Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.177

c7.177

Now, Garuḍa after saluting his father, flew up in the sky carrying in his beak the elephant and the tortoise from the pool. As trees were falling uprooted due to the terrific vibrations caused by the lashing of his wings Garuḍa did not find a convenient place to sit down to eat his food. While continuing the journey Garuḍa saw a big tree, its branches spread out in a circumference of a hundred yojanas. But, as soon as Garuḍa set foot on a branch of the tree it (branch) crumbled down. On that broken branch were the sages called Bālakhilyas doing tapas hanging their heads down. Fearing that the sages might fall down Garuḍa continued his flight holding in his beak the torn branch of the tree. But he could not find a safe place to deposit the branch with the sages. So he came again to Mount Gandhamādana and saw Kaśyapa, who apologised to the Bālakhilyas on behalf of his son and also explained to them about his mission. The Bālakhilyas were pleased and they left the place for the Himālayas. As advised by Kaśyapa Garuḍa deposited the branch of the tree on an uninhabited mountain peak. Garuḍa ate the elephant and the tortoise there, and therefrom flew to Devaloka (Ādi Parva, Chapter 29, 30).