Garuda
Garuda, the Vahana of Lord Vishnu
Devanagari	गरुड
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The Garuda (Sanskrit: Garuḍa गरुड, Pāli Garuḷa) is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Vâhana or a Hindu vehicle, sometimes called a mount, is an animal mythical entity or Chimera (or sometimes a divine attribute closely For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Pali ( ISO 15919 / ALA-LC: Pāḷi is a Middle Indo-Aryan language or Prakrit of India. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices

Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila. In common usage a constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are connected together in some arrangement typically stars to form a visible figure or picture Aquila ( or, Eagle; sometimes named the Vulture) is one of the 48 Constellations listed by Ptolemy, also mentioned by Eudoxus (4th

Garuda in Hinduism

The deified statue of King Airlangga depicted as Vishnu mounting Garuda, found in Belahan, collection of Trowulan Museum, East Java. Airlangga (also spelt Erlangga) (991 in Bali, Indonesia – 1049 in Java) was the first and only Raja of the Kingdom of Kahuripan For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Trowulan is a village in Mojokerto, in the Indonesian province of East Java. East Java (Jawa Timur is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and also includes neighboring Madura

In Hindu mythology, a Garuda is a lesser Hindu divinity, usually the mount (vahanam) of Vishnu. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Divinity and divine (sometimes 'the Divinity' or 'the Divine' are broadly applied but loosely defined terms used variously within different faiths and belief systems — Vâhana or a Hindu vehicle, sometimes called a mount, is an animal mythical entity or Chimera (or sometimes a divine attribute closely For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Garuda is depicted as having a golden body, white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak, but with a man's body. He wears a crown on his head. A crown is the traditional Symbolic form of Headgear worn by a Monarch or by a Deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power He is ancient and has size enough to block out the sun. The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System.

His stature in Hindu religion can be gauged by the fact that an independent Upanishad, the Garudopanidad, and a Purana, the Garuda Purana, is devoted to him. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" Garuda Purana is one of the Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as Smriti. Various names have been attributed to Garuda - Chirada, Gaganeshvara, Kamayusha, Kashyapi, Khageshvara, Nagantaka, Sitanana, Sudhahara, Suparna, Tarkshya, Vainateya, Vishnuratha and others. The Vedas provide the earliest reference of Garuda, though by the name of Śyena, where this mighty bird is said to have brought nectar to earth from heaven. "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. Amrit, also known as Marathus, was an ancient city located near Tartous in Syria. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond The Puranas, which came into existence much later, mention Garuda as doing the same thing, which indicates that Śyena (Sanskrit for Eagle) and Garuda are the same. One of the faces of Śrī Pañcamukha Hanuman is Mahavira Garuda. Hanuman (हनुमत् sa-Latn '''Hanumat''' nominative singular sa हनुमान् sa-Latn ''Hanumān'' known also as ' Anjaneya' (son of Anjana is one of the This face points towards the west. Worship of Garuda is believed to remove the effects of poisons from one's body. In Tamil Vaishnavism Garuda and Hanuman are known as "Periya Thiruvadi" and "Siriya Thiruvadi" respectively. Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Hanuman (हनुमत् sa-Latn '''Hanumat''' nominative singular sa हनुमान् sa-Latn ''Hanumān'' known also as ' Anjaneya' (son of Anjana is one of the

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. The Kurukshetra War ( Devangari: कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध forms an essential component of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata Omnipresence is the ability to be present in every place at any and/or every time unbounded or universal presence

Garuda plays an important role in Krishna Avatar in which Krishna and Satyabhama ride on Garuda to kill Narakasura. On another occasion, 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.

Garuda in the Mahabharata

Garuda's birth and deeds

Vishnu and Lakshmi riding on the Garuda - Painting in LACMA from Rajasthan, Bundi, c. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi (pronunciation; Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī) is the Hindu Goddess of Wealth The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, also known as LACMA, is an Art museum in Los Angeles County California. 1730

Balinese wooden statue of Garuda battling Naga serpent, Museum Indonesia, Jakarta. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Jakarta (also DKI Jakarta) is the Capital and largest city of Indonesia.

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. This article is about the Hindu sage Kashyapa or Kasyapa See also Kassapa Buddha for information on the ancient buddha and Mahakasyapa information on the disciple His mother was Vinata, whose sister was Kadru, the mother of serpents. Vinata (from Sanskrit विनत vi-nata - bent curved bent down bowed stooping inclined. In the mythology of India Kadru (Kadrū in IAST notation Devanagari: कद्रू is usually the daughter of Daksha, wife of Kashyapa, 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. Their reply was that Garuda would have to bring them the elixir of immortality, also called amrita. Amrita or Amrit (अमृत ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ಅಮೃತ అమృతము is a Sanskrit word that literally means "without death" and is often It was a tall order. The amrita at that time found itself in the possession 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.

The wall surrounding the Cambodian temple city of Preah Khan is decorated with massive stone images of Garuda standing on one serpent and holding another overhead. Preah Khan ( Khmer: ប្រាសាទព្រះខ័ន is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built in the 12th century for King

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. 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. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Rather than fight, the two exchanged promises. Vishnu promised Garuda the gift of immortality even without drinking from the elixir, and Garuda promised to become Vishnu's mount. Flying onward, he met Indra the god of the sky. Indra ( Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र Indra, Malay: Indera, Thai: พระอินทร์ Phra-Intra 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. 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. 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's descendents

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. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific ^[2]

Garuda as a symbol in the Mahabharata

Garuda Azhwar in front of the Sri VarahaSwamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram

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. In the epic Mahābhārata, Drona ( Sanskrit: द्रोण droNa) or Dronacharya (द्रोणाचार्य droNāchārya ^[5] Krishna even carries the image of Garuda on his banner. Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism ^[6]

Garudas in Buddhism

A Mongolian Buddhist adaptation of the Hindu God, Garuda (Sanskrit), the Khangard may be a servant of the Yama (God of Death).

In Buddhist mythology, the garuḍas (Pāli: garuḷā) are enormous predatory birds with intelligence and social organization. Buddhist mythology operates within the Buddhist Belief system Pali ( ISO 15919 / ALA-LC: Pāḷi is a Middle Indo-Aryan language or Prakrit of India. 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. Nāga ( नाग, IAST: nāgá, Indonesian: naga, Javanese: nogo, Khmer: neak) is A deva (देव Sanskrit and Pāli) in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share the characteristics of being more powerful

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. A banyan is a fig that starts its life as an Epiphyte when its Seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host Tree (or on structures like

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. Bombax is a genus of primarily tropical trees in the mallow family.

Garuda according to Ida Made Tlaga, a 19th century Balinese artist. Bali is an Indonesian Island located at, the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to

The garuḍas are enemies to the Nāgas, a race of intelligent serpent- or dragon-like beings, whom they hunt. Nāga ( नाग, IAST: nāgá, Indonesian: naga, Javanese: nogo, Khmer: neak) is 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. For the Belgian publisher see Sakka (publisher. Śakra ( Sanskrit) or Sakka ( Pāli) (zh 帝釋天尊 is a name of a deity mentioned Sumeru ( Sanskrit) or Sineru ( Pāli) is the name of the central world-mountain in Buddhist cosmology. The Trāyastriṃśa ( Sanskrit; Pāli Tāvatiṃsa) heaven is an important world of the devas in Buddhist cosmology. Asura ( Sanskrit, Pāli and Korean, Tib Lhamayin, Jp Ashura, Cn Axiuluo) in Buddhism

In the Mahasamyatta Sutta, the Buddha is shown making temporary peace between the Nagas and the garuḍas. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder

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). Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and In Burmese, garuḍas are called ga-lon. The Burmese language (မြန်မာဘာသာ myà̃mà bàθà MLCTS: myanma bhasa) is the official Language of Burma. In Japanese a garuḍa is called Karura (however, the form Garuda ガルーダ is used in recent Japanese fiction - see below). is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The Karura (迦楼羅 is an enormous fire-breathing creature from Japanese Hindu-Buddhist myth.

For the Mongols, the garuḍa is called Khan Garuda or Khangar'd (Mongolian: Хангарьд). Khan, alternately spelled lowercase as khan, qāān for their chief between 283 - 289 and was used as a state title by the Rouran confederation The Mongolian language (mn [[ImageMonggol kelesvg 17px]] Mongɣol kele, Cyrillic: Монгол хэл Mongol khel) is the best-known member of Before and after each round of Mongolian wrestling, groups performs the Garuḍa Dance, a stylised imitation of the Khangar'd and a hawk. Mongolian wrestling (бөх bökh) is a traditional sport that has existed in Mongolia for centuries The term hawk can be used in several ways In strict usage in Europe and Asia, to mean any of the Species in the Subfamily ^[7]

In the Qing Dynasty fiction The Story of Yue Fei, Garuda sits at the head of the Buddha. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China Yue Fei’s biographies Yue Fei Biography A biography of Yue Fei was written 60 years after his death by his grandson the poet and historian Yue Ke (岳柯 But when a celestial bat (an embodiment of the Aquarius constellation) makes a noise during the Buddha’s expounding of the Lotus Sutra, Garuda kills her and is exiled from paradise. Aquarius ( Water -bearer or cup-bearer is the eleventh sign of the Zodiac, situated between Capricornus and Pisces. The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit sa सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र Saddharma He is later reborn as Song Dynasty General Yue Fei. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Yue Fei’s biographies Yue Fei Biography A biography of Yue Fei was written 60 years after his death by his grandson the poet and historian Yue Ke (岳柯 The bat is reborn as Lady Wang, wife of the traitor Prime Minister Qin Hui, and is instrumental in formulating the "Eastern Window" plot that leads to Yue's political execution. In Chinese culture, a Hanjian ( is a highly derogatory and Pejorative term for a Traitor, especially to the Han Chinese ethnicity Qin Hui ( 1090 - 1155 Style name Huizhi (會之 was a Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty in China who is widely regarded as a ^[8]

Garuda as a Symbol

• Thailand uses the garuḍa as its national symbol. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj One form of the garuḍa used in Thailand as a sign of the royal family is called Krut Pha, meaning "garuḍa acting as the vehicle (of Vishnu). "

• Indonesia also uses the garuḍa as its national symbol. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The Indonesian national airline is Garuda Indonesia. An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license PT (Persero Perusahaan Penerbangan Garuda Indonesia is the national Airline of Indonesia.

• The garuḍa, known as Khangar'd, is the symbol of the capital city of Mongolia, Ulan Bator. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар is the Capital and largest city of Mongolia. ^[9] According to popular Mongolian belief, Khangar'd 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 and a symbol of courage and honesty. The bird also gives its name to Hangard Aviation and Khangarid (Хангарьд), a football (soccer) team in the Mongolia Premier League. Mongolia Premier League Clubs (2007 Erchim (Ulaanbaatar Power Plant team Khangarid (Erdenet town in northern mongolia

• The elite bodyguards of the medieval Hoysala kings in Karnataka, India, were called Garudas, because they served the king in the way that Garuda served Vishnu. The Hoysala Empire ( Kannada: ಹೊಯ್ಸಳ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ ( pronunciation: in Kannada was a prominent South Indian Kannadiga Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

• The US Navy's Electronic Attack Squadron 134 is nicknamed the Garudas.

• Ace Combat 6 (2007, Xbox 360, Japan) has you take the lead of the 'Garuda Squad', a fighter jet squadron, in hopes of saving the world.

Gallery

Garuda as national symbol of Indonesia	Garuda as national symbol of Thailand	Garuda (Khangar'd) as the symbol of Ulan Bator, Mongolia	Garuda murthi in West Bengal, India
A 13th century Cham sculpture depicts Garuda devouring a serpent. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар is the Capital and largest city of Mongolia. Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East In Hinduism, a murti ( Devanagari: मूर्ति typically refers to an image a deity in which the Divine Spirit is expressed ( murta) Champa was an Indic civilization that flourished along the coasts of what is now central and southern Vietnam for roughly a one thousand year period between 500 A	A 12th century Cham sculpture in the Thap Mam style depicts Garuda serving as an atlas. Champa was an Indic civilization that flourished along the coasts of what is now central and southern Vietnam for roughly a one thousand year period between 500 A In the European architectural tradition an atlas (also known as a atlant, or atlantid; plural atlantes) is a support sculpted in the form of	Garuda figure, gilt bronze, Khmer Empire, 12th-13th century, John Young Museum, University of Hawaii at Manoa	A 12th century bas relief at Angkor Wat in Cambodia showing Vishnu in battle mounted on Garuda

Notes

See also

• Garuda in the Architecture of Cambodia
• Avalerion
• Karura
• Vishnu
• Garuda Purana
• Tengu

External links

• The Mahabharata online at sacred-texts. The period of Angkor is the period from approximately the latter half of the 8th century A Avalerion or Alerion is a mythological bird It was "rather small yet larger than an eagle" and lived near the Hydaspes and the Indus The Karura (迦楼羅 is an enormous fire-breathing creature from Japanese Hindu-Buddhist myth. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Garuda Purana is one of the Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as Smriti. are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. 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