From the slopes of that great mountain, Garuḍa, the king of birds, arose in all his might and swiftness. With the force of a tempest, he soared toward the assembly of gods. His arrival filled the gods with dread, for his strength was immense. Startled and fearful, they turned upon one another in confusion, seizing their weapons in haste. Amidst them stood a being of immeasurable power, radiant as lightning and blazing fire, a mighty protector born of the earth who guarded the sacred Soma. Garuḍa, lord of birds, attacked this guardian fiercely, striking with his wings, beak, and talons. After a brief but terrible struggle, Garuḍa slew this defender in combat. With a sweep of his vast wings, Garuḍa stirred up a mighty storm of dust, darkening the sky and shrouding the worlds in gloom. The dust rained down upon the gods, casting them into confusion. So thick was the darkness that they could no longer see the guardian of the nectar. Garuḍa shook the heavens with his power. With blows from his wings and beak, he scattered the gods, striking them down. Then the thousand-eyed Indra called upon Vāyu, the Wind: “Dispel this dust, O Marut! This is your task!” At Indra’s command, Vāyu swept away the dust with his great force. As the darkness lifted, the gods rallied and attacked Garuḍa. Struck by the assembled deities, Garuḍa roared with a voice like thunder, terrifying all beings. Yet he soared higher, standing above the gods in the sky, undaunted. Indra and all the gods rained down upon him a storm of weapons—lances, clubs, spears, and maces—while blazing, razor-edged discs, shining like the sun, struck him from every side. Unshaken, the mighty son of Vinatā fought a terrible battle. His wings, chest, and beak scattered the gods as if he were burning the very sky. Stricken and routed by Garuḍa’s fury, the gods fled, wounded and bleeding from his talons and beak. The Sādhya gods and Gandharvas fled east, the Vasus to the south, and the Rudras together, all scattered by the king of birds. The Ādityas went west, the Ashvins north, all the while glancing back at Garuḍa’s awesome might. Yet Garuḍa’s battle was not done. He fought with the hero Ashvakranda, with Renuka, the valiant Krathana, and Tapana, who roamed the sky. He engaged Uluka and Svasana, Nimesha, Praruja, and Pulina in fierce combat. In his wrath, like Shiva at the end of an age, Garuḍa struck them with his wings, claws, and beak, scorching his foes. Such was his strength and energy that they were wounded in countless ways, their roars echoing like thunderclouds as streams of blood poured forth. Having slain them all, Garuḍa, foremost among birds, pressed on in search of the nectar, and beheld fire on every side. He saw a mighty fire blazing fiercely, its flames stretching to the sky, fanned by violent winds and shooting sharp rays in all directions. Yet Garuḍa, the enemy-burner, crossed over these flames with the swiftness of his winged chariot, using rivers as his path. Then, subduing the fire, he made his form small and prepared to enter. Very swiftly, Garuḍa returned once more, gleaming golden like the precious jambū-nada, shining with many rays. With the force of rushing waters entering the ocean, he pressed on. Near the nectar, he beheld a dreadful wheel—its iron blade razor-sharp, spinning ceaselessly, blazing with the radiance of fire and sun, a terrifying device crafted by the gods to guard the nectar. Noting a gap in the wheel, Garuḍa drew back for a moment. Compressing his body, he darted through the space between the spokes. Beneath the wheel, he saw two serpents, their brilliance like blazing fire, tongues flickering like lightning, great in might, with shining mouths and glowing, venomous eyes. Ever wrathful and swift, these two foremost serpents guarded the nectar, their gaze so fierce that any creature caught in it would be reduced to ashes. At the sight of them, Garuḍa was momentarily dismayed. “How can I overcome these mighty devourers of the tawny?” he wondered. But quickly, he cast off his fear. With a sudden gust, he flung dust into their eyes, blinding them. Unseen, he struck them from all sides, and mounting their bodies, he swiftly cut them in two. Then, rushing forward, he seized the Soma nectar. With immense strength, Garuḍa tore apart the device that guarded the nectar and soared away at great speed, never pausing to drink it. As he departed, he blocked the brilliance of the sun, so swift and mighty was his flight. In the sky, Garuḍa met Viṣṇu himself. Nārāyaṇa, pleased with Garuḍa’s selfless deed, spoke to him: “I am a granter of boons.” Garuḍa, moving through the air, replied, “Let me remain above you.” Again, he addressed Nārāyaṇa: “Grant that I may be ageless and immortal, even without drinking the nectar.” Thus did Garuḍa, son of Vinatā, display his might and devotion, fulfilling his quest with valor and wisdom, and receiving the blessings of the imperishable Lord.