Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.201

c7.201

Viśvāmitra blessed Gālava, and now it was time for him to leave the āśrama. Though Viśvāmitra told that no gurudakṣiṇā (tuition fee) was required Gālava persisted in asking him what fee or present he wanted. Viśvāmitra lost his temper and told Gālava that if he was so very particular about gurudakṣiṇā, eight hundred horses all having the colour of moon, and one ear black in colour might be given as dakṣiṇā. Gālava stood there aghast at the above pronouncement of his preceptor, when Garuḍa happened to go over there and hear from Gālava about his sad plight. Money was required to purchase horses, but Gālava was penniless. At any rate Garuḍa with Gālava on his back flew eastwards and reached Ṛṣabhaparvata and they rested on a peak of it. There the Brahmā woman, Śāṇḍili was engaged in tapas and she served them with food. After food Garuḍa spoke disparagingly about Śāṇḍili. Garuḍa and Gālava slept that night on the floor, but when they woke up in the morning lo! Garuḍa was completely shed of his feathers. Garuḍa stood before Śāṇḍili, his head bent in anguish. Śāṇḍili blessed Garuḍa, who then got back his old feathers.