Skandapurana 5.80

Now begins the māhātmya named Suparṇa.
The seers said:
“What was said by you, [namely] that endowed with splendor and strength,
Garuḍa was born from that sacrificial act of the sages; 1

How was he born there? Tell us this in detail.
This scripture is heard: that he was born from Vinatā.” 2

Sūta said:
“That pitcher which was consecrated with Atharvan mantras
by those Vālakhilyas filled with great indignation, 3

and when the lord of birds was foretold, they were restrained by Dakṣa—
Kaśyapa, taking that pitcher, went to his home. 4

Then, rejoiced, he said to his beloved Vinatā:
‘Drink this water, auspicious lady, which is purified by mantras and most eminent, 5

whereby a son shall be born to you, mightier than the thousand-eyed [Indra],
splendid, renowned, and unconquerable by all the Dānavas.’ 6

Hearing his word, that lady of beautiful hips drank that water
that very moment, and immediately thereafter conceived an embryo. 7

Thus, through the drinking of that water, endowed with splendor and strength,
Garuḍa was born from Kaśyapa, inspiring terror in all serpents. 8

By him, having overcome Puraṃdara through valor, the nectar was taken away
and, filled with devotion to his mother, offered to the serpents; 9

who became the beloved [attendant] of Viṣṇu, having attained the status of his mount,
and who remains forever placed at the tip of the banner of his chariot; 10

by whom, having formerly performed austerity in this very sacred field,
the three-eyed [Śiva] was pleased by that high-souled, wise one whose wings were lost; 11

by whom an attainment of wings was regained, such [as before],
and then fashioned even more distinguished by the grace of the god of gods.” 12

The sages said:
“How did the two wings of that high-souled Garuḍa depart?
How were they regained by him? How was Maheśvara pleased?
Tell us this in detail, O son of Sūta, exactly as it happened.” 13

Sūta said:
“Formerly, O best of brahmins, a brahmin, an upholder of the lineage of the Bhṛgu race,
was a friend to Garuḍa from his very childhood, O lord. 14

To him a daughter was formerly born, esteemed, named Mādhavī,
endowed with beauty and nobility, marked with all [auspicious] signs. 15

No goddess, nor Gandharva maiden, nor Asura maiden, nor serpent maiden
possessed such beauty, O fortunate ones, as that slender-waisted lady. 16

Then, for the sake of a bridegroom for her, bowing in modesty,
he spoke to Garuḍa, the lord of birds, his supreme friend: 17

‘For this daughter of mine, O lord of birds,
seek out today a suitable bridegroom, so that I may give her to him.’ 18

Garuḍa said:
‘Mounting upon my back, O best of brahmins,
roam the entire circle of the earth, taking this maiden. 19

Then, for that young maiden,
yourself fetch a suitable husband endowed with virtues; such is my friendship.’ 20

Sūta said:
Thus addressed, O best of brahmins, that brahmin at that moment,
along with his daughter, mounted upon Garuḍa’s back in search of a bridegroom. 21

Whichever youth of youthful appearance that brahmin saw,
he did not at all meet the approval of his mind. 22

Of someone, the beauty was excessive, but the lineage was not pure;
and if someone had lineage and beauty, he lacked a collection of virtues. 23

Or if someone had an abundance of virtues, he lacked excellent beauty,
or impartiality, or wealth, or other characteristics of an excellent groom. 24

Thus, at the end of a thousand years of wandering the surface of the earth
for the sake of a groom, O best of brahmins, for that brahmin and the lord of birds, 25

once, weary from wandering here and there,
the two arrived at this very sacred field desiring to see Vāsudeva; 26

having seen Śvetadvīpa, and likewise the auspicious Badarī,
and the Milk Ocean with Vaikuṇṭha, as well as his other abodes. 27

Then the sage Nārada, born of Brahmā, was seen by the two;
he was asked then with gentle words concerning Viṣṇu, the eternal Brahman: 28

‘Where is the lotus-eyed god at present, O sage?
All the places of Viṣṇu have been inspected on all sides
by the two of us, eager, yet that Keśava was not seen.’ 29

Nārada said:
‘In the form of the one who sleeps upon the waters, for a period of four months,
he constantly resides in the sacred field arising from Hāṭakeśvara. 30

Therefore, for the sake of his darśana, go there without delay,
so that the wielder of the discus may come into view for both of you. 31

I too have set out for that very place for his darśana,
and having set out [along] with you on some business of the gods.’ 32

Then the two, the lord of birds and the eminent brahmin, and the sage, the son of Brahmā—
all arrived where Janārdana, sleeping upon the waters, was present. 33

Then, seeing that great Vaiṣṇava luster even from afar,
Garuḍa and Nārada, the lord of sages, said to the brahmin: 34

‘Right here, O best of brahmins, remain together with your daughter, far from the luster
of Viṣṇu, which is like the fire of the end of the aeon. 35

Otherwise, you will become ashes, like a moth approaching fire
at the onset of night, overtaken by foolishness. 36

By us two, through his grace, this exceedingly unbearable [luster] is endured;
it does not cause bodily affliction or any other evil.’ 37

Having thus left that brahmin there at a distance together with his daughter,
the two went there where Janārdana was asleep upon the water. 38

Devoted to divine praise, holding their folded hands upon their heads,
their limbs bristling with hair, their faces bathed in tears of joy, 39

circumambulating that god three times, they bowed down with eight limbs to Hari,
and they saw the daughter of the ocean seated at the end of his feet, 40

intent on massaging his feet, with her eyes fixed on Viṣṇu’s face;
and then another woman, advanced in age, veiled in white cloth. 41

sitting near Him, absorbed in perfect meditation, / possessing the brilliance of twelve suns, slender-limbed, and her hair standing on end with joy.

Then the two were filled with joy by Viṣṇu in His delight; / they were addressed and asked for what purpose they had come.

Śrī Nārada said: / “Indeed, I have arrived here in your presence on the business of the gods; / Garuḍa [has come] for the sake of a brahmin, about which you ask me, O Keśava.”

The Blessed Lord said: / “Is all well, O best of sages, with all the dwellers of heaven? / Has Indra not incurred fear arising from the Dānavas?

Have the gods with Indra received their share of the sacrifice? / Has no formidable Dānava arisen on the surface of the earth?”

Śrī Nārada said: / “Just now the Earth has arrived into the presence of the Four-faced One [Brahmā]; / weeping loudly, oppressed by her burden, and severely tormented by the Dānavas, / filled with great sorrow, she said to the Lotus-born One there:

The Earth said: / ‘That Kālanemi who was slain by the all-powerful Viṣṇu / has been born as that great asura Kaṃsa, the son of Ugrasena.

Ariṣṭa, Dhenuka, Keśin, and another named Pralamba, / as well as another most terrifying rākṣasī named Pūtanā—

by these very Dānavas running here and there, / and by other cruel ones as well, useless suffering is caused to me.

Moreover, the people in the mortal realm have now thrown up their arms [in despair]; / indeed, on account of their multiplicity, they can in no way fit upon me.

O lord, if you do not quickly relieve my burden, / then I shall go to Rasātala; of this there is no doubt.’

Having heard those words of hers, Brahmā, the creator of the worlds, / deliberated with the gods and sent me into your presence:

‘The Blessed Lord Janārdana should be told by you in these words, / so that descending to the surface of the earth, He may destroy her burden.’

Therefore, O all-pervading lord, taking birth yourself on the surface of the earth, / destroy the burden of the Earth. For this purpose I have come here.”

The Blessed Lord said: / “So shall I do, O sage, after deliberating with Brahmā, / relieving the burden of the earth together with the gods led by Indra.”

Having thus spoken to that Nārada, the best of sages, / Viṣṇu then said to Garuḍa: “For what purpose have you come here?”

Thus ends the eightieth chapter, titled “Description of the Māhātmya of the Darśana of Viṣṇu” in the Suparṇākhyamāhātmya, in the Śrī-Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya, in the sixth Nāgarakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.