Indra Tests Garuda's Strength and Becomes His Friend
As Garuda flies away with the amrita, Indra, king of the gods, strikes him with his most powerful weapon, the vajra. Garuda is unharmed, and his response — a single, magnificent feather — leaves Indra amazed and seeking friendship.
Garuda flew on, the enemy of the gods, the pot of amrita secured. Indra, the thousand-eyed king of the gods, saw him. In response to this theft of the gods’ most precious treasure, Indra powerfully struck the bird with his vajra — the thunderbolt weapon, forged from the bones of a sage.
Struck by the vajra, Garuda, supreme among those who fly, was unharmed. He taunted Indra, but his words were wrapped in a strange respect. In a pleasant voice, he said, “I shall respect the rishi from whose bones the vajra has been constructed. O Shatakratu (Indra)! I shall respect the vajra and you too.” His respect was for the weapon’s origin, not its effect.
Then he made his point. “I will cast off one of my feathers,” he said, “and you will never be able to find its ends. I have not felt the slightest pain at being struck by your vajra.”
He cast off a single feather.
All the beings who saw that beautiful, cast-off feather were amazed. They exclaimed, “Let this bird be called Suparna (the one with beautiful feathers).”
Indra — Purandara — saw this marvellous act and was surprised. He concluded the bird must be a great being. His anger turned to curiosity, and then to a desire for alliance. He said to Garuda, “O supreme among birds! I wish to know the extreme limits of your incomparable strength. I wish to be your eternal friend.”