Of Sibling Rivalry, Giant Birds and Scheming Reptiles

Sage Kashyapa had two wives – Kadru and Vinata. Once while retreating to the forests for tapasya, he asked his wives what they wanted. Each of them asked for a boon from Kashyapa. Kadru asked for 1000 sons. Vinata asked for two children who were valorous.

 As per the blessing, Kadru’s eggs hatched after 500 years and her thousand naga sons were born. Vinata who was guarding her eggs was upset that her eggs had not hatched.
 
She tried poking one of the eggs and a bird came out. Unfortunately, due to not having been allowed to develop fully the lower portion of his body was not developed.

He looked at his mother angrily and said “Because of your impatience, I am not fully developed. You will serve as a slave for 500 years.” Regretting his outburst, he tells Vinata that she should wait another 500 years for the other egg to hatch naturally. Then she will beget a magnificent son.

Saying so he flew off and became the charioteer of Lord Surya. He is considered to be Aruna the charioteer of the Sun God. Having learnt her lesson, Vinata waited for the other egg to hatch by itself.

One day, the sisters were walking near the shores of the ocean. They saw the divine horse Uchchaihshravas at a great distance. Kadru told Vinata “What a milky white horse. Sad its tail is black.” Vinata said “No, I don’t think so. It’s a fully white horse.”. They started fighting about this. The scheming Kadru said “If it turns out that the tail is black, you will become my slave for 500 years.” Vinata without thinking agreed.

As it was late and the sun had set, they decided to check the horse the next day. But Kadru had a devious plan. She asked her naga sons to tightly coil around the tail of the horse to make it look like a black tail.

While some of her sons agreed to do this, others protested saying it was dishonest. Angry with them for refusing to obey her, Kadru cursed them saying that they will die when the Sarpayagna is conducted by King Janamejaya.
 
Next day when the sisters came, they saw the horse and found a white horse with a black tail. As agreed, Vinata became the slave of Kadru. Kadru treated her very disrespectfully and rudely.

In the meantime, the other unhatched egg of Vinata’s hatched. She was rewarded when a glorious bird came out of the egg – The Garuda.
 
Since Vinata was a slave of Kadru, Garuda too became a slave of Kadru. She bade him to do many tasks and he patiently did them for the sake of his mother.

One day he asked his mother “Why are we slaves to Kadru and her sons?” and Vinata narrated the story. Unable to see his mother being treated badly, Garuda went and asked Kadru, “What will it take for you to release my mother from bondage?” The Nagas and their mother replied “Bring us the Amrit from the heaven and we shall free you and your mother.”

Garuda decided to set forth in his quest for the nectar or the Amrit. But he had to feed himself and gain strength first. He asked his mother what he could eat. She told him that deep down in the ocean there existed Nishadas who will satiate his hunger. She also warned him not to swallow some of their species that made his throat burn as they were poisonous.
Garuda first goes to the land of the Nishadas and eats his fill and flew towards the heavens to get the Amrit to free his mother. Indra, the king of the heaven, who hears of this powerful bird coming towards his realm, tries to hide the amrit.
A fierce battle ensues between the devas on one side and Garuda. At the end, the Devas realise that Garuda is looking for the Amrit only to free his mother. Hence, they enter into a truce with him.

Garuda agrees to return the Amrit once he frees his mother. Vishnu, who is very impressed with Garuda’s might, takes him as his vehicle.

This should explain the deep-rooted hatred between the nagas and garuda.

This story will be incomplete without talking about the Sarpayagna which Kadru curses her sons with. Amongst the many sons Kadru had, the foremost is Takshaka who later on became the Lord of the Nagas. Takshaka is featured in many short detour stories in the Mahabharata.

Let us start with the root cause of enmity between Nagas and Janamejaya’s ancestors.

King Janamejaya was the son of King Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna and son of Abhimanyu. Once Parikshit went hunting in the forest. He was very hungry and was looking for food. He saw a sage who was in meditation and was observing mounavrat (silence). Without understanding the vow of silence, Parikshit kept asking the sage for a place where he could get something to eat. The sage kept quiet. Angry with the man, Parikshit picks up a dead snake lying nearby and hangs it on the sage.

Seeing this unnecessary rudeness, the sage’s son cursed Parikshit to die of a snake bite within seven days. Parikshit goes back to the palace and protects himself with many layers of security.

On the seventh day, Takshak goes towards the Hastinapur palace in human form. He meets a brahmin who is carrying a cure for snakebite to the king. He bribes the brahmin and takes the cure so that there is no obstacle in his job of killing the king.
 
On seeing the many layers of security at the palace, Takshak becomes a small worm and enters a fruit. The fruit is taken to the royal kitchen and then on to the king’s chambers.

King Parikshit picks up the fruit and bites into it. Takshak comes out in his full form and bites the king. Unfortunately, the palace doctors are not able to find the brahmin (whom Takshak bribed) who was supposed to get the cure for snake bite. King Parikshit hence dies of snake bite as prophesied. Parikshit’s son, King Janamejaya becomes king.

He does not think of revenge against Takshak as he thinks that his father was destined by fate to die that way. He goes about his regular duties such expanding and managing his kingdom. So, who or what makes him start the sarpayagna??
So now you have a hero (Janamejaya) and the villain (Takshak) and a cause for revenge. In order for the plot to develop you need a catalyst or trigger.