Garuda

From The Book of THoTH (Leaves of Wisdom)

The Garuda (Sanskrit: {{{3|IAST}}} गरुड, Pāli {{{3|IAST}}}) is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.

1 Garuda in Hinduism
2 Garudas in Buddhism
3 Garuda in popular culture
4 External links

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Garuda in Hinduism

In Hindu mythology, {{{3|IAST}}} is the name of a lesser Hindu divinity, the mount (vahanam) of Vishnu (one of the main forms of God in Hinduism). {{{3|IAST}}} is depicted as having a golden body, white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and wings but a man's body. He wears a crown on his head like his master, Vishnu. He is ancient and huge, and can block out the sun.

His stature in Hindu religion can be gauged by the fact that an independent Upanishad, the {{{3|IAST}}}, and a Purana, the Garuda Purana, is devoted to him. Various names have been attributed to {{{3|IAST}}} - Chirada, Gaganeshvara, Kamayusha, Kashyapi, Khageshvara, Nagantaka, Sitanana, Sudhahara, Suparna, Takshya, Vainateya, Vishnuratha and others. The Vedas provide the earliest reference of {{{3|IAST}}}, though by the name of Śyena, where this mighty bird is said to have brought nectar to earth from heaven. The Puranas, which came into existence much later, mention {{{3|IAST}}} as doing the same thing, which indicates that Śyena (sanskrit for Eagle)and {{{3|IAST}}} are the same. One of the faces of Śrī Pañcamukha Hanuman is Mahavira {{{3|IAST}}}. This face points towards the west. Worship of {{{3|IAST}}} is believed to remove the effects of poisons from one's body.

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Garudas in Buddhism

In Buddhist mythology, the {{{3|IAST}}} (Pāli: {{{3|IAST}}}) are enormous predatory birds with intelligence and social organization. Another name for the {{{3|IAST}}} is {{{3|IAST}}} (Pāli: {{{3|IAST}}}), 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 {{{3|IAST}}} is uncertain, but its wings are said to have a span of many miles. This may be poetical exaggeration, but it is also said that when a {{{3|IAST}}}'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 {{{3|IAST}}} 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 {{{3|IAST}}} 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 {{{3|IAST}}} kings have had romances with human women in this form. Their dwellings are in groves of the simbalī, or silk-cotton tree.

The {{{3|IAST}}} are enemies to the Nāgas, a race of intelligent serpent- or dragon-like beings, whom they hunt. The {{{3|IAST}}} 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 {{{3|IAST}}}, wearing them out and killing them from exhaustion. This secret was divulged to one of the {{{3|IAST}}} 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 {{{3|IAST}}} were among the beings appointed by Śakra to guard Mount Sumeru and the {{{3|IAST}}} heaven from the attacks of the asuras.

In the Mahasamyatta Sutta, the Buddha is shown making temporary peace between the Nagas and the {{{3|IAST}}}.

The Sanskrit word {{{3|IAST}}} has been borrowed and modified in the languages of several Buddhist countries. In Thai the word for a {{{3|IAST}}} is Krut (ครุฑ). In Burmese, {{{3|IAST}}} are called ga-lon. In Japanese a {{{3|IAST}}} is called Karura (the form Garuda (ガルーダ is however used in recent Japanese fiction - see below).

Thailand and Indonesia use the {{{3|IAST}}} as their national symbols; the Indonesian national airline is Garuda Indonesia. One form of the {{{3|IAST}}}, used in Thailand as a sign of Royal family, is called Krut Pha, meaining "{{{3|IAST}}} with outstretched wings."

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Garuda in popular culture

In Saint Seiya, this is the name of one of the Kyoto, the three Judges of the Hell, called Aiakos of Garuda, then defeated by Ikki of Phoenix.

In Street Fighter EX, Garuda is one of the bosses of this fighting games series.

In Warhammer Fantasy Battle the Greater Daemons of Tzeentch bear a striking resemblance to traditional depictions of Garuda.

In Final Fantasy III, Garuda is a boss that can only be defeated by a Dragoon.

In Digimon, Garudamon is the Ultimate form of Biyomon. It is depicted as (like its Mega form of Birdramon) being similar to a Phoenix. Its signature attack is Wing Blade which fires a flaming bird at the enemy.

In the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, there exists a monster called 'Garuda the Wind Spirit', which is depicted as an eagle with human-like extremities.

In Final Fantasy XI, Garuda is a naked bird-like woman with wings and large talons who must be defeated before she can be summoned to fight alongside the player.

In Exile/XZR II for MSX2, Sega Genesis and Turbografx 16, Garuda has swallowed Mani the freemason, and must be killed to recover his remains and resurrect him.

In the US, Garuda was a death metal/grindcore band from Texas. In 2002 they released their first EP entitled “Cold Wired Sentiment.” The band's sound is denoted by its grinding music style but is more varied with melodic sounds so as to put it in the death metal category.

In the novel Perdido Street Station by China Mieville, the Garuda are a race of bird-people found in a desert region called the Cymek. One of the protagonists of the book is a Garuda named Yagharek whose wings were removed by his tribe after he committed a crime.

Garudamon is the name of Sora Takenouchi's Digimon Biyomon through Sora's Crest of Love.

In Megami Tensei series, the games developed by Atlus, Garuda is a demon and categorized into Avian / Spiritual Bird clan.

In Mahou Sentai Magiranger and in Power Rangers: Mystic Force, the symbol and Majin/Titan of the Yellow Ranger is the garuda.

In Chouseishin Gransazer, the bird mecha of the Fire Tribe is named Garuda.

In the MMORPG Tantra Online, Garuda is a character class resembling a female magician, also known as a "Mantra Weaver".

In the Playstation game Azure Dreams, one of the creatures inhabiting the game's central dungeon is called a Garuda.

In the Playstation 2 version of Altered Beast (also known as Project Altered Beast, only released in Japan and Europe) one of the creatures the main character can transform into is a human-eagle-like form, that can shoot feather-darts and create hurricanes with its gigantic wings, named Garuda.

In the Robotech: The Sentinels novels and comic books, Garuda is the homeworld of a vulpine race, called Garudans. The atmosphere of Garuda is poisonous to most life forms, but helps the natives connect to a psychic realm called the Hin.

The Peet's coffee and Tea chain has an Indo-Pacific coffee blend named after Garuda.

In the manga DragonQuest, the character Garudandi is one of the 3 Ryuukishuu, along with the characters Borahoun & Laharuto. Each one represents the elements of air, water, & earth, respectively. Garudandi is shown as an anthropomorphic bird, with taloned feet, an eagle-like beak, & wings extending from his back. He wears the armor of the Ryuukishuu & carries a "Spiral Sword", or fencing-style sword. His chief form of attack, other than with his sword, is throwing his feathers at his opponent: the feathers from the red half of his head steal the victim's physical energy, while the white feathers steal the opponent's magical energy. He is killed in issue #11 by the combined force of Hyunkeru & Poppu.

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