Garuda Vaibhavam..

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas,,

 

I want to thank Mr Rangaswamy for his postings about Garuda Vaibhavam.

 

On a personal note, they bring back many memories of my grandfather who

used to narrate these and other stories when I was young.

 

As an appendix to the posting, let me add a short ending which I remember

being told. This seems to be just a light hearted story. I think my

grandfather may have made this part up to amuse us kids.

 

This tells why snakes have forked tongues..

 

When Garuda brought the amrutham to the nagas, the wanted to drink it at

once. But Garuda said the proper way to drink this sacred amrutham is to

have a bath and other purifiying rituals and only then drink it. So he

spread some darbha grass by the river bank and placed the pot of amrutham

on it. The snakes went to have their bath. Garuda, according to his

promise, took the pot of amrutham and felw back to the devas. When the

snakes came back they were sorely dissapointed and angry. Also they

thought "maybe some amrutham has spilt onto the darbha grass." So they

licked the grass thoroughly. However, they got nothing. But the sharp

edges of the grass cut their tongues. So they and all their descendents

have forked tongues!

 

Thanks once again.

 

Yours,

 

Shrikanth