As the mighty Garuḍa unleashed his dazzling energy, the gods, alarmed by the blazing mass rushing forth from him, turned to Agni and pleaded, “O Agni, do not increase further; surely you do not wish to burn us? That great mass, fully kindled, is rushing forth from you.” But Agni reassured them, saying, “It is not as you imagine, O destroyers of Asuras. This Garuḍa is powerful, equal to me in energy.” Agni continued, “Born with supreme brilliance, the joy of Vinatā, Garuḍa’s radiance has confused you all. He, the destroyer of serpents, the mighty son of Kaśyapa, is devoted to the welfare of the gods and the harm of Daityas and Rakshasas. There is no need for fear here; behold him together with me.” The gods and sages then turned their praises toward Garuḍa, honoring his greatness: “You are a sage, greatly fortunate, a god, the lord of birds. You are the lord, the illuminator, the Sun, the supreme creator, the progenitor; you are Indra, the lord of horses, Śarva, the master of the world. You are the face of the lotus-born, the priest; you are Agni and also the wind; you are indeed the sustainer and the arranger, you are Viṣṇu, best among the gods. You are the great, unconquered, eternal, immortal; you are great fame; you are radiance, you are the desired, you are our supreme protection. All that is yet to come and all that has arrived is within you.” They continued, “You are the highest; all this, movable and immovable, shines forth by your rays as the sun by its beams; repeatedly withdrawing the light from the luminous, you are the ender of all, both stable and unstable. Just as the enraged sun would burn the creatures, so you burn with the brilliance of fire; terrifying as the fire of dissolution arisen, you destroy, bringing about the end of the age. We have come to you, lord of birds, for refuge, mighty, equal in brilliance to fire, radiant like lightning, dispelling darkness, moving among clouds, great in strength, Garuḍa, who moves in the sky.” They beseeched him, “You are the giver of boons, the lord of both the distant and the near, unconquerable in valor; by your energy all this is heated, O lord of the world, with the brilliance of refined gold; protect all the gods, O great-souled one. Filled with fear, those who travel in the sky in flying vehicles, made to wander, go along the wrong path because of you; you are the son of the sage, compassionate lord, O great-souled, best of birds, Kaśyapa’s son. Do not be angry with us; show supreme compassion to the world; you are the lord, attain calm and protect us; with your thunderous, resounding voice, the directions, the sky, heaven, and this earth tremble. O blessed one, be auspicious to us, bringer of happiness.” Hearing these heartfelt praises from the gods and the hosts of sages, Suparṇa, Garuḍa, withdrew his overwhelming energy, restoring calm. Then, the mighty bird, able to go wherever he wished, full of strength and power, flew to the far shore of the great ocean to approach his mother. There, Vinatā, who had lost a wager, was suffering greatly, bound in servitude. Once, bowing before her son, Vinatā was summoned by Kadrū, who said, “O gentle one, take me, Vinatā, to the abode of the nāgas, delightful and beautiful to behold, at the edge of the ocean’s depths.” Obeying her request, Vinatā carried Kadrū, the mother of serpents, and Garuḍa, prompted by his mother’s words, carried the serpents as well. As Garuḍa flew near the sun, the serpents, scorched by its rays, became faint. Seeing her sons in distress, Kadrū praised Indra, calling upon him: “Salutation to you, Lord of all the gods; salutation to you, slayer of strong foes. Salutation to you, destroyer of Namuci; salutation to you, thousand-eyed lord of Śacī; for the serpents scorched by the sun, become a raft with water. You alone are our supreme protector, O best of immortals; you are the lord, the mighty one, the creator, O Purandara. You are the cloud, you are the wind, you are the fire, and the lightning in the sky; you are the disperser of clouds, and you alone are called the great cloud. You are the unmatched, dreadful thunderbolt, resounding; you are the rain-bringer; you alone are the creator of worlds and the unconquered destroyer. You are the light of all beings, you are the sun, the blazing fire; you are the great and wondrous being, you are the king, you are the best of gods. You are Viṣṇu, you are the thousand-eyed, you are the god, you are the supreme refuge; you are all the immortal, O god, you are Soma, supremely worshipped. You are the moment, the lunar day, you are the instant, and again the second; you are the bright fortnight, the dark fortnight, the divisions of time, the measures, and the smallest fractions; you are the year, the seasons, the months, the nights, and the days. You are the highest earth with mountains and forests, the ground with the sun, the sky without darkness; you are the ocean with its intoxicated whales, the great waves, the many crocodiles, and the multitude of fish. You, of great fame, are always worshipped by the wise, by the delighted hearts of great sages; praised, you drink Soma at the sacrifice, and you partake of the offerings prepared for the beings. You are constantly worshipped by the Brahmins here for the sake of results; you, of immeasurable strength, are sung in the Vedas and their limbs; for your sake, the foremost twice-born, devoted to sacrifice, approach the Vedas and their branches with all effort.” Thus praised by Kadrū, the blessed lord, bearer of the discus, covered the whole sky with masses of dark clouds. He commanded, “Rain down auspicious nectar!” And the clouds, shining with lightning, poured forth abundant water. Thundering incessantly in the sky, as if contending with each other, the clouds, wondrous and immense, made the heavens appear as if in dissolution. Pouring forth incomparable, ceaseless water with great roaring, the sky seemed to dance with countless streams and waves. With the booming of thunder, shaken by lightning and wind, those clouds rained continuously and without pause, bringing relief to the serpents and fulfilling the prayers of the gods and sages.