Garuḍa

1. Garuḍa /Garuda

trivṛd vedaḥ suparṇākhyo yajñaṃ vahati pūruṣam ||

The Lord who is the embodiment of Sacrifice (Yajña) is borne by Garuda who is an embodiment of the three Vedas. (S.B. 12.11.20)

Lord Viṣṇu’s vehicle is Garuda which means ‘Wings-of-speech,’ in the Vedas he is also known as Garutman. He represents the Vedas which carry the Lord of Sacrifices.

Garuda is the mantras of the Veda which travel with the speed of light from one world to another. Garuda is also taken as the personification of courage (Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 6;7;2;6.)

According to the Purāṇas, Garuda is the son of Kaśyapa (vision) and Vinatā (She-before- whom-knowledge-bows). Vinatā quarrelled with her co-wife Kadru (chalice-of-immortality) who was the mother of the ever-moving ones — the serpents which are the symbols of the cycles of time. (They also symbolise anger and hostility which are the strongest factors which obstruct the spiritual journey.) From this quarrel originated the enmity between Garuda and the serpents and his quest for the nectar of immortality — the jar of which he holds in his right upper hand.

Garuda's wife is Unnati (progress) also called Vināyakā (queen-of-knowledge). He has six sons; Sumukha (Beautiful-face), Sunāma (Beautiful-name), Sunetra (Beautiful eyes), Suvarcas (Beautiful vigour), Suruk (Beautiful brightness) and Subala (Beautiful strength).

In order to expound the great spiritual truths contained in the Vedas, the greatest of spiritual masters Veda Vyāsa mahā-muni composed the Itihāsas and Purāṇas. Our first intimation or concept of Spirituality is through the medium of the scriptures.

The existence of a God can be inferred by logic but through the senses and mind it is impossible to know anything about the Godhead.

It is through Śastra alone that we can know the Lord; therefore Śastra is the vehicle of Divinity and as such the Śastra are depicted in iconography as Garuda.

Garuda is also called as Garutman which means the stratosphere which surrounds the earth:

When the Lord is identified as Sūrya Nārāyaṇa, then Garuda becomes the stratosphere which conveys and modifies the rays of the sun to the earth and thus prevents the destruction of life by the intensity of the heat.