Chapter 81 - Fall of Suparṇa’s Wings

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Garuḍa said:

1-5. I have a very close friend, a Brāhmaṇa hailing from the family of Bhṛgu. The name of his lotus-eyed daughter is Mādhavī. A husband befitting her could not be found by that noble-souled one. Therefore, he said to me: “O excellent bird, bring a husband suitable to her, if you consider me worthy of honour.” Then the entire earth was searched by me for a bridegroom befitting her. But no bridegroom endowed with all good qualities could be obtained. Then, O Lotus-eyed One, you were recollected by me in my mind as a befitting husband for her. You are endowed with all good qualities. Hence, O Lord of Suras, accept her. Hold her hand in marriage. She is very beautiful. I pray to you with this appeal of mine.

Śrī Bhagavān said:

6. O excellent bird, bring that lotus-eyed girl here. On seeing her myself, I shall do as spoken by you.

Garuṣa said:

7. It is on account of our fear from your refulgence that the girl and the father had been kept far away by me. How can I bring her here?

Sri Lord said:

8. My refulgence will not scorch her and her father here. Hence, O excellent bird, bring her quickly.

9. On being told thus by that powerful Viṣṇu he brought her and also the Brāhmaṇa, a descendant of the family of Bhṛgu.

10. The Brāhmaṇa bowed down to Madhusūdana and came to the side of Viṣṇu, near Garuḍa, like Lakṣmī herself.

11. Due to child-like innocence the blameless beautiful girl sat at the end of the bed to the right of the Enemy of Mura.

12. Thereat, Lakṣmī who had the status of the chief queen became extremely furious thinking her to be her co-wife and cursed the girl:

13. “Since, verily in my very presence, O sinful girl, you set aside all bashfulness and joyously took your seat on the bed of my husband, you will become a hideous Aśvamukhī (Horse-faced).”

14. When the curse was thus uttered by Śrī, there was a great hue and cry among all those present there. The Brāhmaṇa became angry.

The Brāhmaṇa said:

15. A thousand persons have been requested on behalf of the girl. Not even a single one among them has accepted her even verbally, let alone grasping her hand. How can she have the status of a wife?

16. As long as she has not been handed over with a prior resolve, in accordance with the injunctions of the Gṛhyasūtras and in the presence of the holy fire, Brāhmaṇas and elders (she has no status of a wife).

17. Hence she is blemishless. But you regarding her on a par with your co-wife, have made her horse-faced. O sinful one, you will also be elephant-faced.

18. After saying thus the leading Brāhmaṇa spoke to Keśava: “A befitting hospitality has been extended to me by your wife! Hence I shall go to that place where such a daughter shall be born.”

Śrī Bhagavān said:

19. In this matter, O excellent Brāhmaṇa, do not be so enraged. Never can inauspiciousness befall those who come to my vicinity.

20. Hence she will not become horse-faced in this birth. Take her and go home. Give her to a desirable person.

21. It is the left side in the bed that has been assigned to wives and the right side to kinsmen who may lie for the nonce.

22. Here, your daughter, O Brāhmaṇa, has occupied the spot reserved for kinsmen. So she will be born as my younger sister in the next birth.

23-24. I will incarnate then on the earth on account of some task of Devas. Since she has been cursed to become a horsefaced one by my wife, I will perform great penance along with her and transform her into one of splendid face, O Brāhmaṇa, I will make Lakṣmī too so.

25. After consoling that Brāhmaṇa with his words, the Lord continued the narration of charming stories of diverse kinds in the company of Garuḍa.

26. At the close of the narration, Garuḍa looked at the aged lady endowed with refulgence and spoke to Puruṣottama:

27. “O Janārdana, O most excellent one among Suras, this elderly lady sitting near you seems to be someone not seen before. Do tell me who she is. Where has she come from? Why has she come?”

Śrī Bhagavān said:

28-29. O most excellent one among birds, this is the elderly maiden well-known in this world by the name Śāṇḍilī.^[1] She is omniscient and strictly adhering to celibacy. She is endowed with the power of penance. She is venerated by all the Devas. O leading bird, there is no woman like her in all the three worlds.

Sūta said:

30. On hearing his words, O Brāhmaṇas, the Lord of the birds looked at her for a long time, then laughed and ultimately spoke to Vāsudeva:

Garuḍa said:

31-32. It is not unusual that a very great penance is performed. Similarly if gifts are made it is not a wonder. Further if a battle is fought by able warriors, what is surprising in that? But, O Puruṣottama, this is unusual that one maintains celibacy especially during the prime of youth.

33-35. More so in the case of women. I do not have any faith in this respect. Emotional outlet is essential in the case of lower animals. Youth is not for supression of rights. If women do not get access to men anywhere, they will indulge in mutual sexual alliance when afflicted by the arrows of Kāma. In the absence of suitable men, they will consider a leper, a sick one, and an old man and one short of a limb or two on a par with the Five-arrowed One (Kāma).

36. Fire is never satiated completely with fuel, nor the great sea with the rivers flowing into it. The god of Death cannot be surfeited with all living beings nor a woman with men.

37. If women keep a limit, it is not due to the fear of the other world. Except the fear of the king or that of the elders (there is nothing to restrain them).

Sūta said:

38. On hearing these words of his, Śāṇḍilī^[1], the celibate woman, had in her heart the surging emotion of anger, although she was under the vow of silence.

39. In the meantime both the wings of the Lord of the birds got destroyed and he became mutilated in shape.

40. Though he was really ferocious and devoid of all ailments, he could not go ahead even a step. He was no better than a mass of flesh.^[2]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This Śāṇḍilī is different from the other Śāṇḍilī who carried her disabled husband on her head and prevented sunrise lest her husband might die. This Śāṇḍilī is a celibate old woman.

[2]:

Mahābhārata, Udyoga 113.8-17 notes that this incident—dropping and recovery of wings by Garuḍa due to Śāṇḍilī’s favour took placed on Ṛṣabha mountain.