Suta said: ‘Turned to gold, blazing with radiant beams, [Garuda] forced his way within, as a rushing torrent of water [bursts] into the ocean. Near the amrita he saw a wheel rimmed with razor-blades, ceaselessly whirling, sharp-edged, wrought of iron; blazing like fire and sun, terrible, [made] to sever those who would steal the soma — that most dreadful device, skillfully fashioned by the gods. Spying a gap within it, the ranger of the sky [darted through] and, contracting his body in an instant, slipped between its spokes. And beneath the wheel he saw two supreme serpents [guarding the nectar], blazing like flaming fire, with tongues of lightning, blazing mouths and blazing eyes; poisonous of gaze, mighty in strength, ever wrathful and swift — stationed there to guard the amrita. Their eyes were forever inflamed [with fury], their gaze unblinking: whoever even one of them looked upon would instantly be turned to ashes. And Suparna swiftly cast dust into their eyes and, [remaining] unseen, [struck] at them from every side. Trampling upon them, [Garuda], the ranger of the sky, swiftly cut them in two and rushed toward the soma. Then the mighty son of Vinata, having torn out that amrita and shattered the device, at that same instant swiftly soared aloft. Without drinking the amrita, [merely] having seized it, the valiant bird, untiring, flew away, eclipsing [with himself] the radiance of the sun.’