Tiruarimeya Vinnagaram

One day, Kadrū and Vinatā were arguing about the color of Uchchaihshravas' tail. Vinatā claimed that the divine horse was a pure white color throughout, but Kadrū said the horse's body was white, but the tail was black. Thus, the two had a bet to see who was right. The one who would lose the bet would become the other's slave. Kadrū knew very well that the tail of Uchchaihshravas was pure white, and knowing she would lose the bet, she told her sons to wrap themselves around the tail of Uchchaihshravas so that she could win the bet.

One day, in the presence of Kadrū and Vinatā, Uchchaihshravas passed by with a black tail. Thus, Kadrū won the bet, enslaving Vinatā. For five hundred years, Vinatā was a slave to Kadrū. After five hundred years, Vinatā's second egg hatched, and from that egg was born Garuḍan. As soon as he was born, he went straight to his aunt and demanded that his mother be freed from slavery.

To this, Kadrū put a condition, saying that if Garuḍan could bring the Amrutakalasham (the divine pitcher that contained the sacred nectar of immortality) for her and her children, she would release Vinatā from slavery. Thus, Garuḍan immediately left for Svargalokam and defeated all the Devas in battle, successfully retrieving the Amrutakalasham. After retrieving the Amrutakalasham, Garuḍan returned to Bhūlokam. On Bhūlokam, Lord Vishṇu was very impressed with Garuḍan for his strength and dedication. The Lord then offered Garuḍan a boon.

Garuḍan asked that he should always be soaring far above the Lord; thus, Garuḍan is present in the Dhvajasthambham outside the temple. The Lord also then told Garuḍan that he wanted Garuḍan to be constantly under his command; therefore, he asked Garuḍan to become his vaahanam. The Lord also relieved Vinatā from slavery and took the Amrutakalasham. The Lord is said to have taken the Amrutakalasham, placed it on His head, and danced. Hence, he got the name Kudamaadukoothan.

Another story tells us that, after the Mahābhārata battle, as the Lord was on his way back to Dvārakā from his tour of South India, the Lord reached Arimeya Vinnagaram, where Utaṅka Maharshi's ashram was situated at the time. Utaṅka Maharshi, upon seeing the Lord, is said to have stopped the Lord's chariot and asked him to visit his Ashramam. When the Lord reached the Ashramam, Utaṅka Maharshi began to pose indirect questions to the Lord about how He ensured the Pāṇḍavas won the battle.

The Lord sensed that the Maharshi had other intentions and asked him what he had in mind. Utaṅka Maharshi then told the Lord that he desired to see the Vishwaroopa Darshanam as He had shown Arjuna. The Lord then showed the Maharshi His Vishwaroopam.

Tirumangai Āzhwār – 10 Pāsurams