire; they have tongues like lightning, are very terrible, and have blazing mouths and eyes.
cakṣurviṣau mahāvīryau nityakruddhau tarasvinau। rakṣārthamevāmṛtasya dadarśa bhujagottamau ॥1-29-6॥
He saw the two great serpents, who had eyes as their weapons, were of immense strength, always angry, and swift, guarding the nectar.
sadā saṁrabdhanayanau sadā cānimiṣekṣaṇau। tayoreko'pi yaṁ paśyetsa tūrṇaṁ bhasmasādbhavet ॥1-29-7॥
The two are always with agitated and unblinking eyes; if either of them sees someone, that person is instantly reduced to ashes.
tayoś cakṣūṃṣi rajasā suparṇas tūrṇam āvṛṇot। adṛṣṭarūpas tau cāpi sarvataḥ paryakālayat ॥1-29-8॥
Suparna swiftly covered their eyes with dust, and unseen, he surrounded them from all sides.
tayoraṅge samākramya vainateyo'ntarikṣagaḥ। ācchinatttarasa madhye somamabhyadravattataḥ ॥1-29-9॥
Garuda, the celestial bird, attacked the bodies of the two, snatched the Soma with great force in the middle, and then swiftly moved away.
samutpāṭyāmṛtaṃ tattu vainateyastato balī। utpapāta javenaiva yantramunmathya vīryavān ॥1-29-10॥
The powerful son of Vinata, having uprooted the nectar, then flew up swiftly, breaking the mechanism with his strength.
apītvāivāmṛtaṃ pakṣī parigṛhyāśu vīryavān। agacchadapariśrānta āvāryārkaprabhāṃ khagaḥ ॥1-29-11॥
The powerful bird, having drunk the nectar and taken it, quickly went on untired, blocking the sunlight.
viṣṇunā tu tadākāśe vainateyaḥ sameyivān। tasya nārāyaṇastuṣṭastenālaulyena karmaṇā ॥1-29-12॥
Garuda met Vishnu in the sky, and Narayana was pleased with his selfless actions.
tamuvācāvyayo devo varado'smīti khecaram। sa vavre tava tiṣṭheyamuparītyantarikṣagaḥ ॥1-29-13॥
The imperishable god addressed him, declaring himself as the boon-giver to the celestial being. The celestial being then requested to remain above as a space-traveler.
uvāca cainaṃ bhūyo'pi nārāyaṇamidaṃ vacaḥ। ajaraścāmaraśca syāmamṛtena vināpyaham ॥1-29-14॥
He again addressed Nārāyaṇa with these words: "May I become ageless and immortal, even without the nectar."
pratigṛhya varau tau ca garuḍo viṣṇumabravīt। bhavate'pi varaṃ dadmi vṛṇītāṃ bhagavānapi ॥1-29-15॥
After accepting the boons, Garuda said to Vishnu, "I will also grant you a boon; let the Lord choose as well."
taṁ vavre vāhanaṁ kṛṣṇo garutmantaṁ mahābalam। dhvajaṁ ca cakre bhagavān upari sthāsyasīti tam ॥1-29-16॥
Krishna selected the mighty Garuda as his vehicle and declared that Garuda would stand above as his emblem on the flag.
anupatya khagaṃ tvindro vajreṇāṅge'bhyatāḍayat। vihaṅgamaṃ surāmitraṃ harantamamṛtaṃ balāt ॥1-29-17॥
Indra, pursuing the bird who was the enemy of the gods and was forcibly taking away the nectar, struck it on the body with his thunderbolt.
tamuvācendramākrande garuḍaḥ patatāṃ varaḥ। prahasañślakṣṇayā vācā tathā vajrasamāhataḥ ॥1-29-18॥
Garuda, the best among birds, addressed him in the presence of Indra, smiling gently as if struck by a thunderbolt.
ṛṣermānaṃ kariṣyāmi vajraṃ yasyāsthisambhavam। vajrasya ca kariṣyāmi tava caiva śatakrato ॥1-29-19॥
I will honor the sage by making the thunderbolt from his bone. I will also make your thunderbolt, O Indra.
eṣa patraṃ tyajāmyekaṃ yasyāntaṃ nopalapsyase। na hi vajranipātena rujā me'sti kadācana ॥1-29-20॥
I am leaving this letter, the end of which you will never find. Indeed, even if struck by a thunderbolt, I will never feel pain.
tatra taṃ sarvabhūtāni vismitānyabruvaṃstadā। surūpaṃ patramālakṣya suparṇo'yaṃ bhavatviti ॥1-29-21॥
There, all the beings were astonished and said, "Upon seeing the beautiful form and wings, let this be Suparna."
dṛṣṭvā tadadbhutaṃ cāpi sahasrākṣaḥ puraṃdaraḥ| khago mahadidaṃ bhūtamiti matvābhyabhāṣata ॥1-29-22॥
Upon witnessing that astonishing sight, the thousand-eyed Purandara, considering this great being as a bird, expressed his thoughts.
balaṁ vijñātumicchāmi yatte paramanuttamam। sakhyaṁ cānantamicchāmi tvayā saha khagottama ॥1-29-23॥
I wish to understand your supreme and unparalleled strength and to have an endless friendship with you, O best of birds.
