During the Great war, Indrajit uses his powers obtained through vAmAchAra/sorcery, and binds Shri Rama and Lakshmana with snakes. No one could save them.
Sushena, father-in-law of Sugreeva, narrates about a highly terrific and great war that occurred earlier between celestials and demons. Brihaspati treated celestials who were wounded, unconscious and almost deprived of life by the aid of herbs. The efficacious mountainous herbs - the celestial Sanjivakarani and Vishalya are available in the mountains called Chandra and Drona, situated in milky ocean.
Just when Sushena advises Sugreeva to send Shri Hanuman to bring those herbs, then the divine Garuda arrives. Immediately, the sorcery of Indrajit is broken, as all the snakes ran away.
Then, GARUDA says as follows:
अहम् सखा ते काकुत्स्थ प्रियह् प्राणो बहिश् चरः |
गरुत्मान् इह सम्प्राप्तो युवयोह् साह्य कारणात् || ६-५०-४६
"O, Rama! I am your dearest friend Garuda dear as your own breath moving outside I came here for the purpose of helping you, both."
(Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda 50th Sarga 46th sloka)
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Please note the words of Garuda. He says that Shri Rama was his dearest friend.
We cannot find an earlier incident mentioned in Ramayana, other than the present one, in which Garuda and Shri Rama had met.
If we eliminate the prevalent notion that Shri Rama was the incarnation of Vishnu, which is an interpolated version in Ramayana, then, there is no link between Garuda and Shri Rama that was mentioned in Ramayana, according to which the above 2 personalities can be concluded to be friends.
Then, why did Garuda say so?
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In order to understand the friendship between Shri Rama and Garuda, then we must understand the background in which Sage Valmiki composed Ramayana.
Ramayana was composed at the end of the Vedic period, ie., Rig Veda, Sama veda and Yajur Veda were already in vogue. In fact, Shri Rama was mentioned by Sage Valmiki as trained in Yajur Veda - yajurveda vinItashcha यजुः वेद विनीतः (14th sloka in 35th sarga of Sundara Kanda).
In Rig Veda Indra was mentioned as Chief of Gods (though the names Indra, Vishnu, Agni, Varuna, etc, are epithets of BRAHMAN), but in Puranas Indra was relegated to the position of Lord of Heaven only and described to be womaniser. Vishnu and Shiva were elevated to the level of SUPREME godheads.
Sage Valmiki closely followed the vedic traditions but not Puranic traditions. And, that was the reason why he had mentioned in Ramayana, Indra as Lord of Gods - vibudha Ishvaram (विबुध ईश्वरम्).
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We have to remember that the names Indra, Vishnu, Agni, Varuna, etc, that were mentioned in Rig Veda, are epithets of same BRAHMAN.
In fact, VARUNA was mentioned as the King of Gods at many places in Rig Veda. Varuna is associated with the sky, also with the seas as well as Rta (justice) and Satya (truth).
Rig Veda 4.42.2
अहं राजा वरुणो मह्यं तान्यसुर्याणि प्रथमा धारयन्त ।
क्रतुं सचन्ते वरुणस्य देवा राजामि कृष्टेरुपमस्य
वव्रेः ॥
ahaṃ rājā varuṇo mahyaṃ tāny
asuryāṇi prathamā dhārayanta |
kratuṃ sacante varuṇasya
devā rājāmi kṛṣṭer upamasya vavreḥ ||
English
translation:
“I am the
king Varuṇa; on me (the gods) bestow those principal
energies (that are) destructive of the asuras; (they) associate me with the worship of Varuṇa; I rule over (the nets)
of the proximate form of man.”
However, in the subsequent mantra, Varuna is stated to be Indra also.
Rig Veda 4.42.3
अहमिन्द्रो वरुणस्ते महित्वोर्वी गभीरे रजसी सुमेके ।
त्वष्टेव विश्वा भुवनानि विद्वान्त्समैरयं रोदसी
धारयं च ॥
aham indro varuṇas te mahitvorvī gabhīre rajasī sumeke |
tvaṣṭeva viśvā bhuvanāni vidvān sam airayaṃ rodasī dhārayaṃ ca ||
English translation:
“I am Indra, I am Varuna, I am those two in greatness; (I
am) the vast, profound, beautiful, heaven and earth; intelligent, I give Tvaṣṭā-like
animation to all beings; I uphold earth and heaven.”
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Shri Aurobindo states in his The Secret of Veda about Varuna and Vritra, enemy eliminated by Indra, as follows:
We have the word Varuna from a root vṛ, which means to surround, cover or pervade. From these significances of the name there emerged before the poetic eye of the ancient mystics the images that are our nearest concrete representation of the Infinite. They saw God as a highest covering Heaven, felt divine existence like an encompassing ocean, lived in its boundless presence as in a pure and pervading ether. Varuna is this highest heaven, this soul-surrounding ocean, this ethereal possession and infinite pervasion.
The same root vṛ had given them an appellation for the dark Coverer, the adversary Vritra; for to obstruct and resist, screen or hedge, besiege and hem in are also some of its many kindred senses. But dark Vritra is the thick cloud and the enveloping shadow. His knowledge—for he too has a knowledge, a Maya, —is the sense of limited being and the hiding away in subconscient Night all the rest of the rich and vast existence that should be ours, and for this negation and contrary power of creative knowledge he stands up stiffly against the Gods,—his undivine right against the divine right of God and man.
Varuna by his wide being and ample vision rolls back these limits; surrounding us with light his possession reveals what dark Vritra’s obsession had withheld and obscured. His godhead is the form or spiritual image of an embracing and illuminating Infinity.
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So, Varuna is the guardian of TRUTH, but where does Garuda fits in?
In Rig Veda, Varuna’s messenger was mentioned as Golden winged eagle/falcon.
Rig Veda 10.123.6
नाके सुपर्णमुप यत्पतन्तं हृदा वेनन्तो अभ्यचक्षत त्वा ।
हिरण्यपक्षं वरुणस्य दूतं यमस्य योनौ शकुनं भुरण्युम् ॥
nāke suparnam upa yat patantaṃ hṛdā venanto abhy acakṣata tvā |
hiraṇyapakṣaṃ varuṇasya dūtaṃ yamasya yonau śakunam bhuraṇyum ||
English translation:
When they, seeking with their heart, gazed upon you, an eagle flying to the vault, the golden-winged messenger of Varuna, the (omen-)bird fluttering in the womb of Yama.
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This eagle has fine-feathers - suparṇo and brings havya - हव्यं (the oblation that is pleasing to the gods ) to Manu, from the Heaven.
Rig Veda 4.26.4
प्र सु ष विभ्यो मरुतो विरस्तु प्र श्येनः श्येनेभ्य आशुपत्वा ।
अचक्रया यत्स्वधया सुपर्णो हव्यं भरन्मनवे देवजुष्टम् ॥
pra su ṣa vibhyo
maruto vir astu pra śyenaḥ śyenebhya āśupatvā |
acakrayā yat
svadhayā suparṇo havyam bharan manave
devajuṣṭam ||
Let
that bird stand out from (all other) birds, o Maruts, the swift-flying
falcon from (all other) falcons, because the fine-feathered one, with
his independent power that needed no (chariot-)wheel, brought to Manu
the oblation that is pleasing to the gods
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Here, Manu does not indicate as FIRST man/King on the Earth, as Puranas tell us.
One scholar explained that the meaning of Manu in esoteric sense – Manu is the one, who has a heightened sense of introspection and tries to improve himself.
So, any human, who adheres to Satya and has a heightened sense of introspection, is MANU, thus receives the blessings of VARUNA, through his messenger, an EAGLE.
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Now, coming back to our question – Why did Garuda say Shri Rama was his dearest friend?
In Yuddha Kanda, Garuda was mentioned as having fine feathers -
सुपर्णह्.
We have to remember that Shri Rama was described as
adherent to Satya and dharma.
धर्मज्ञः सत्यसन्धश्च शीलवाननसूयकः |
क्षान्तः सान्त्वयिता श्लक्ष्ह्णः कृतज्ञो विजितेन्द्रियः || २-२-३१
"Rama knows all righteousness.
He is true to his word and has good character.
He has no envy. He has patience. He consoles those who are in troubles. He
speaks good words. He has gratitude. He keeps senses under control."
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As
Varuna, the Guardian of TRUTH, will be pleased with humans, adherent to Satya
and never deviates from that TRUTH and does it as an austerity (tapasya), will
be guarded by the mighty VARUNA.
As
mentioned above, the fruits of being adherent to SATYA will be delivered by his
messenger, an EAGLE, the Garuda came unexpectedly to protect Shri Rama and
Lakshmana.
Thus,
he was the friend of Shri Rama, who adhered to SATYA.
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