Garuda
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Garuda (from the Sanskrit: Garuḍa गरुड or "the devourer") is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology. In Hindu myth, Garuda is a lesser Hindu divinity, usually the vehicle (or vahanam) of Vishnu of Vishnu, the supreme preserver diety. Hindus have bestowed various names of veneration upon him, including Amritaharana ("stealer of amrit") Gaganeshvara ("lord of the sky"), and Suparna ("having beautiful wings"), among others. Although considered a minor diety, Garuda has had an independent Upanishad, the Garudopanidad, and a Purana, the Garuda Purana, devoted specifically to him. In Buddhism, meanwhile, the Garudas are an entire race of winged beings who exist in rivalry with the Nagas, serpentine sea creatures.
Garuda in Hinduism
Origins
The Vedas provide the earliest reference of Garuda, though by the name of Śyena (Sanskrit for Eagle), where this mighty bird is said to have brought nectar to earth from heaven. Both the Mahabarata (c. 400 B.C.E. - 400 C.E.) and the Puranas, which came into existence much later, have Garuda performing the same mythological tasks, which suggests that Śyena and Garuda are one and the same.
Mythology
The story of Garuda's birth and deeds is told in the first book of the great epic Mahabharata.[1] According to the epic, when Garuda first burst forth from his egg, he appeared as a raging inferno equal to the cosmic conflagration that consumes the world at the end of every age. Frightened, the gods begged him for mercy. Garuda, hearing their plea, reduced himself in size and energy.
Garuda's father was the creator-rishi Kasyapa. His mother was Vinata, whose sister was Kadru, the mother of serpents. He was born out of a huge egg with the torso and limbs of a human male and the talons, wings and beak of an eagle. One day, Vinata entered into and lost a foolish bet, as a result of which she became enslaved to her sister. Resolving to release his mother from this state of bondage, Garuda approached the serpents and asked them what it would take to purchase her freedom. Kadru demanded that Garuda would have to bring them the elixir of immortality, also called amrita. It was a tall order. The amrita at that time found itself in the possession of the gods in heaven, particularly Indra, king of the gods, who guarded it jealously, since it was the source of their immortality. They had ringed the elixir with a massive fire that covered the sky. They had blocked the way to the elixir with a fierce mechanical contraption of sharp rotating blades. And finally, they had stationed two gigantic poisonous snakes next to the elixir as deadly guardians.
Undaunted, Garuda hastened toward the abode of the gods intent on robbing them of their treasure. Knowing of his design, the gods met him in full battle-array. Garuda, however, defeated the entire host and scattered them in all directions. Taking the water of many rivers into his mouth, he extinguished the protective fire the gods had thrown up. Reducing his size, he crept past the rotating blades of their murderous machine. And finally, he mangled the two gigantic serpents they had posted as guards. Even the quickest glance of these snakes was deadly, and Garuda subdued them by blowing dust in their eyes. Taking the elixir into his mouth without swallowing it, he launched again into the air and headed toward the eagerly waiting serpents. En route, he encountered Vishnu. Vishnu was impressed and, rather than fighting the bird, he decided to reward Garuda with a boon. Vishnu promised Garuda the gift of immortality even without drinking from the elixir, and in return Garuda requested that he become Vishnu's mount. Flying onward, he met Indra the god of the sky. He hit Garuda with his thunderbolt, but Garuda was virtually unscathed, losing only a single feather. Another exchange of promises occurred: Garuda promised that once he had delivered the elixir, thus fulfilling the request of the serpents, he would make it possible for Indra to regain possession of the elixir and to take it back to the gods. Indra in turn promised Garuda the serpents as food.
At long last, Garuda alighted in front of the waiting serpents. He handed them the pot of nectar, asking requesting that they cover it with sharp, spiky Darbha grass while taking a bath for purposes of purification. Placing the elixir on the grass, and thereby liberating his mother Vinata from her servitude, he urged the serpents to perform their religious ablutions before consuming it. As they hurried off to do so, Indra swooped in to make off with the elixir and return it to heaven. WHen the nagas came back, they licked the darbha grass in absence of the pot and cut their tounges into the bifurcation typical of the snake. From that day onward, Garuda was the ally of the gods and the trusty mount of Vishnu, as well as the implacable enemy of snakes, upon whom he preyed at every opportunity. Garuda is said to have been the first to teach humankind who to cure snake poison; moreover, worship of or meditation upon Garuda is said to move snakes from one's path.
Also according to the Mahabharata, Garuda had six sons from whom were descended the race of birds. The members of this race were of great might and without compassion, subsisting as they did on their relatives the snakes. Vishnu was their protector.[2]
Depiction
Garuda has been depicted in a number of sytles. Most often he has the upper body and wings of an eagle with the lower body of a human. His body is golden, and his wings red. His face is white and is notable for it's prominent beak. He wears a crown on his head. Garuda typically has two to four arms, and his various adornments including earrings, anklets, and bracelets are rendered from serpents. In his hands he carries either the emblems of Vishnu or the pot of amrita; alternatively, when his hands are empty, they are held in the Anjalimudra, a pose of greeting typical of lesser dieties. When Vishnu is mounted upon his back, two of his hands support the preserver god's feet.
Symbolism and Associations
Throughout the Mahabharata, Garuda is invoked as a symbol of impetuous violent force, of speed, and of martial prowess. Powerful warriors advancing rapidly on doomed foes are likened to Garuda swooping down on a serpent.[3] Defeated warriors are like snakes beaten down by Garuda.[4] The field marshall Drona uses a military formation named after Garuda.[5] Krishna even carries the image of Garuda on his banner.[6]
Garuda plays important role in Krishna Avatar in which Krishna and Satyabhama rides on Garuda to kill Narakasura. In another occasion where Lord Hari rides on Garuda to save the devotee Elephant Gajendra. It is also said that Garuda's wings when flying will chant the Vedas. In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 30), in the middle of the battlefied "Kurukshetra", Krishna explaining his omnipresence, says - "Of birds, I am the son of Vineeta (Garuda)" indicating the importance of Garuda.
One of the faces of Śrī Pañcamukha Hanuman is Mahavira Garuda. This face points towards the west. Hanuman is also one of the Avatara's of Garuda. In Tamil Vaishnavism Garuda and Hanuman are known as "Periya Thiruvadi" and "Siriya Thiruvadi" respectively.
Garuda is also symbolically linked to emeralds. In the Garuda Purana, after the demon Vala is killed by Indra, his bile is pilfered by Vasuki, king of the Nagas. Garuda confronts Vasuki before he can make off with his loot, causing him to drop the bile. Garuda catches the bile in mid-air, but it eventually falls from his beak and crashes to the earth, solidifying into the form of emeraland. The belief that touching emeralds can mitigate the effects of poison derives from this myth.
Garudas in Buddhism
In Buddhist mythology, the garuḍas (Pāli: garuḷā) are enormous predatory birds with intelligence and social organization. Another name for the garuḍa is suparṇa (Pāli: supaṇṇa), meaning "well-winged, having good wings". Like the Nāgas, they combine the characteristics of animals and divine beings, and may be considered to be among the lowest devas.
The exact size of the garuḍa is uncertain, but its wings are said to have a span of many miles. This may be a poetic exaggeration, but it is also said that when a garuḍa's wings flap, they create hurricane-like winds that darken the sky and blow down houses. A human being is so small compared to a garuḍa that a man can hide in the plumage of one without being noticed (Kākātī Jātaka, J.327). They are also capable of tearing up entire banyan trees from their roots and carrying them off.
The garuḍas have kings and cities, and at least some of them have the magical power of changing into human form when they wish to have dealings with people. On some occasions Garuḍa kings have had romances with human women in this form. Their dwellings are in groves of the simbalī, or silk-cotton tree.
The garuḍas are enemies to the Nāgas, a race of intelligent serpent- or dragon-like beings, whom they hunt. The garuḍas at one time caught the nāgas by seizing them by their heads; but the nāgas learned that by swallowing large stones, they could make themselves too heavy to be carried by the garuḍas, wearing them out and killing them from exhaustion. This secret was divulged to one of the garuḍas by the ascetic Karambiya, who taught him how to seize a nāga by the tail and force him to vomit up his stone (Pandara Jātaka, J.518).
The garuḍas were among the beings appointed by Śakra to guard Mount Sumeru and the Trāyastriṃśa heaven from the attacks of the asuras.
In the Mahasamyatta Sutta, the Buddha is shown making temporary peace between the Nagas and the garuḍas.
The Sanskrit word garuḍa has been borrowed and modified in the languages of several Buddhist countries. In Thai the word for a garuḍa is Krut (ครุฑ). In Burmese, garuḍas are called ga-lon. In Japanese a garuḍa is called Karura (the form Garuda (ガルーダ is however used in recent Japanese fiction - see below).
Thailand and Indonesia use the garuḍa as their national symbols; the Indonesian national airline is Garuda Indonesia. One form of the garuḍa, used in Thailand as a sign of Royal family, is called Krut Pha, meaning "garuḍa acting as the vehicle (of Vishnu)."
The Garuda is the symbol of the city of Ulan Bator, Mongolia. According to popular Mongolian belief, Khangard is the mountain spirit of Bojdochan-ula who became a follower of Buddhist faith. Today he is considered the guardian of the Bojdochan-ula mountain range.
Garuda as national symbol of Indonesia
Garuda as national symbol of Thailand
Garuda murthi in West Bengal, India
A 13th century Cham sculpture depicts Garuda devouring a serpent.
A 12th century Cham sculpture in the Thap Mam style depicts Garuda serving as an atlas.
Notes
- ↑ Mahabharata, Book I: Adi Parva, Sections 23 ff.
- ↑ Mahabharata, Book V: Udyoga Parva, Section 101.
- ↑ "Loud was the noise with which Arjuna faced his foes, like that made by Garuda in days of yore when swooping down for snakes." (Mahabharata, Book VIII: Karna Parva, Section 77.) "The impetuosity of Ashvatthama, as he rushed towards his foe, resembled that of Garuda swooping down for seizing a large snake." (Book VIII: Karna Parva, Section 59.) Arjuna "seized Drupada as Garuda seizeth a huge snake after agitating the waters of the ocean." (Book I: Adi Parva, Section 140.)
- ↑ Mahabharata, Book VIII: Karna Parva, Section 85.
- ↑ Mahabharata, Book VII: Drona Parva, Section 20.
- ↑ Mahabharata, Book VIII: Karna Parva, Section 94.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Dallapiccola, Anna. Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend. London: Thames and Hudson, 2002. ISBN 0-500-51088-1
External links
- The Mahabharata online at sacred-texts.com, translated from Sanskrit into English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli.
- Photos of Garuda as represented in stone bas reliefs at the temples of Preah Khan and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
- Section on Garuda in the article, Vishnu - the Cosmic Protector by Madhuri Guin (the contents of this link cannot be viewed in India)
- Garuda Purana
- Website of the Sri Viswaroopa Panchamukha AnjaneyaSwami Foundation,which also includes Garuda as one of the faces.
- Images of Garuda
- Gauruda, arch-enemy of the naga
- Patinated Bronze Figure of Khangard
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