The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section XXXIII
Section XXXIII.
( Astika Parva continued. )
Sauti said, "And that bird, assuming a golden body bright as the rays of the sun, entered with great force (the region where the Soma was), like a torrent entering the ocean. And he saw in the vicinage of the Soma a wheel of steel, keen-edged, and sharp as the razor, revolving incessantly. And that fierce instrument, of the lustre of the blazing sun and of terrible form, was devised by the gods for cutting to pieces all robbers of the Soma. And Gadura seeing a passage through it stopped there for a moment. And diminishing his body, in an instant he passed through the spokes of that wheel. And within the line of the wheel, he beheld, stationed there for guarding the Soma, two great snakes of the lustre of blazing fire, of tongues bright as the lightning flash, of great energy, of mouth emitting fire, of blazing eyes, containing poison, very terrible, always in anger, and of great activity. And their eyes were ceaselessly inflamed with rage and were winkless. And he who is seen by even one of the two is instantly reduced to ashes. And the bird of fair feathers suddenly covered their eyes with dust. And unseen by them he attacked them from all sides. And the son of Vinata—that ranger of the skies—attacking their bodies, mangled them into pieces. And he then approached the Soma without loss of time. And the mighty son of Vinata, taking up the amrita from the place where it was, rose on his wings with great speed, breaking into pieces the instrument that had surrounded it. And the bird soon came out taking wended on his way without the least fatigue, darkening the splendour of the Sun.
"And the son of Vinata then met with Vishnu in his path along the sky. And Narayana was gratified with that act of self-denial on the part of Gadura. And that deity knowing no deterioration said unto the ranger of the skies, 'O I am inclined to grant thee a boon.' And the ranger of the skies thereupon said, 'I shall stay above thee.' And he again spake unto Narayana these words:—I shall be immortal and free from disease without (drinking) amrita.' And Vishnu said unto the son of Vinata, 'Be it so.' And Gadura, receiving those two boons, told Vishnu, 'I also shall grant thee a boon; therefore, let the possessor of the six attributes ask of me.' And Vishnu asked the mighty carrier of great weights to become his vehicle. And he made the bird sit on the flag staff of his car, saying, 'Even thus thou shalt stay above me.' And the ranger of the skies, of great speed, saying unto Narayana, 'Be it so,' swiftly wended on his way, mocking the wind with his fleetness.
"And while that foremost of all rangers of the skies, that first of winged creatures, Gadura, was coursing through the air after robbing the amrita, Indra hurled at him his thunder-bold. And Gadura, the lords of birds, struck with the thunder bold, spake laughingly unto Indra engaged in the encounter, in sweet words, saying, 'I shall respect the Rishi (Dadhichi) of whose bone the Vajra hath been made. I shall also respect the Vajra, and thee also of a thousand sacrifices. I cast this feather of mine whose end thou shalt not attain. Struck with thy thunder I have not felt the slightest pain.' And having said this, the king of birds cast a feather of his. And all creatures became exceeding glad, beholding that excellent feather of Gadura so cast off by himself. And seeing that the feather was very beautiful, they said, 'Let this bird be called Suparna (having fair feathers.)' And Purana of a thousand eyes witnessing this wonderful incident thought that bird to be some great being and addressed him thus.
"And Indra said, 'O thou best of birds, I desire to know the limit of thy great strength, and I desire also eternal friendship with thee.'"
And so ends the thirty-third Section in the Astika of the Adi Para.