' Vishnu said unto the son of Vinata, 'Be it so.' Garuda,
receiving those two boons, told Vishnu, 'I also shall grant thee a boon;
therefore, let the possessor of the six attributes ask of me.' Vishnu then
asked the mighty Garuda to become his carrier. And he made the bird sit on
the flagstaff of his car, saying, 'Even thus thou shalt stay above me.'
And the ranger of the skies, of great speed, saying unto Narayana, 'Be it
so,' swiftly wended on his way, mocking the wind with his fleetness.
"And while that foremost of all rangers of the skies, that first of winged
creatures, Garuda, was coursing through the air after wresting the Amrita,
Indra hurled at him his thunderbolt. Then Garuda, the lord of birds,
struck with thunderbolt, spake laughingly unto Indra engaged in the
encounter, in sweet words, saying, 'I shall respect the Rishi (Dadhichi)
of whose bone the Vajra hath been made. I shall also respect the Vajra,
and thee also of a thousand sacrifices. I cast this feather of mine whose
end thou shalt not attain. Struck with thy thunder I have not felt the
slightest pain.' And having said this, the king of birds cast a feather of
his. And all creatures became exceedingly glad, beholding that excellent
feather of Garuda so cast off. And seeing that the feather was very
beautiful, they said, 'Let this bird be called Suparna (having fair
feathers).' And Purandara of a thousand eyes, witnessing this wonderful
incident, thought that bird to be some great being and addressed him
thus.
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