Garuda's quest to carry away Amrita
#Birth of Nagas and Garuda
Rishi Kashyapa told his wives, Vinata and Kadru, to ask for a boon. Kadru asked for a thousand sons and Vinata for only two sons, greater in strength, spirit etc. to Kadru's sons. Then Kadru gave birth to 1000 eggs and Vinata to 2 eggs.
With time, Kadru's eggs hatched and Nagas were born. Vinata's eggs weren't hatching, so a impatient Vinata broke open one egg. From that was born Aruna.
Since Vinata broke the egg prematurely, due to a feeling of competition with Kadru, Aruna was born when half of his body hadn't matured. Aruna cursed Vinata that she'd become *dasi* of Kadru. He told her to not break the another egg, because his brother born from that egg would emancipate her from the curse. He told her to wait 500 years.
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#Vinata becomes dasi of Kadru
One day, Kadru and Vinata saw Uchchhaishrava, the horse who appeared during ocean churning. The horse was fully white. Even so, Vinata and Kadru made a bet among themselves. Vinata said its tail is white, while Kadru said it's black. They agreed to come the next day to verify and the loser would become dasi of winner.
Kadru knew she was wrong, still she wanted to win. She went to her sons, Nagas, and told them to help her win the bet by making the horse's tail black. Some refused and she cursed them that they'd be burnt in Janamejaya's snake sacrifice.
Next day they went to confirm and since nagas had made horse's tail black, Vinata lost the bet and became Kadru's dasi.
Sometime later(500yrs?), Garuda was born out of another egg.
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#Garuda's quest to emancipate Vinata from the curse by bringing Amrita
Vinata and Garuda had to do everything Kadru and her sons told. One day, Garuda asked his mother and she told him about the bet, how she was cheated and became Kadru's dasi. Then Garuda asked Nagas about how his mother would be freed. They told him to bring Amrita. And Garuda went for it.
He went to an island and ate all Nishadas there, except a brahmin couple. His hunger wasn't satiated. He ment Rishi Kashyapa and Kashyapa told him to eat an elephant and a tortoise from a lake. Garuda captured them and went to a tree's branch to eat it, but the branch broke. He held the branch, the elephant and the tortoise together, and noticed Valakhilyas on the branch. He again went to Kashyapa and Kashyapa requested Valakhilyas to go to another place. They complied.
Garuda went to another place, where no one lived and ate the elephant and the tortoise. From there, he went to heaven for Amrita.
The gods prepared for battle. They fought and were defeated by Garuda. Then Garuda saw Amrita protected in a circle of fire and a chakra which was kept there as protection against thieves. Garuda pacified the fire by putting lots of water on it(he grew lots of mouths and drank water from rivers), then made himself small, bypassed the chakra, grew in size again and broke the chakra, and flew away with Amrita. There were two snakes there as well and Garuda killed them.
On the way, Garuda meets Vishnu, who tells him to ask for a boon. Garuda asked that he always remain above Vishnu, and Vishnu granted this by placing Garuda on his banner. Garuda also tells Vishnu to ask for a boon and Vishnu asks him to be his vehicle. Garuda agrees and goes ahead.
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#Meeting with Indra and the agreed upon trick
On the way, Indra attacks him with Vajra. Garuda says it had no effect on him but to respect the Vajra, he'd give up one of his wings.
Then Indra concludes a friendship with him. Indra tells him to not go away with Amrita, as it will make snakes capable of contending with gods. Garuda then tells about his reason and they agree upon a trick in presence of Vishnu. Garuda would take the Amrita to Nagas presence and Indra would bring it back.
Garuda reaches the Nagas, puts the Amrita on grass and tells Nagas to free his mother. Garuda tells them to take a proper bath before drinking Amrita and they agree. Nagas enter the river and Indra flies away with Amrita.
Vinata is freed.
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#Some little details
During their conversation, Garuda asks Indra for a boon that the snakes become his food. Indra grants it.
When Indra flies off with Amrita, the snakes think that soem Amrita might've split on the grass and they start licking it, and as a consequence, their tongues become forked.
The elephant and the tortoise, were Supratik and Vibhavasu respectively, and they became those due to curses of each other. They used to continue their rivalry in that lake.
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