Garuda : The Purana and Symbolism in Different Cultures

There are three major deities in Hindu mythology. These are the Hanuman, also known as the monkey God; the Ganesha, a human with an elephant head, the son of Durgha; and, the Garuda, a large bird-like creature. According to Hindu mythology, Garuda is the son of Kashyap and Vinata. He was laid as an egg, and generated so much brilliance when hatched that he was thought to be the god of fire. What he has become is the king of the birds, roaming around the universe fighting and devouring evil. He is said to be of great strength and ethics, and he uses these to fight the bad-doers in the world. To describe his physical appearance, he has a white face, he resembles an eagle with his beak, talons and wings, his body and limbs are that of a man and have a golden hue, and he is said to be very large with wings spanning so wide that he can cover the sun when he flies over the skies.

Garuda The protector

Garuda has very known and revered qualities that has made him a symbol in the Hindu and Buddhist faiths, and carried on to modern day living. His great hatred for evil, matched with his great strength and power to fight them, has made him a great deity in the fight against sins and anything associated with evil. He is known to hate serpents most, which is why to this day, believers carry amulets of his image to prevent any snake attacks. Most Hindu temples have a Garuda statue in its entrance, and even homes have them to protect against evildoers.

Symbolism : Indonesia

In Indonesia, their symbol more resembles the Javanese eagle, thus, called the Garuda bird. It is their national symbol, and is also used in their national sports team, armed forces, and airlines, and in their leading universities. There is so much representation in their image. For instance, the feathers on the wings, neck, and both lower and upper tails are specifically numbered to represent Indonesia’s independence day. Their image carries a shield to signify its aim to protect and defend the nation.

Symbolism : Thailand

Thailand also carries his image as their national symbol. It also signifies royalty. Buddhist temples would always have a statue or image of him in its halls and entrance.

Symbolism : India

Due to its known strength and power, India places the symbol aptly to represent their army, special forces, and elite bodyguards. As Garuda served Vishnu, the elite guards also serve the king.

The Purana

The Hindus and Buddhists have their own religious texts, called the Puranas. Like other holy books, these contain stories and narratives about the creation of the earth to its destruction, and all the genealogies of important characters in between. Included in this is the Garuda Purana. This part of the Purana shows a dialogue between Garuda and the god Vishnu. It contains nineteen thousand lines, where the first part contains instruction from the god Vishnu on different matters, like medicine and grammar. The second part contain details and descriptions of the afterlife, the journey a soul goes through after death, funeral rituals, and the process of reincarnation.

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