Garuda
Garuda (Sanskrit: गरुड, romanized: Garuḍa; Pali: गरुळ Garuḷa; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (vahana) of the Hindu god Vishnu. This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. Garuda is also the half-brother of the Devas, Gandharvas, Daityas, Danavas, Nāgas, Vanara and Yakshas. He is the son of the sage Kashyapa and Vinata. He is the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun. Garuda is mentioned in several other texts such as the Puranas and the Vedas.
| Garuda | |
|---|---|
God of Strength and Vigilance | |
| Devanagari | गरुड़ |
| Sanskrit transliteration | Garuḍa |
| Affiliation |
|
| Personal information | |
| Parents | Kashyapa and Vinata |
| Siblings | Aruṇa, Sumati |
| Spouse | Unnati |
| Children | Sumukha (son) |
Garuda is described as the king of the birds and a kite-like figure. He is shown either in a zoomorphic form (a giant bird with partially open wings) or an anthropomorphic form (a man with wings and some ornithic features). Garuda is generally portrayed as a protector with the power to swiftly travel anywhere, ever vigilant and an enemy of every serpent. He is also known as Tarkshya and Vainateya.
Garuda is a part of state insignia of India, Indonesia and Thailand. Both Indonesia and Thailand have Garuda as their coat of arms, the Indian Army uses the Garuda on their Guards Brigade Regimental Insignia and named their special operations unit after him as the Garud Commando Force. It is often associated with the Greater adjutant stork (Leptoptilos dubius).