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Kadru and Vinata Story

Kadru and Vinata were the wives of Sage Kashyapa. The story of them are found in Mahabharata and the Puranas

Once Kadru and Vinata put a bet on the color of the tail of the horse Uchaishravas – a seven-headed flying horse that was obtained during the churning of ocean or Samudra Manthan.


Kadru claimed the color was black and Vinita claimed it was white. The stake was whoever lost the bet will serve the other.

Kadru cheated by asking her sons, the Nagas, to hang on to the tail of Uchaishravas. Thus the white tail of the divine horse turned black as the nagas hung on to them.

Vinita and Garuda were thus forced to serve Kadru. They were treated badly by Kadru and her sons.

Later the nagas agreed to free Garuda and his mother if he brought the Amrit, or Elixir of life, which is in the possession of Indra, the king of Devas or demigods. Garuda got Amrit from heaven and freed himself and his mother from servitude.