Chapter summary
गरुडाचलमाहात्म्यम् Garuḍācala Māhātmyam
The Glory of Garuḍācala
**The revered Sadguru said:**
In ancient times, there lived a renowned Prajāpati named Ariṣṭanemi, who was blessed with two chaste and devoted wives, Vinatā and Kadrū. It was during the churning of the milk ocean, when the magnificent horse Uccaiḥśravas emerged, that a bitter quarrel erupted between the co-wives, fueling their mutual animosity. The dispute began with a seemingly trivial question: "Is the tail of Uccaiḥśravas black or white?" This query, posed back and forth, needlessly ignited their contention. (v.1-3)
Vinatā declared the tail to be white, while Kadrū insisted it was black. They wagered their own freedom, agreeing that the loser would become the other's servant, and then both gazed upon the horse. Kadrū, however, secretly dispatched her sons, the serpents, to cover the horse's tail, making this a condition of the wager. When the horse's tail was thus obscured by the black serpents, Vinatā, believing it to be black, unwittingly condemned herself to servitude. (v.4-6)
Not long after, Vinatā gave birth to two illustrious sons from eggs: Anūru, who would become the charioteer of the Sun-god, and the immensely powerful Garuḍa. Witnessing his mother's enslaved state, Garuḍa was overcome with compassion and inquired about the cause. She then recounted the entire sorrowful history. (v.7-8)
Garuḍa swiftly bowed before Kadrū and respectfully implored her, "Please release my mother from this state of servitude." The mother of serpents replied, "Bring me the nectar that arose from the milk ocean. Once you deliver it, you may take Vinatā and depart." (v.9-10)
Garuḍa immediately set off for the ocean to obtain the nectar. However, all the gods sought to obstruct him, leading to a fierce battle. The king of birds, with powerful strikes of his wings and sharp pecks of his beak, routed all the deities, including Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt, who fled in disarray. Having thus seized the pot of nectar, the mighty Garuḍa departed with great speed. Defeated and humiliated, the gods then sought refuge with Lord Viṣṇu. (v.11-13)
Just then, Lord Viṣṇu, Hari, appeared in Garuḍa's path and, with a smile, requested, "Please give me the pot of nectar." Garuḍa, however, was filled with anger and pride in his own strength. The white-necked lord of birds then addressed Viṣṇu with seemingly smooth, yet challenging, words. (v.14-15)
**Garuḍa said:**
"I will not surrender this pot of nectar, which I have obtained through my own might. Indeed, begging is unbecoming for one such as you, O foremost among the strong! All the celestial beings were struck down by me and fled. Therefore, O Govinda, you too should not invite such a defeat." (v.16-17)
**The Supreme Lord said:**
"O Garuḍa, I am Nārāyaṇa, the supreme controller of all the gods. It is I alone, the universal soul, who sustains this entire cosmos, O bird. While I am certainly capable of engaging in battle with you, O mighty one, I nonetheless desire an enduring friendship between us." (v.18-19)
**Garuḍa said:**
"O Viṣṇu, your boasts are in vain! Who else in creation can truly compare to me? The humble and the wise, after all, do not engage in self-praise. It is only by recognizing your own weakness and my immense strength that you seek friendship, O Govinda. I shall not surrender the nectar here." (v.20-21)
**The Supreme Lord said:**
"Then either give me the nectar, or let us fight, O king of birds, O mighty one! You are a hero equal to me, and for that, I honor you." (v.22)
**Garuḍa said:**
"Having already perceived your strength, O Viṣṇu, best of gods, I certainly desire to engage in battle with you. Yet, you wish to fight without truly knowing my power. You are but a boy, weak, O Viṣṇu; you will needlessly meet your demise." (v.23-24)
**The Supreme Lord said:**
"Indeed, you are the strong one, O bird; of this, I have no doubt. I am weak, and I do not wish for battle with you. I desire only friendship with you, O foremost among the strong. This embrace I offer is given with love, for you are truly dear to me." (v.25-26)
**The revered Sadguru said:**
Having spoken thus, Lord Viṣṇu, Hari, with a playful smile, gently placed His long, mace-like arm upon Garuḍa's shoulder. The lord of birds, however, found himself unable to bear the weight of the Lord of Śrī's arm. Humbled, he folded his hands and spoke with profound reverence. (v.27-28)
**Garuḍa said:**
"Be pleased, O Lord Viṣṇu! You alone are truly the greatest of the strong. The entire universe is sustained by You alone; of this, I now have no doubt. Let there indeed be friendship between us. Still, I cannot surrender the nectar here, for I am taking it solely for my mother's liberation. Protect my mother, O Lord!" (v.29-30)
**The Supreme Lord said:**
"What your mother Vinatā declared is indeed the truth. The tail of the magnificent horse is white; there is no doubt about it. The malevolent Kadrū, driven by her malice, deceived your mother and brought her under her sway. O fortunate one, go now and release your mother!" (v.31-32)
**Garuḍa said:**
"So be it, O Lord of the universe! Be pleased, O best of all beings! By revealing the truth, I shall swiftly free my mother. O God, You who are so affectionate to Your devotees, You have shown me a way out of Your boundless compassion! Therefore, I now offer this pot of nectar to You; please accept it, O Janārdana." (v.33-34)
**The Supreme Lord said:**
"O highly intelligent one, you have become humble. Your nature is truly Sāttvic. Witnessing your profound devotion to your mother and your pure devotion to Me, O king of birds, I am exceedingly pleased. I have appeared before you as a bestower of boons. Choose any boon you desire, O delighted one; I shall grant it without fail." (v.35-36)
**Garuḍa said:**
"Having now truly known the strength of Your arm, I bow down before You, O mighty one! Grant me strength even greater than Your own, and bestow upon me immense greatness, O wise Lord!" (v.37)
**The Supreme Lord said:**
"So be it, O highly intelligent one! You shall become My eternal vehicle. Though you are the very sustainer of all the worlds, I shall nonetheless sit upon you. And further, you shall reside above Me, upon My banner, O best of the strong. In this manner, let the entire world witness your supreme greatness and strength." (v.38-39)
**The revered Sadguru said:**
Then, having bowed to Viṣṇu with profound love and having offered the pot of nectar, Garuḍa departed with the Lord's full approval. After liberating Vinatā and once again revealing the true color of the horse's tail, he returned to the boon-bestowing Viṣṇu and attained the exalted status of His divine vehicle. (v.40-41)
However, the great bird's mind was troubled by his earlier act of testing Viṣṇu's strength, and he immediately desired to atone for his offense. By Viṣṇu's command, he journeyed to the Auṣadhi mountain on earth and there worshipped Govinda, the Lord of gods and husband of Śrī. (v.42-43)
There, with his beak, he dug into the earth and created a river, which he then filled with the sacred waters of the Virajā river. On the banks of this newly formed Garuḍa river, the lord of birds personally installed an image of Hari and worshipped Govinda with profound devotion. (v.44-45)
For the welfare of all beings, Garuḍa respectfully planted the life-reviving Mṛtasañjīvanī creeper throughout that mountain. The magnanimous king of birds also, by the command of Devanātha, constructed a well of nectar to alleviate the diseases of humankind. (v.46-47)
Indeed, those afflicted individuals in the world who circumambulate the Auṣadhācala, bathe in the Garuḍa river, drink its well-water, and then worship Devanātha here with unwavering faith day after day—all their diseases, including white leprosy and consumption, are utterly destroyed. (v.48-49)
Here ends the twenty-fifth chapter, titled "The Glory of Garuḍācala," in the Second Part of the "Divyadeśavaibhavam," composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
Thus ends Chapter 25, named "Garuḍācala Māhātmyam", in Dvitīya Bhāge, in the Divya Deśa Vaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
