You are the highest of all beings; by your radiance, everything—moving and unmoving—shines forth, just as the sun illumines the world with its beams. Again and again, you withdraw light from all that is luminous, and thus you bring an end to all things, both stable and unstable. When angered, your brilliance blazes like fire, burning all creation as the sun would scorch living beings. Terrifying as the fire that arises at the dissolution of the cosmos, you destroy the worlds and bring about the end of the age. It is to you, O lord of birds, mighty Garuḍa, that we have come for refuge. Your brilliance equals fire; you are radiant as lightning, dispelling all darkness, moving among the clouds with your great strength. You soar across the sky, O Garuḍa, son of Kaśyapa, best and mightiest among birds. You are the giver of boons, lord of both the near and the far, unconquerable in valor. By your energy, all the worlds are heated, O lord of the universe, shining with the brilliance of refined gold. Protect all the gods, O great-souled one. Out of fear of you, those who travel the skies in their flying vehicles wander astray, their path confounded. You, compassionate lord, son of the sage, are the best of birds, Kaśyapa’s glorious child. Let your anger not fall upon us; show supreme compassion to the world. You are the sovereign; be calm and protect us. When your thunderous voice resounds, the directions, the sky, the heavens, and the earth all tremble. O blessed one, bring us auspiciousness and happiness. Thus, praised by the gods and the hosts of sages, Suparṇa, the mighty Garuḍa, withdrew his own blazing energy. Then, Garuḍa, the great bird who could go wherever he wished, mighty in strength and power, flew to the far shore of the great ocean to approach his mother. There, his mother Vinatā, having lost a wager, was weighed down by grief and had fallen into servitude. Once, as Vinatā bowed before her son, she was summoned by Kadrū, who spoke these words: “O gentle one, take me, Vinatā, to the abode of the nāgas, delightful and beautiful, at the edge of the ocean’s depths.” Thus, Vinatā, mother of Garuḍa, carried Kadrū, mother of serpents, and Garuḍa, prompted by his mother’s command, carried the serpents as well. As Vainateya, the great bird, soared near the sun, the serpents, scorched by the sun’s rays, grew faint and weak. Seeing her sons in such distress, Kadrū praised Indra: “Salutations to you, Lord of all gods; salutations to you, slayer of mighty foes. Salutations to you, destroyer of Namuci, 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 lord and creator, O Purandara. You are the cloud, the wind, the fire, and the lightning in the sky; you are the disperser of clouds, the great cloud itself. You are the unmatched, dreadful thunderbolt, resounding and rain-bringing; you alone are the creator of worlds and the unconquered destroyer. You are the light of all beings—the sun, the blazing fire; you are wondrous, the king and best of gods. You are Viṣṇu, the thousand-eyed, the supreme refuge, the immortal, the Soma that is supremely worshipped. You are the moment, the lunar day, the instant and the second; you are the bright and dark fortnights, all divisions and measures of time, the year, the seasons, the months, the nights, and the days. You are the highest earth with its mountains and forests, the ground with the sun, the sky free of darkness; you are the ocean with its mighty whales, great waves, many crocodiles, and multitudes of fish. You, of great fame, are always worshipped by the wise and the delighted hearts of sages; praised, you drink Soma at sacrifice and partake of offerings prepared for the beings. The Brahmins here worship you constantly for results; you are sung in the Vedas and their limbs, and for your sake the foremost twice-born devote themselves to 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 the clouds, “Rain down auspicious nectar!” And the clouds, shining with lightning, poured forth abundant water. Thundering incessantly as if in contest, the wondrous, immense clouds made the heavens seem on the verge of dissolution. With ceaseless, incomparable torrents, the sky danced with uncountable streams and waves. Amid the booming of thunder, shaken by lightning and wind, the clouds rained continuously without pause. The light of sun and moon was lost, and the sky became dark. The best of the serpents rejoiced as Indra rained down. The earth was filled everywhere with cool, pure water that reached even to the netherworld. At that time, the earth was covered in many places by waves of water; and together with their mother, the serpents came, seeking the beauty of the world. Then, delighted and drenched by the streams of water, the serpents were swiftly carried by Suparṇa to that island. This island, inhabited by makaras, had been fashioned by Viśvakarman. There, those who arrived first saw the dreadful salt. The serpents, together with Suparṇa, beheld a charming forest encircled by ocean waters, resounding with the calls of flocks of birds. The island was covered with rows of forests bearing wondrous fruits and flowers, adorned with splendid dwellings and lotus ponds. Its clear waters and divine lakes were fanned by blessed breezes carrying celestial fragrances. Malaya trees seemed to soar into the sky, showering flowers scattered by the wind. Other trees, too, their blossoms tossed by the breeze, appeared to shower the serpents with rain of flowers and water.