14

CHAPTER-II

THE ORIGIN OF THE GARUDA MYTH

We get ample references of Garuda in the Puranas as well as the

great epics. But whatever is stated in the Puranas and the great epics,

which are otherwise known as itihasa, are basically found in the Vedas

itself. Thus it is said itihasa-purariZibhyam vedam samupavrnhayet. Thus

whatever is elaborately stated in the Purana and the Itihasa, may be

expected to be traced back to the Vedas. In the present case the whole

concept of Garuda can be traced back to Rgveda, the Sun God is referred

to as Garutman.* As found in the Amarakosa, Garutman is also just

another name of Garuda. Thus Sun and Garuda are identical. Garuda is
♦ • •

described as the vehicle of Visnu, and Visnu is identical with Sun God

Surya. Explaining the symbolism of the weapons and vehicles etc. of the

deity, Yaska says that attributes like weapons, vehicles, etc. belonging to

any deity are actually identical with the deity itself. Even an ancient

1 Rgveda -1.164.46

2 Amarakosa - 1/20, page-23

3
Nirukta -7/4
 15

authority like Yaska could realize that a myth is a symbolic

representation of a factual object or situation. Garada is called the king

of birds with the head and wings of eagle and sometimes with the rest of

the body like that of a man and he is the carrier of God Visnu.

Numerous mythological stories in Mahabharata and other Puranas

are found about Garada. In the mantra 1.164.46 which has already been

referred above, Garada is also mentioned as Supama, as one having

beautiful wings. The hymn runs as follows -

indram mitram varunamagnimahuratho divyah sa suparno garutmdn

ekam sadvipra vahudha vadantyagnimyamam mdtarisvdnamdhuh\\

Meaning thereby that - they call him Indra, Mitra, Varana, Agni

and he is heavenly nobly-winged Garatman to what is one, sages give

many a title. They call it Agni, Yama, Matarisvan.

Hence, there is every possibility that we can trace out the seed of

the concept of Garada in the Vedas itself. In the present chapter it is

proposed to find out if there is any reference of Garada in the vedic

literature. Atharvaveda speaks of Supama Garatman with reference to

the antidotes of poison.

 16

Cf: suparnastvanvavindat sukarastvakhanannasa |

prasampratipdso jahyarasan krnvosadhe \ \4 5

Abundant mention of Garuda

•
is found in Puranic
•
literature and

Garuda Purana is full with the details of the deity.

/
In another place Garuda is referred to with the name Syena, where

this mighty bird is said to have brought nectar to earth from heaven.

Cf: pra su sa vibhyo maruto virastu pra syenah syenebhya asupatva |

acakrayayat svadhaya suparno havyam bharanmanave devajustam\\

bharadyadi virato vevijdnah pathonma manojava asarji j

(

tuyam yayau madhuna somyenata srctvo vivide syeno atra | (

rjipi syeno dadamano amium paravatah sukano mandram madam \

somam bharaddddha.no devavandivo amusmaduttarddadaya 11

According to Dr. J. N. Baneijee, the Brahmanical character of the

symbols are found on punch-marked, tribal and local coinages.

According to him, the wheel symbols and its numerous variants represent

Surya, the Sun God. These symbols prolonged to be used till the

4 Atharvaveda, 2.5.2

5 Rgveda - 4.26.4-6
 17

anthromorphic representation of the Sun God. Garuda symbol is

associated with Visnu.6 7 8

• #

From Mohenjodaro, an interesting seal impression on a round

tablet, having the depiction of an orb with flames shooting forth from it

is found. The increasing moon resembling half-risen morning Sun

appears on the pottery of Amri, a sherd of Harappa and also on post

Harappan potteries from Navadatoli, Navasa and Lothal. On the potteries

•n

of Mohenjodaro, a lotus - like design is also found.

In later Hinduism the lotus was a regular cult-symbol of the Sun-

God. According to Vedic literature the Sun-God is Garuda, the mount of

Visnu. The Sun in disc-form appears on the potteries discovered at

Kalibangan, Amri, Kulli, Jhukar, Lothal and Navadatoli. The spoked

wheel, which later on represented the chariot of the Sun-God, is

O

described on the potteries of Mahenjodaro.

It has been proposed by some that unicorn bull found abundantly

on the Indus Seal, might have been a symbol of the Sun-God.

Significantly, it is to note that the bull symbol is found in association

e Coins and Icons, a study of the myths, pp.26-27

7 Ibid, p.30

8 Ibid, Ch. Religious Symbolism, p.30

 18

with the Sun disc. Visnu, the Sun-God of the Vedic mythology is called

“ekasrnga” i.e. one homed and the unicorn of the Indus Seal practically

reminds us of this attribute of the Sun-God.9 On the Indus Seals and

potteries there are descriptions of the Eagle or the falcon which may be

thought as the fore-runner, the Sun-bird Garuda of later times. There is a

symbol consisting of conventional description of the Sun with a flag

(dhvaja) fixed in a triangular or a circular vase may be seen on an Indus

Seal.

A study of the primitive tribes comes to a belief that the worship

of the Sun-God is taken to be significant in tracing the origin of the solar

symbol. The primitive tribes are to be divided into classes viz., the

Kolarians and the Dravidians. In the Kol pantheon the Sun and the moon

were the great father and mother deities.10

In the pre-Aryan and pre-Vedic society the Sun is worshipped with

devotion by the primitive tribes. It is found from the archaeological

evidence the description of the solar symbol. From the archaeological

evidence drawn from the Neolithic potteries and paintings as well as

9 Ibid, Ch. Religious Symbolism, p.31

10
Ibid, Ch. Religious Symbolism, p.31
 19

chalcolithic seals and potteries with the description of the solar symbol

as the disc, orb with rays, the wheel, the swastika and the lotus, it is seen

that the worship of the Sun is animistic and fetishistic. It is mostly

inferred that the idea of Garuda is found behind the Sun-God, the solar

symbol.11

Regarding the deities we find different animals were recognized as

the ‘'vahana ’ or vehicles in the historic period. For instance, the bull was

the ‘‘vahana ’ of Siva, the lion of Goddess Durga, Garuda of Visnu etc.

The animal motifs were used as symbols of religious beliefs.

Various bird symbols are found to be associated with different Gods and

Goddesses. But the human bird Garuda is found to be the ‘vahana of

God Visnu’. The bird Garuda is identified with the Sun traversing the

space and is held to be arch-enemy of the serpents. In Indian mythology,

the peacock is also considered as the Sun bird and is depicted in the epic

as the eater of snakes. Among the findings of Mohenjodaro and other

Indus valley sites, the worship of the peacock is found among the
12
Dravidians and Kolarians.

11 Ibid, pp.30-31
12
Ibid, pp.46-47
 20

Most probably a coin of the Vrisni-Rajanya-Gana of the 1st

century B.C. shows on the obverse a pillar on the top by an animal,

suggested to be half-lion and half-elephant which seems to be really an

immature representation of Garuda and a Cakra on the reverse.13

A wheel is seen on the copper coin attributed to king Achyuta of

the 4th centuiy A.D., on which the varied representations on early Indian

coinage may symbolize the Sun-God. Originally, Visnu, of course was

recorded as an experience of the solar energy covering the universe. In

the Atharvaveda also Visnu is asked to bestow heat.

•»

Cf: visnuryunaktu vahudha tapangsyasmin yajhe suyujah svaha 1114

t
In the Satapatha Brahmana Visnu’s cut-off head becomes the

Sun.15

t
“The Satapatha Brahmana says that when Visnu attained the pre­

eminent position among the gods, the other gods became envious of him

and through machinations managed to have his head cut off. Soon,

1 ^ Development ofHindu Iconography, page-132,

14 Atharvaveda, v.26.7

Satapatha Brahmana-XYV .1.1.

 21

however, they became alarmed at the loss of Visnu and desired to have

him, restored to them.” {Elements ofHindu Iconography, Page-75)

In post-Vedic literature Lord Visnu’s weapon is a rolling wheel,

his vehicle Garada, the Sun-bird and the breast-jewel which he wears is

clearly the Sun.16

The traditional religious beliefs of the people from pre-historic

times are very important and it is difficult to leave the idea of animal

motifs.

It is noted that due to the excessive influence of the religion of the

Vedic Aryans the idea of anthropomorphism was subdued. But it

received a great impulse on the rise and development of theistic cults. It

has been observed by some that the practice of image worship was the
i <■»

result of the adoration of Buddha by his followers. Due to the emphasis

of the sacrificial rites and rituals of by the Vedic Aryans, the growth of

anthropomorphism was not allowed in the religious life of the people.

It will be discussed about the birth story of Garada, in different

Puranas and in the great epic Rdmayana and Mahabharata etc. The

16 A.B. Keith, the religion andphilosophy of the Veda and Upanisads, p-109.

17 Coins and icons, Ch-Numismatics and iconography, pp.274-275

 22

earliest reference of the Garuda myth comes from the Rgveda, already

mentioned. Now we have studied about the origin of Garuda myth in

iconographic and sculptural representation based on historical

background.

It is found that around the first century A.D. the sailors and traders

came from Southern India to the shores of fertile islands looking for rice

and riches, with their goods and techniques, they brought also their

literature.

In this literature there were the stories of the origin of Garuda

among them. Soon the people made the stories of their own in a Sanskrit

derived language called Kawi. Probably, it is in the earliest text of this

literature, the Adiparwa (10th Century A.D), that the story of the mighty

Garuda bird is found.18

9

In the beginning of the creation of the world, when the gods had

fought with the giants for the control of the holy water of life, amrta ; at

that time Garuda came into existence.

9

In the Hindu Javanese period Garuda is found as popular as his

rider Visnu. Everywhere the theme of Garuda is represented. Garuda

18
http://goarchi. com/archo/mag/garuda. html
 23

battle array, Garuda beak shaped arrows, Garuda banners, Garuda motifs

of sculpture and Garuda shaped elements of costumes and puppets.19

Garuda of dramatic performance is ranked first which performs

alongside the myths of Indo-Javanese epics. There is a related Garuda

iconography, the Garuda Mungkur motif of headdresses, the Garuda

wing motif on batik, etc.

Then we have to discuss Garuda in modem times. How much

importance of Garuda in modem times ? In modem Indonesia Garuda is

the official emblem of the Indonesian state. So it is embedded in the coat

/
of arms containing the principles of the state, the Panca Sila, and its

motto (Bhinneka Tunggal Ika).

When Islamisation came he gradually lost his godly quality while

relating his function of guardian of a still sacred power. After

independence (1945) he has become both the emblem and the instrument
Oft
of cohesion and power of a modem nation.

Now, we have found that the origin of Garuda myth with variation

in modem times comes to our knowledge that besides the traditional

19 Ibid

20
Ibid
 24

concept of amrta, there is a sense of religious immortality. Indonesia is a

non-secular state. So it is hoped that immortality in the political sense.

Indonesia has to survive through history.

In the old-Javanese tradition, Garuda is the carrier of the elixir of

7 4

immortality. Now in modem representation, Garuda carries in his claws

a sentence which reads - “Bhinneka Tunggal lkcC\ the official translation

91
is - “Unity in Diversity”. This is meant for national unity.

In all deeds we may come to a conclusion that the celestial bird

Garuda which is like half-man, half-bird, the representation of Garuda is

suggested for strength and power. National strength and stability, which

are symbolized by Garuda being immortal, and by the elixir of life

carried by Garuda depend on tolerance particularly in ethic and religious

tolerance. Tolerance depends on the strength of Garuda as the vehicle of

political power, i.e. the government, Garuda carrying Visnu. It is also to

be noted that Garuda is philosophically a symbol of wisdom. Garuda is

as powerful as Fire God and Garuda represents the Sun-God.

21
Ibid