Jitiya

According to a story, Jimutvahana was king of Gandharvas. He gave up his kingdom to his brothers and went to forest to serve his father. He married malayavati. Once he saw an old woman mourning. She told him that she belongs to the nagavamsha (family of snakes). Due to an oath she has to offer her only son Sankhchuda to Garuda tomorrow to feed. Jimutvahana promised to protect her only son. Next day he lay on a bed of rocks and offered himself to Garuda. Garuda came and attacked Jimutvahana with his claws. Jimutvahana stayed calm and then Garuda stopped attacking. Garuda inquired about his identity and then Jimutvahana narrated the entire story. Impressed by his kindness and benevolence, Garuda promised that he will not take any sacrifices from the nagavamsha. To cherish this legend mothers keep fast for the wellbeing of their children.[9][10]

This story is similar to Nagananda (The Joy of the Snakes), a Sanskrit play written by Emperor Harsha in the 7th century CE where Vidyadara king Jimutvahana sacrifices his life for Naga to Garuda.[11] According to the story, Jimutaketu was king of snow clad mountain country of Vidyadhara. In his house, there was a heaven-sent wishing tree, the legecy of his forefathers. He had no son, so he asked the tree for a son. Then a child was born and he named him Jimutvahana. He was full of compassion for all living beings. He spoke to his father and asked the wishing tree to banish poverty and give wealth to men. Then the tree sent gold showers on the earth and all men rejoiced. The fame of Jimutvahana extended far and wide. Even king Jimutaketu filled with hatred as the throne was firmly fixed by his son's glory. They wanted to seize the place where a wishing tree grows, bent on war. Then Jimutvahana gave up fighting for Thorne with relatives and left the forest with his father and mother for the Malaya mountains. This was the place of Siddha, the prince. He wished to marry his sister Malayavati with Jimutvahana and Jimutvahana married her. In the past life, Jimutvahana was Vidyadhara and Malayavati was his wife. Once he saw a woman crying. The son of women, Sankhchuda, tells him that they are Nagas and the serpent king sent him to the rock of death. Sankhachuda told him that the Garuda son of Vinata started to kill nagas after getting a nector from Vishnu, as in the past Kadru made Vinata a slave. Garuda started eating snakes. Then the king of Snakes, Vasuki, foresaw the destruction of serpents and made a pact with Garuda to send one snake each day. Jimutvahana placed himself on the rock of death. Then Garuda came and the earth began to tremble. Garuda bore Jimutvahana away with his beak and started to eat. Then rain of flowers started to fall from heaven. Garuda wondered after this incident and stopped eating Jimutvahana. Garuda tells Jimutvahana that he is not a snake but Jimutvahana tells him that he is a snake. Then Sankhachuda told him that he was a sanke and Jimutvahana was not. Garuda realised that Jimutvahana was not a snake but king of vidyadharas and filled with gulit. Jimutvahana told Garuda to not eat any snakes further. Then Garuda goes to bring the nectar from the heaven to heal the wounds of Jimutvahana and bring back the life of Snakes whose bones lies in rock. Then Guari came from heaven and sprinkled the nectar on the feet of Jimutvahana. The Garuda came and sprinkled the nectar and the snakes again became alive with clothes. Then all the snakes and the mother , father and wife of Jimutvahana came and praised him. Then Jimutvahana reigned Vidhyadhara.[12]