Garuda

Garuda, the herald of the gods.

Garuda on the national shield of Indonesia.

Garuda, Belur, India.

Garudas in Preah Khan, Angkor, Cambodia.

Garuda is a mythical bird, considered a lesser god (or demigod) in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Generally, he is represented as a giant and anthropomorphic eagle: a golden human body, a white face, an eagle's beak and large red wings. It is very old, enormous and, according to the stories that are told about this being, it can block the light of the Sun.

Sanskrit name

• Garuendain the AITS system (the international alphabet of Sanskrit transliteration).
• TARर, in devánagari writing of the Sanskrit language.
• Pronunciation: Although in the alphabet devanagari Garuda does not have any diacritical accent (so it should be serious), the acute pronunciation comes from oral tradition.
  • [garudá] in ancient Sanskrit
  • [garúda], [garúd] or [gorúd] in other modern indonal languages.
  • [garouda], in Spanish
• Etymology: possibly Garuda came from the root grī and mean ‘devouring’, perhaps because it was formerly identified with the devastating fire of the Sun. The ancient Sanskrit word gṝ ([chuckles]): ‘devour’ already appears in the Rig-veda (the oldest text of India, from the middle of the second millennium to C.).

The word grri comes from an ancient unknown word, which became other words in European languages:

• Cry it. (‘comer’) in Slavic
• gerru (‘beber’) in Lithuanian
• žora Russian
• glutio (‘degluting’) and Gula in Latin

Perhaps Garuda was called ‘devouring’ because he was originally identified with the fire—that all consumes it—from the rays of the sun.

According to the Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier Monier-Williams, Garuda is a mythical bird (chief of the race of feathered beings, enemies of the race of serpents), vehicle of the god Vishnu. He was the son of the sage Kashiapa with his wife Vinata. Shortly after his birth, his brilliant luster frightened the gods, who supposed that he was the god Agni himself, and asked for his protection. When they found out that he was Garuda, they praised him as the highest being, calling him Fire and Sun.

Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun or dawn personified, is the older or younger brother of Garuda.

The goddess Suaha, the wife of the god Agni, takes the form of a bird woman, Garudi or Suparni to marry Garuda.

Mythology

He is chief of the race of birds and enemy of the Nagas (mythological beings in the form of snakes), vehicle (vajana) of the god Vishnu, and son of Kashiapa and Vinatā. According to the sacred epic text Majabhárata , when Garuda was born the gods were terrified due to his terrible bodily glow. They assumed that he was Agni (the god of fire) and asked for his protection. Then they discovered that he was a baby, and yet they praised him as a supreme being and called him Fire and Sun (according to the Majabhárata , 1. 1239).

Aruna, the personified dawn and charioteer of Suria (the sun god), is Garuda's older brother—or younger brother. Swahá, the wife of Agnídev (the god of fire), takes the form of a female Garudī, also called Suparṇī (according to the Suparṇādhiāia and the Taittirīia āraṇiaka) to mate with Garuda (according to the Majabhárata, 3. 14307 and 3. 14343).

Garuda, along with the rishis, helped break the cessation of hostilities between Indra (the king of heaven) and the pious asura ('demon') Vritra.

In Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand

Garuda is considered to be the Malay version of the myth of the Phoenix bird (being that could be reborn from its ashes). Indonesia and Thailand have this bird as a national symbol. The national airline of Indonesia is called Garuda Indonesia.

The Japanese also know Garuda, which they call Karurá. They say that Garuda ate his enemies snakes until a Buddhist prince taught him the importance of vegetarianism. Then Garuda resurrected all the snakes that he had eaten and digested.

Other Garuda

• Garuda: name of a son of Krisná (according to the Jari vamsha9196).
• Garuda: name of an army peculiar order, with the form of the Garuda bird (according to the Mánava samjitá7, 187, Manu.
• Garuda: name of a building whose plant has the basic form of the Garuda bird (according to the Brijat-samjitaVaraja Mijira.
• Garuda: name of the fourteenth kalpa period.
• Garuda: in the Yainist religion, the name of the servant of the sixteenth arhat of the present avasarpinaī (according to Sanskrit lexicographers, such as Amara Si.ja, Jalaiuda, Jema Chandra, etc.).

In popular culture

• In the anime DigimonThe Garudamon character is based on the Garuda bird.
• On the sleeve and anime Saint Seiya, one of the judges of hell carries the Sapuri de Garuda (Aiacos de Garuda, the best known in the classic sleeve and anime). Also, the Beelzebub character of Serafín, one of the antagonists of the film Saint Seiya: Saishū sixen no senshi tachi, uses special technique Garuda Hell Wing (“Alas of Hell of Garuda”).
• In the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise there are several cards based on Garuda, such as "Garuda the Spirit of the Wind", "Mitica Garuda", "Garuda Neo Flamvell", "El Fabuloso Rubyruda", "Bestia Fénix Gairuda", "Hoja Garoodia la Búbica", "Mecha Bestia Fantasma Concoruda".
• In the video game Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, the protagonists Talisman and Shamrock form a squadron named "Equipo Garuda".
• In the video game Street Fighter (from Capcom and Arika saga Ex) is a Mid-Boss character similar to the original.
• In some video games saga deliveries Final Fantasy appears as a recurring enemy.
• In the video game Altered Beast (2005) the protagonist Luke Custer can be transformed into various beasts, and one of them is an eagle called Garuda
• In the Japanese series "Mahou Sentai Magiranger", part of the Super Sentai franchise, from which they base to create "Power Rangers", The giant form of Tsubasa (MagiYellow) is a Garuda. Chip, the Mystic Yellow Ranger of Power Rangers Mystic Force has as a Zord transformation to Garuda.
• In the "Warframe" video game, one of the headlines "Warframes" has the name Garuda, with a female appearance. Additionally, your skills arise from the use of blood.
• In the video games saga The Legend of Zelda, the Gerudo Village is made up of desert women with anguillan nose and golden skin.