Mahabharata - Story of Gadura

Story of Gadura

One day sage Kashyapa was performing a sacrifice for which he asked Indra, who was also his son, to bring some arani (special fuel for sacrifices). Now there is a group of sages called Valakhilya who are as tiny as the measure of a thumb. These sages are very powerful and normally they practise tremendous austerities by hanging from the branch of a tree and they always remain together. These tiny sages were desirous of contributing for the sacrifice of Kashyapa and hence were bringing a small twig together. However while carrying that twig, they, accidentally fell down into a pit formed by the hoof of a cow. Now Indra saw them while bringing the arani and he could not help laughing at their predicament. At this, the Valakhilyas were extremely angry by Indra's pride and show of disrespect and at once they set themselves to perform a sacrifice to create another, more powerful Indra. Indra now got concerned, because Valakhilyas were very powerful sages and they would do what they were determined to accomplish. He went to his father Kashyapa to save himself. Kashyapa then requested the Valakhilyas to desist from creating another Indra, as that would undermine creator Brahma, who had already created an Indra and vested all power in him. Valakhilyas agreed but their sacrifices would not go in vain. Kashyapa therefore said that the sacrifice would yield another Indra, but that he would be the Indra of the birds and that he would also be a ranger of the sky and more powerful than the king of Gods himself. That was the cause of the birth of Gadura.

At the end of the five hundred years the otehr egg bore by Vinata finally hatched and from it came out a bird who was huge and mighty and resplendent like the burning sun. Soon after he came out of the egg, Gadura ascended the sky and even Gods were astonished by by might and size. They propitiated him and requested him to reduce his energy and Gadura out of compassion did the same. Gadura first carried his brother Aruna to the Sun. Aruna became Sun's charioteer.  Sun had decided to burn the world with his energy because he felt that he received a raw deal from the Gods. Although he had identified Rahu to the Gods during the churning of ocean, it was he who had to pay the price by getting periodically devoured by the demon and the other Gods did not help him in this matter. Sun therefore wanted to take a revenge by becoming more ferocious and ensuring the world's end by his tremendous enrergy. Since Aruna now came in front of Sun as charioteer, he could absorb some of the ferocious energy and hence the world was saved. Even today out of reverence for Aruna sunrise is also called Arunadaya. 

Gadura then came to the place where his mother Vinata was serving Kadru and the Nagas. There he joined his mother and together they began serve the Kadru clan.

Kadru had asked Vinata, who had become her slave, to carry her to an island in the midst of ocean. Vinata carried Kadru while Gadura carried the serpents. Gadura rose so high into the sky that the serpents became scorched by the heat of the sun. By seeing her sons' afflictions, Kadru recited a hymn in the praise of Indra, who, to alleviate the sufferings of the serpents, showered rains. Snakes were refreshed by that rainfall. Having reached the islands, the snakes enjoyed themselves and began to order Gadura to perform some mineal tasks. At this, Gadura was greatly offended and asked his mother as to why should they be treated in this manner by Kadru and her sons. Vinata explained her sorrowfuly that they had accepted slavery of Kadru and serpents and therefore had no other option than to serve them faithfully. At this Gadura asked the Nagas, "what could I do in order that you set me and my mother free?" The Nagas thought this to be a good opportunity and told him that they would settle for nothing less than the nectar of immortality. If Gadura could bring them the Amritam, they would immediately set him and Vinata free.

Gadura then set himself on the task of bringing the nectar. He asked his mother as to what he should eat on his way. Vinata replied that he could eat the Nishadas who had a village nearby, but should enver eat any Brahmin. A Brahmin would cause great discomfort and would burn his throat. She then heartily blessed Gadura and the latter set off on the quest. He soon stopped by the Nishadas' village and gobbled up the entire village. But soon afterwards his throat started burning. At this he wondered whether by mistake he had eaten up any Brahmin. He therefore asked, "Revered Sir, please come out of my mouth quickly, lest I digest you." The Brahmin replied that he had a Nishada wife and therefore he used to live in a Nishada village and requested Gadura to let go his wife as well. Gadura agreed and both the Brahmin and his wife came out and were mighty pleased. Even after eating an entire village of the Nishadas, Gadura's hunger was not appeased.

Gadura then went further and met sage Kashyapa, his father who asked him about his welfare. Gadura replied that he was well but was in search of food. At this Kashyapa told him that there is a certain lake on the banks of which lived a tortoise and an elephant who were always fighting with each other. They were sages in an earlier life and were two brothers. The elder brother was called Vibhavasu and the younger one was called Supratika. They had a great dispute about the property and Supratik cursed his younger brother out of wrath to become an elephant. Vibhavasu also in turn cursed his elder brother to become a tortoise. These two did not forget their hostilities even after getting animal bodies and used to fight with each other on slightest pretext. Kashyapa asked Gadura to eat these two huge animals. Gadura went to the side of the lake, saw the two exceedinlgy giant beasts of the size of two mountains, approaching each other with tremendous roars, and took both of them in his two claws. Then he searched for a place on which he could sit and eat them but none of the trees were strong enough to accommodate him. There was a huge banyan tree which, out of pride, asked Gadura to sit on one of its branches. Gadura accordingly sat there but the huge branch collapsed. Gadura with his keen eyesight saw that the tiny sages, called Valakhilyas were hanging from that branch. He therefore caught hold of the branch in his beak, lest the tiny sages are injured and soared up, with the two huge beasts in his two claws. The sages were astonished at this feat which is even difficult for the Gods, and named him as Gadura, the bearer of heavy weight.

Gadura, still thinking where to alight, saw the Gandhamadan mountain and there he again saw his father Kashyapa engaged in ascetic practices. Kashyapa also saw Gadura and the Valakhilyas and anxious to save his son from the wrath of the great sages, propitiated them. At this the Valakhilyas were satisfied and they left the bough and went elsewhere. Kashyapa then asked Gadura to drop that great bough in a secluded and uninhabited place on a mountain. Gadura did so and then perched on the mountain summit to eat the elephant and the tortoise.

He then once again set his heart in fetching the nectar. The Devas saw him coming and were alarmed. Vrihaspathi, the guru of the Gods, reminded Indra of the incident with Valakhilyas and the story about the birth of Gadura. Indra then asked all the Devas to prepare to fight in order to save the nectar from getting pilfered. The Devas attacked Gadura from all sides but could not cope with his might and power. All the weapons that they hurled at him were nothing to him. He mangled them with his beak and talons. He raised a storm of dust and blinded the Devas. Vayu was sent to clear the dust and the the battle continued. Soon, the Devas, being defeated, began to scatter in all directions. Gadura then went to the place where Amritam was kept. It was kept in a very secured place surrounded by a fearful fire. Gadura bought water in his beak and extinguished that fire. Then he found that there was a very sharp rotating wheel which was devised to cut any thief of the Soma into pieces. Gadura became very small in size and passed through the spokes of the wheel. Near the Soma there were two terrible snakes who would reduce to ashes anybody with the wrathful look in their eyes. Gadura threw dust into their eyes and being blinded the snakes could do no harm to him. He attacked them and with his razor sharp claws tore them to pieces. He then took the Amritam from the place where it was kept and soared above, without himself drinking the nectar. 

While he was soaring on the sky, Lord Vishnu stopped him and said He was very pleased to see the unselfish and noble spirit of Gadura. He therefore wanted to give a boon to the king of birds. The latter replied that he wanted to stay on the top of even Vishnu, the God of all Gods, and also wanted to become immortal and free from desease and decay. Vishnu agreed to both. Gadura then asked Vishnu to seek a boon from him. Vishnu asked him to become his carrier. Also since he wanted to stay on the top of Vishnu, the latter installed him on the dhvaja or the Flagstaff of his chariot. Henceforth He was called Gaduradhvaja, or one who has Gadura on his dhvaja. While he was flying, Indra, in a last ditch attempt to stop him, hurled his weapon, the thunder at him. In order to respect the mighty weapon made by the bones of the great sage Dadhichi, Gadura shed a feather of his. Since the feather was very beautiful, henceforth Gadura was also called Suparna or the one with a beautiful plumage. Indra, now convinced of the great strength of Gadura, entered into a friendship with him and requested him not to give the nectar to the serpents who were vicious and cruel. Gadura said that when he would place the nectar on the Kusha grass and inform the snakes about its arrival, Indra could take it away again. In that way he could keep his promise without giving away the nectar to the serpent clan. Indra heartily agreed and wanted to give Gadura a boon. Gadura, out of his great anger for the serpents, wanted to become their arch enemy and devour any snake that he would henceforth come across. Indra agreed. Gadura then announced his arrival with the Armitam to the serpents and asked them to go and perform their ablutions while he placed the bowl containing the nectar on mat made of Kusha grass. Snakes immediately released him and Vinata from bondage as per their promise and went for their ablutions, as it is customary to perform ablutions before performing any holy work, in order to be purified. Now Indra arrived in the guise of a Brahmin and took away the Amritam. The serpents came back and found nothing. They did not understand the deception and thought somebody must have stolen the Amritam while they were away. In regret they began to lick the Kusha grass where the bowl was kept. Since Kusha is very sharp, they got a fork tongue as a result of continuous licking. Kusha grass itself was henceforth regarded as holy as the nectar was kept on it. Gadura was released and he and Vinata enjoyed their freedom and Gadura gratified his mother by devouring the snakes that he would come across.