The Sisters' Wager
The sage Kashyapa had two wives — Kadru, mother of all serpents, and Vinata, mother of Garuda and his brother Aruna. The sisters made a wager about the colour of the divine horse Ucchaishravas's tail. The loser would become the winner's slave.
Kadru cheated — she had her serpent children hang from the horse's tail to make it appear black. Vinata lost the wager and became Kadru's slave.
Garuda, learning of this, was filled with anguish and righteous fury. He asked the serpents what price would free his mother.
"Bring us the nectar of immortality," the serpents said, "and she is free."
The Flight to Heaven
Garuda flew. He flew so fast that the wind of his passage blew away mountains. He crossed all the worlds. He came to the garden of nectar in Indra's heaven.
The garden was guarded by razor-sharp wheels spinning continuously — Garuda shrank himself to pass between the blades. Two fire-breathing serpents guarded the nectar itself — Garuda blinded them with dust from his wings, then tore them apart.
He seized the vessel of nectar.
Indra, watching, hurled his thunderbolt at Garuda. It struck him — and Garuda lost one feather. Just one. He flew on.
Vishnu, watching all this, was deeply moved by Garuda's courage and love for his mother. He appeared before Garuda and said: "Ask for a boon."
Garuda asked to be immortal and to be positioned above Vishnu — to sit on Vishnu's banner. Vishnu agreed. He also asked Garuda to be his vehicle — his vahana.
The Freed Mother
Garuda brought the nectar to the serpents and placed it on the grass, telling them to bathe before drinking it, to purify themselves first.
He freed his mother.
Indra, who had been watching, swooped down and took the nectar back before the serpents could drink it. The serpents found only the grass on which it had rested — and licked the blades of grass eagerly, cutting their tongues. And so, the *Mahabharata* says, is why serpents have forked tongues.