Kashyapa and Vinata are parents of Garuda, the divine eagle, and Aruna, charioteer of the sun. Vinata's first egg hatched prematurely, producing the incomplete Aruna; the second egg yielded the fully formed and blazing Garuda.
Garuda flew to Lanka and freed Rama and Lakshmana from the Nagapasha serpent-bonds that Indrajit had used to render them unconscious, dissolving the venomous coils with his radiant presence.
Kadru enslaved Garuda's mother Vinata through a deceptive wager over the color of the celestial horse Uchchaihshravas, then cheated by having her serpent sons blacken the horse's tail. This treachery bound Garuda to servitude until he could win his mother's freedom.
Garuda is the eternal enemy of the Nagas, a primordial hostility born from the rivalry between their mothers Vinata and Kadru. He preys upon serpents without mercy, and the Nagas scatter at his shadow.
Garuda serves as Vishnu's vahana, carrying the preserver god across the three worlds as his divine eagle mount.
The divine eagle Garuda was transmitted from Hindu cosmology into Buddhist tradition as one of the eight classes of supernatural beings, and thence into Tibetan Buddhism where Garuda is invoked as a wrathful protector and healer, retaining his serpent-devouring nature.
Garuda fought and overpowered Airavata, Indra's mighty war elephant, when he stormed heaven to seize the Amrita. Even Airavata's strength could not halt Garuda's assault on the gods.
Garuda stole the Amrita from heaven, defeating gods and overcoming fire, razor wheels, and guardian serpents to seize the nectar of immortality and ransom his mother Vinata from slavery.
Garuda defeated Indra and all the gods when storming heaven to steal the Amrita. Later, Indra followed Garuda to earth and recovered the nectar from the serpents before they could drink it.
As a newborn, Garuda blazed across the sky toward Surya, mistaking the sun for food. The terrified gods begged Agni to intervene, and Garuda was persuaded to turn aside, sparing the sun from the divine eagle's hunger.
Garuda undertook his quest for the Amrita specifically to free his mother Vinata from slavery to Kadru. His devotion to Vinata drove the most spectacular feat in Hindu mythology — the storming of heaven itself.
Vishnu appeared before Garuda during his assault on heaven and offered him a boon. Garuda asked to stand above Vishnu, and Vishnu placed the eagle on his flagstaff; in return, Garuda asked to serve as Vishnu's mount, sealing a pact of mutual honor without needing the amrita.
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