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An Eagle by Another Mother
The Magnificent Garuda
The Garuda is a mythological bird creature that is found in both Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions. In Hinduism, it is a minor deity and serves as Vishnu’s mount, or means of transportation.
Garuda is a Hindu word and it is also the name for the constellation Aquila (latin for eagle). The Phoenix and the Brahminy Kite (a sea eagle) are modern representations of this legendary bird.
It symbolizes birth and heaven and is the enemy of snakes so it is often used on amulets to protect the wearer. It is a combination of eagle and human, usually with the upper body and wings of an eagle and the lower body of a human. There is a separate Upanishad devoted to the Garuda which gives this minor god more importance than others.
The Garuda is also mentioned in the Vedas, by the name of Syena, which means eagle in Sanskrit and in the Mahabharata. Usually these magnificent birds are sent to fetch something for a God.
In the Mahabharata the Garuda eats evil men. In one story he ate a Brahman and his wife but the Brahman burned the its throat so he spit them out. In Buddhist mythology the Garuda are a…
