Garuda’s power

Vedanta Desika’s Garuda Panchasat describes how Garuda

attacked the snakes which had, by resort to trickery and
deceit, enslaved Garuda’s mother. Garuda’s sharp beak, his
talons and his teeth strike fear in the hearts of the snakes.

Garuda goes out against all snakes and so fierce is he that

Surya begins to fear that he might be in danger of losing his
horses, because the bridle used to control them is a snake!
But he takes consolation from the fact that one of his
charioteers is Aruna, Garuda’s brother.

Lord Siva has a bow, called the Pinaaka, the string of

which is the snake Vasuki. So Siva’s worry is that if Vasuki
is disturbed, He will be without a bow! Lord Narayana
reclines on the serpent Adisesha and He too requests
Garuda not to disturb His serpent bed.

Garuda seeks out the snakes, so that they have no place

to hide from him. He even goes after them into the
netherworlds, elaborated V.S. Karunakarachariar, in a
discourse. His fierce glance makes it clear to them what is
in store for them. It is not just the snakes that tremble in
fear. The oceans roar and the mountains tremble. The
power of his wings parts the waters of the ocean, making
way for him to enter the netherworlds. But even before the
parted waters can get back together, Garuda is back, having slain his foes! So swift is Garuda. The eight important snakes become his ornaments.