Changes

== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==

== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==

Describing Garuda, the Vachaspatyam says,

Describing Garuda, the Vachaspatyam says,

कश्यपात्मजे विनतागर्भजाते | १ पक्षिराजे अमरः। विनतापिसुसिद्धार्था बभूव मुदिता तदा। जनयामास पुत्रौ अरुणं गरुडं तथा। विकलाङ्गोऽरुणस्तत्र भास्करस्यपुरःसरः। पतत्त्रिणान्तु गरुड इन्द्रत्वेनाभ्यषिच्यत । [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.325995/page/n1339 Vachaspatyam]

कश्यपात्मजे विनतागर्भजाते | १ पक्षिराजे अमरः। विनतापिसुसिद्धार्था बभूव मुदिता तदा। जनयामास पुत्रौ अरुणं गरुडं तथा। विकलाङ्गोऽरुणस्तत्र भास्करस्यपुरःसरः। पतत्त्रिणान्तु गरुड इन्द्रत्वेनाभ्यषिच्यत । [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.325995/page/n1339 Vachaspatyam]

kaśyapātmaje vinatāgarbhajāte | 1 pakṣirāje amaraḥ। vinatāpisusiddhārthā babhūva muditā tadā। janayāmāsa putrau aruṇaṁ garuḍaṁ tathā। vikalāṅgo'ruṇastatra bhāskarasyapuraḥsaraḥ। patattriṇāntu garuḍa indratvenābhyaṣicyata ।

kaśyapātmaje vinatāgarbhajāte | 1 pakṣirāje amaraḥ। vinatāpisusiddhārthā babhūva muditā tadā। janayāmāsa putrau aruṇaṁ garuḍaṁ tathā। vikalāṅgo'ruṇastatra bhāskarasyapuraḥsaraḥ। patattriṇāntu garuḍa indratvenābhyaṣicyata ।

Meaning: The son of Kashyapa and Vinata, Garuda, is referred to as king of birds (Pakshi Raja) by Amara (in the Amarakosha). It further says that Vinata gave birth to two sons viz. Aruna and Garuda. Aruna, who was not physically developed became the charioteer of Sun (one who moves before the Sun) and Garuda was coronated with the prestige of lordship (indratva of the birds).

Garuda is also known for his enemity with serpents. It is said that, in a dispute between his mother Vinata and Kadru (her sister and Kashyapa’s other wife), about the colour of उचैःश्रवस् horse, Kadru defeated Vinata, and according to the conditions, made Vinata her slave. It was Garuda who, after a hard struggle with Indra, brought down Amrta inorder to free his mother. Though Vinata was then released, the Amrta was taken away by Indra from the serpents. This is seen as a cause of enemity between Garuda and the serpants. [https://archive.org/details/ldpd_7285627_000/page/n469 Apte Sanskrit Dictionary]

 

In a dispute between his mother and Kadru, her rival, about the colour of उचैःश्रवस् Kadru defeated Vinata, and, in accordance with the conditions of the wager, made her her slave. Garuḍa brought down the heavenly beverage (Amṛita) to purchase her freedom, not, however, without a hard struggle with Indra for the same. Vinata was then released; but the Amṛita was taken away by Indra from the serpents. [https://archive.org/details/ldpd_7285627_000/page/n469 Apte Sanskrit Dictionary]

Garuda is mentioned in texts like the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Garuda Purana, Kurma Purana, Linga Purana, Matsya Purana, Skanda Purana (Revakhanda), Agni Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Varaha Purana etc.

Garuda in texts:

* Mahabharata

* Garuda Purana

* Kurma Purana

* Linga Purana

* Matsya Purana

* Skanda Purana (Revakhanda)

* Agni Purana

* Bhagavata Purana

* Varaha Purana  

Garuḍa, the son of Kaśyapa and Vinatā, the vehicle of Vishnu (Kṛshṇa), or the emblem of his flagstaff. In the meantime G. came out bursting the egg and ascended the skies. The gods thought that it was Agni, but were undeceived. Then the gods and the ṛshis praised G. and prevailed upon him to diminish his own energy and splendour: Bearing his brother Aruṇa on his back G. went from his father's home and arrived at his mother's side on the other shore of the ocean and placed Aruṇa in the east: G. carried the snakes on his back, but ascended too near to the Sun so that the snakes became scorched by the rays of the Sun: The serpents promised that if G. brought them the amṛta he and his mother should be freed from bondage (I, 27). Having been directed by Vinatā to live upon the Nishādas (b) but not to injure the brahmans, and being taught by her how to know who is a brahman, he set out, and, having come to the Nishādas, he raised a great quantity of dust, and opened his mouth; there the Nishādas entered by thousands, being blinded by the dust, and were devoured (I, 28). A brahman who, with his wife of the Nishāda caste, entered the throat of G., and began to burn him, was recognized and relieved with his wife by G. As G.'s hunger was not appeased Kaśyapa told him of the elephant Supratīka (b) and the tortoise Vibhāvasu: Then Kaśyapa blessed G. G. then seized the elephant and the tortoise and came to the tīrtha Alamba. A banyan-tree invited him to sit on one of its huge branches, but the branch broke (I, 29). G. caught the branch with his beak, and perceiving Vālakhilyas suspended therefrom with their head downwards he continued to fly with the branch, the elephant, and the tortoise, fearing to kill the Vālakhilyas if he should throw away the branch. The Vālakhilyas therefore gave him the name Garuḍa (etymology: guruṃ bhāraṃ samāsādyoḍḍīnaḥ, v. 1390). On Gandhamādana he saw Kaśyapa engaged in ascetic devotions. Kaśyapa propitiated the Vālakhilyas (c) for him, then they abandoned the bough and went to Himavat to practise ascetic penances. According to the advice of Kaśyapa G. flew away for a hundred thousand of yojanas to a mountain without human beings, there he threw down the bough and ate the tortoise and the elephant. Then he again rose on his wings: Omens foreboding fear began to appear among the gods. Bṛhaspati declared that it was owing to the fault of Indra and the ascetic penances of the Vālakhilyas (cf. § 45) that G. now approached to take away the soma. Indra then caused the gods to surround and watch the amṛta (by the penances of the Vālakhilyas G. had been born as the lord of winged creatures (patatrīṇām indraḥ, v. 1455)).--§ 46 (Āstīkap.): G. attacked the gods, whom he blinded with dust, and Bhaumana lay as dead on the field. Indra caused Vāyu to dispel the dust. The Sādhyas and the Gandharvas fled eastwards, the Vasus and the Rudras towards the south, the Ādityas towards the west, and the Aśvins towards the north. G. then slew nine Yakshas, Aśvakranda, etc. (), who guarded the amṛta. The amṛta on all sides was surrounded with fire. G. then divided his mouth into 8100 mouths, and taking water from many rivers he extinguished the fire. Then he assumed a diminutive body (I, 32), and passed through the spokes of the revolving keen-edged wheel of steel placed before the soma. Then there were two great snakes, who would reduce to ashes everyone who might be seen by them. G. covered their eyes with dust, and unseen by them mangled them to pieces. He then flew away with the amṛta, not drinking it himself. He met with Vishṇu on his way and they agreed that G. should stay above Vishṇu, sitting on the flagstaff of his chariot and be his vehicle, and be immortal and free from disease without drinking amṛta. While G. was flying Indra hurled his thunderbolt at him. G. did not feel the slightest pain, but in honour of Dadhīca and Indra and the thunderbolt G. dropped a feather, and from its beauty he gained the name Suparṇa (I, 33). Indra and G. made friendship with each other, and agreed that G. should not give the soma to anyone for drink. Indra should bring it away after it had been put down by G., and G. should feed on the snakes. The snakes declared Vinatā to be free; G. placed down the soma on some kuśa grass, and while the snakes were performing their ablutions, their daily devotions, and other religious rites, Indra took up the amṛta and reṭurned to heaven. When the snakes licked the kuśa grass their tongues were divided in twain, and the kuśa grass, from the contact with the amṛta, became sacred from this time ([https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.98210/page/n5 Index Names Mahabharata])

Garuḍa, the son of Kaśyapa and Vinatā, the vehicle of Vishnu (Kṛshṇa), or the emblem of his flagstaff. In the meantime G. came out bursting the egg and ascended the skies. The gods thought that it was Agni, but were undeceived. Then the gods and the ṛshis praised G. and prevailed upon him to diminish his own energy and splendour: Bearing his brother Aruṇa on his back G. went from his father's home and arrived at his mother's side on the other shore of the ocean and placed Aruṇa in the east: G. carried the snakes on his back, but ascended too near to the Sun so that the snakes became scorched by the rays of the Sun: The serpents promised that if G. brought them the amṛta he and his mother should be freed from bondage (I, 27). Having been directed by Vinatā to live upon the Nishādas (b) but not to injure the brahmans, and being taught by her how to know who is a brahman, he set out, and, having come to the Nishādas, he raised a great quantity of dust, and opened his mouth; there the Nishādas entered by thousands, being blinded by the dust, and were devoured (I, 28). A brahman who, with his wife of the Nishāda caste, entered the throat of G., and began to burn him, was recognized and relieved with his wife by G. As G.'s hunger was not appeased Kaśyapa told him of the elephant Supratīka (b) and the tortoise Vibhāvasu: Then Kaśyapa blessed G. G. then seized the elephant and the tortoise and came to the tīrtha Alamba. A banyan-tree invited him to sit on one of its huge branches, but the branch broke (I, 29). G. caught the branch with his beak, and perceiving Vālakhilyas suspended therefrom with their head downwards he continued to fly with the branch, the elephant, and the tortoise, fearing to kill the Vālakhilyas if he should throw away the branch. The Vālakhilyas therefore gave him the name Garuḍa (etymology: guruṃ bhāraṃ samāsādyoḍḍīnaḥ, v. 1390). On Gandhamādana he saw Kaśyapa engaged in ascetic devotions. Kaśyapa propitiated the Vālakhilyas (c) for him, then they abandoned the bough and went to Himavat to practise ascetic penances. According to the advice of Kaśyapa G. flew away for a hundred thousand of yojanas to a mountain without human beings, there he threw down the bough and ate the tortoise and the elephant. Then he again rose on his wings: Omens foreboding fear began to appear among the gods. Bṛhaspati declared that it was owing to the fault of Indra and the ascetic penances of the Vālakhilyas (cf. § 45) that G. now approached to take away the soma. Indra then caused the gods to surround and watch the amṛta (by the penances of the Vālakhilyas G. had been born as the lord of winged creatures (patatrīṇām indraḥ, v. 1455)).--§ 46 (Āstīkap.): G. attacked the gods, whom he blinded with dust, and Bhaumana lay as dead on the field. Indra caused Vāyu to dispel the dust. The Sādhyas and the Gandharvas fled eastwards, the Vasus and the Rudras towards the south, the Ādityas towards the west, and the Aśvins towards the north. G. then slew nine Yakshas, Aśvakranda, etc. (), who guarded the amṛta. The amṛta on all sides was surrounded with fire. G. then divided his mouth into 8100 mouths, and taking water from many rivers he extinguished the fire. Then he assumed a diminutive body (I, 32), and passed through the spokes of the revolving keen-edged wheel of steel placed before the soma. Then there were two great snakes, who would reduce to ashes everyone who might be seen by them. G. covered their eyes with dust, and unseen by them mangled them to pieces. He then flew away with the amṛta, not drinking it himself. He met with Vishṇu on his way and they agreed that G. should stay above Vishṇu, sitting on the flagstaff of his chariot and be his vehicle, and be immortal and free from disease without drinking amṛta. While G. was flying Indra hurled his thunderbolt at him. G. did not feel the slightest pain, but in honour of Dadhīca and Indra and the thunderbolt G. dropped a feather, and from its beauty he gained the name Suparṇa (I, 33). Indra and G. made friendship with each other, and agreed that G. should not give the soma to anyone for drink. Indra should bring it away after it had been put down by G., and G. should feed on the snakes. The snakes declared Vinatā to be free; G. placed down the soma on some kuśa grass, and while the snakes were performing their ablutions, their daily devotions, and other religious rites, Indra took up the amṛta and reṭurned to heaven. When the snakes licked the kuśa grass their tongues were divided in twain, and the kuśa grass, from the contact with the amṛta, became sacred from this time ([https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.98210/page/n5 Index Names Mahabharata])