How Garuda Won the Amrita: Courage, Duty and Devotion - Defeat of Devas
In the chapter 28 of the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, there is the story of
Garuda, the son of Rishi Kashyapa and Vinata. Vinata lost a bet to her sister
Kadru and became her slave. The snakes, who are the sons of Kadru, said they
would free her only if Garuda brought them amrita, the nectar of immortality,
from the Devas. So Garuda went to heaven, not for his own benefit, but to save
his mother. This is the base of the whole story.
The Fight with the Devas
The story is told in chapter 28 of the Astika Parva. When
Garuda, the king of birds, came to the place of the gods, the Devas became
afraid and even started attacking each other with weapons in confusion.
Bhouvana (a name of Vishwakarma), a very brave guard of the soma, died quickly in the fight. Garuda
beat his wings and made a big storm of dust, and the guards could not see the
amrita. Then Indra told Vayu to blow the dust away.
After the dust was gone, the Devas attacked him together
with lances, iron clubs, spears, maces, swords and chakras. Garuda did not
tremble and did not get tired. He fought from every side and made the Devas run
in all directions. The Sadhyas and Gandharvas ran to the east, the Vasus and
Rudras to the south, the Adityas to the west and the Ashvins to the north. He
also fought warriors like Ashvakranda, Renuka, Krathana and Tarpana, and
defeated them.
Fire, Water and Smart Thinking
Then Garuda reached the amrita and saw it surrounded by big
fire. He did not fight the fire with strength only. He took ninety times ninety
mouths, drank water from many rivers, and put out the flames. After that, he
made his body very small, entered through the spoke of the wheel guarding the
amrita, and took it away. Here we learn that a great person uses both power and
intelligence.
Symbolism of the Story
Garuda is a symbol of a strong will, freedom and loyalty.
The amrita guarded by fire and a wheel shows that anything valuable needs
effort and patience. Some people also see the fire and the wheel as obstacles
in life, and the small form of Garuda as humility, because even a very powerful
person must sometimes become small to succeed. Later in the Adi Parva, Bhagavan
Vishnu was very pleased that Garuda did not drink the amrita himself. He gave
him the boon of immortality and made him his vahana. This shows that giving up
desire brings the highest respect.
Bhagavan Krishna also praises Garuda in the Bhagavad Gita,
chapter 10, verse 30, where he says that among birds he is Vainateya, which is
another name of Garuda. This shows how high his place is in Hindu belief.
Life Lessons and Modern Relevance
First, family duty is very important. Garuda took all this
risk only to free his mother. Today, many people work hard to support their
parents and family, and this story gives them respect for that effort. Second,
a person should not be greedy. Garuda had the amrita in his hands, but did not
use it for himself. Third, we should not lose hope when we face many enemies
and problems. Garuda stood alone against all the Devas and still did not give
up. Fourth, we should think about the best way to solve a problem, like Garuda
did with the fire.
In short, the story of Garuda is not only a story of a big fight. It teaches us about dharma, self-control, courage and love for the mother, and these lessons are useful in every age.