The Bird Of Pray

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

 

 

The Bird of Pray

 

 

 

It is Vaikasi Visakham. No doubt devotees world over celebrate it as the

birthday of the great bard Sri Nammazhwar. However, it is also famous as the

Great Bird's day out-the day of Sri KAnchi GarudOtsavam. There might be any

number of utsavams for the Lord, and He might fancy Himself in any number of

vAhanAs- there is however no dispute that He looks His best in the Garuda

Vahana. The Sesha Vahana, the Hanumanta Vahana, the Hamsa Vahana, the YALi

vahana, etc. are no doubt there, for the Lord uses all sorts of birds and bees

for locomotion. However, if we ponder for a moment, we would find that there is

only one vahana in all divyadesams that is the best crowd puller-the Garuda

Vahana. It would be worthwhile going into what makes this bird so great.

 

 

 

We are vaidikAs, owing allegiance to the Vedas as the first and foremost

source of revelation. ("Adou VedA: pramANam"). Hence while accepting or

rejecting anything, we look to the Shruti for confirmation.

 

Going by this test, we can confidently assert that the Garuda is the one and

only bird to be afforded an exalted position by the Veda Purusha. No other bird

or animal is placed on such a high pedestal by the Shruti.

 

 

 

This can be clearly understood by the Shruti's assertion that the Great Bird is

the personification of the Vedas themselves-

 

"SuparNOsi GarutmAn Trivrit tE shira: Gayatram chakshu: StOma AtmA SAma tE tanU:

VamadEvyam Brihat RatantarE pakshou yagyAyagyaim puccham cchandAmsi angAni

dhishNiyA: saphA: Yajoomshi nAma."(TaittirIya SamhitA-4-1-41)

 

 

 

Sri Garuda's entire divine body is made up of the Vedas-

 

The various metres form his various body parts. The mighty Gayatri is his eyes

and Trivrit his head. The venerated Sama vEda forms his torso, VamadEvyam and

BrihatRatantaram his powerful wings. StOma is his soul, YagyAyagyiam his tail

and his very name is the Yajur Veda.

 

Swami Desikan reflects this Shruti vakya in his Garuda Panchasat thus-

 

"nEtram Gayatram UchE Trivrit iti cha shirO nAmadhEyam Yajoomshi

 

CcchandAmsi angAni dhishNAtmabhirajani shaphai: vigrahO VamadEvyam

 

Yasya StOma Atmana: asou Brihat itara garut tAdrisAmnAya puccha:

 

SvAcchAndyE na: prasUtAm shruti shata shikhara abhishtutAtmA GarutmAn".

 

 

 

Further accounts of Sri Garutman are to be found in the Sixth Kanda of the

YajusSamhitA, which recounts how he liberated his mother VinatA from bondage.

 

As a result of losing a bet over a frivolous matter, Vinata was enslaved by

Kadru, the mother of snakes. As a precondition for releasing her from

ignominious servitude, Kadru demanded that the hard-to-obtain nectar Amrita

("Soma") be brought to her. This was an almost impossible task, and two of

Vinata's sons failed in their efforts to lay their hands on the zealously

guarded Ambrosia. Faced with the challenge of Kadru and unable to bear the

thought of his mother spending her entire life in the shackles of slavery, Sri

Garuda displayed exemplary bravery in the battle against the guardians of Amrita

(Indra and other devatas) and was successful in securing it for Kadtru, thus

setting his mother free.

 

This exploit of Garutman is chronicled by the Shruti in detail in the 39th and

40th panchAsats of the first prapAtaka of the Sixth Kanda beginning with

"Kadrooscha vai SuparNIcha".

 

Sri Garuda is likened to a chariot made of Veda mantras, by another scriptural

source-

 

"Tasya GayatrI JagatI cha pakshou abhavatAm, ushnik cha trishtup cha prishtyou,

anushtup cha panktischa dhuryou, BrihatI Eva uktirabhavat,sa Evam cchandO ratham

AstthAya Etam adhvAnam anu samacharat".

 

 

 

One of the ShAnti pAtAs, beginning with "Bhadram karNEbhi:", prays to Sri

Garutman for blessing the devotee with all that is good-"Svasti na: TArkshyO

arishtanEmi:"

 

 

 

If further evidence were needed about GarutmAn being the soul of Vedas, one has

only to refer to the YAga named "Garuda Chayanam" in which the sacrificial pit

("YAga Kundam") is shaped in the form of the Divine Bird and the Lord is

worshipped in the form of the sacrificial fire therein.

 

Quoting the SouparNa shruti, Sri Desikan says "vahEyam yagyam pravisEyam VedAn",

indicating the Great Bird's resolve to form the basis for sacrifices and the

soul of the Shruti. This is why Sri Alavandar too calls him the very soul of

Vedas-"VEdAtmA" and the personification of Shruti-"TrayImaya:".

 

 

 

Sri Garuda's primacy among the inhabitants of Sri Vaikunatam flows from the

copious praise the Shruti showers on him, mentioning him by name- perhaps a

distinction not conferred on any other nitya sUrI.

 

Occasionally, the Lord gets bored with all the kainkarya He is offered by

people who wish only to be His servitors (kinkarAs). At such times, it is to

Garuda that He turns for companionship. Of all the nityasUrIs, only Sri Garuda

has the distinction of being a friend of the Lord, with whom the latter can

interact on an equal footing. Can you imagine being the friend of the Lord

Himself? What a rare honour indeed! VainatEya is perhaps the Lord's only friend

in all Sri Vaikuntam, says Sri Alavandar, who calls the bird the Lord's "sakhA".

It is perhaps to indicate this that he shares the same seat as Sri RangamannAr

and Sri Andal on an equal footing, at Srivilluttur.

 

However, this exalted position +does not make Garuda forget his basic role of a

"dAsa" or servant of the Lord and he is ever ready at the Lord's beck and call.

He is the Lord's sole vehicle, be it for the purpose of rushing to the succour

of the beleaguered Gajendra or merely for a social outing to meet devotees, as

during BrahmOtsavams.

 

 

 

Sri VainatEya serves as an indispensable aid to Emperuman in saving the devout

(Asrita rakshaNam) by carrying the Lord with expedition to the scene of action.

Sri Nammazhwar attests to this-"Odum PuL Eri". "PaN konda PuL", toovi am PuL'

are some of the other sobriquets the Azhwar reserves for the Pakshiraja.

 

 

 

When the Lord's flag is unfurled, it is Sri Garuda we find adorning it in all

his splendour. The Lord is variously called "Garuda dhwaja" and "Putkodiyai" on

this count. It is this fact, in addition to the Lord's own valour, that bestows

Him victory in all His endeavours, whether it be war or peace.

 

With his soft, feathery body, Sri Garuda provides a comfortable seat ("Asanam")

on which the Lord is ensconced.

 

 

 

Being the favourite vehicle of the Lord makes SuparNa resplendent with glow. And

the indelible imprint of the Lord's spurs on the Bird's sides adds to the

latter's radiance, as attested by Sri Alavandar-"tvat anghri sammardha kiNAnka

sObhinA".

 

Sri Garuda also serves as the Lord's personal air-conditioning equipment

("Vyajanam"), keeping Him cool with his great wings. Further, he provides the

Lord with a spacious and protective canopy ("vitAnam") on the Lord's jaunts. Sri

Andal confirms sighting the elusive Krishna romping around under the protective

wings of this great bird, in NAcchiar Tirumozhi-

 

"Vinatai siruvan siragennum mElAppin keezh varuvAnai VirundAvanattE kaNdOmE"

 

It is thus no surprise that Sri Garutman is known as "Periya Tiruvadi",

indicating his primacy among the Lord's servitors, due to the variety of ways in

which he is of service and his intimacy with the Supreme Being.

 

 

 

Though all the nityasUrIs are credited with drinking in the Lord's splendour

with unblinking eyes ( "sadA pasyanti"), it is only Sri Garuda whom we find

doing this in the ArcchAvatAra. Whichever sannidhi we turn to, we find Garutman

positioned right in front of the Lord, with hands folded in unflinching

devotion. And it is before this Giant Bird that we prostrate first in any

temple, attesting to his importance on the Divine Pantheon.

 

There are five forms of Sri Garutman, according to Sri SAtvata-

 

"Satya: SuparNa: Garuda: Tarkshyastu VihagEswara:", each of whom is the

presiding deity for PrANa, apAna, vyAna, udAna and samAna.

 

 

 

Being the Lord's vehicle is no easy joke. We must remember that the entire

creation forms Emperuman's sarIram-he is Narayana or the abode of all sentient

and non-sentient beings. His weight is therefore beyond imagination and measure.

And if Sri Garuda carries such a Lord, his strength and prowess must indeed be

remarkable! And it would be no exaggeration to say that it is ultimately

Vainateya who carries the burden of the whole creation on his powerful

shoulders. Atlas might shrug, but not our Super Bird. And we must really hand it

to those (SripAdam thAngis) who bear this weighty Garutman, with all of his own

burden, on their shoulders, during the Lord's Garudotsavam.

 

Here is an interesting but well-known titbit - At NAcchiAr koil (near

Oppiliappan Koil), the Garuda Vahana is of stone, and the vahana is kept in a

small sannidhi. At the time of Garudotsavam, it is said that while four people

are enough to carry the Stone Bird on their shoulders when coming out of the

sannidhi (which cannot accommodate more), He becomes heavier progressively with

every step out, so that ultimately many times the initial number of bearers are

required by the time he is out on the streets with his Lord and Master ensconced

on his back. And it is also reported that beads of sweat appear on his

countenance while carrying his delightful burden.

 

Another extraordinary moorti of Sri Suparna is that at Srirangam, where he

towers majestically above the devotee, with hands folded in devotion and a

blissful smile playing on his lips, occasioned by the uninterrupted service to

Aranganagarappan.

 

The worship of this King of Birds ("PakshirAjA") is as old as the hills. He is

supposed to bestow on the devotee all that is auspicious, especially relief from

disease, threat of snakes and poisonous insects etc. Swami Desikan was one of

the prime beneficiaries of Sri Garutman's benediction. When we see the

distinctions the Acharya attained during his illustrious lifetime, we can well

imagine the power of the Great Bird's anugraham. The very sight of a garuda in

the skies is considered to be auspicious even to this day.

 

 

 

By his very nature, Sri VainatEya is a sworn enemy of serpents, all of whom

have been vanquished by him many times over. As a symbol of his victory, he

wears a plethora of venomous snakes as ornaments all over his body, which reads

like a "Who is Who" of the Snake world-Vasuki, Takshaka, KarkOtaka,Padma,

Mahapadma, ShankhapAla, GuLika, etc.

 

The Star of Swati has many distinguished personages to boast of-Sri Nrsimhan,

Sri Sudarsana, Sri Periazhwar, to name a few. It is no surprise that Sri Garuda

too adorns this aphorism, adding further distinction to it.

 

Even the mighty slip occasionally, and Sri Vainateya did too. Once during a

flight, he noticed ChAndilI, a lady of remarkable devotion to the Lord. To his

surprise and pain, he found the environment and ambience in which she lived to

be hardly suitable for a person of her devotion and piety. The moment these

thoughts crossed his mind, Sri Garuda felt his wings falling off and he fell

like a stone at the lady's feet. He confessed to her his thoughts about her

milieu and realised that it constituted great BhAgavata apachAram even to think

ill of a bhaktA's locale. She forgave him readily. Garuda felt his wings sprout

again and flew on, chastened by a first-hand experience of the deadly nature of

offence to bhaktas.

 

 

 

We saw that Sri Garuda is not only the Lord's servitor, but His friend too. And

as a true friend, he rushes to the defence of the brothers Rama and Lakshmana

when they are immobilised by the nAga astra let loose by Indrajit. The sons of

Dasarata lie helpless on the battlefield, generating considerable demoralisation

among the vAnara sainyam. The snakes which form the shackles breathe out

poisonous fumes, rendering the princes of Ayodhya unconscious.

 

Suddenly, there is a great wind, uprooting trees with a gale-like force. The

snake bonds around the bodies of Rama and Lakshmana automatically fall off and

they find themselves miraculously free. All this, they find, is due to the

arrival on the scene of the powerful Pakshiraja, at whose mere sight snakes run

for cover. The Big Bird, thanked profusely by the brothers Rama, brushes it off

saying he only performed what any friend would do. And with the healing touch of

Vainateya, the brothers were as good as new, and went into battle with redoubled

vigour, says Sri Valmiki-

 

"VainatEyEna samsprishtA: tayO: samruruhu: vraNA:

 

SuvarNE cha tanU snigdhE tayOrAsu babhoovatu:

 

TEjO veeryam balam cha Oja utsAhascha mahAguNa:

 

Pradarsanam cha buddhischa smritischa dviguNA tayO:"

 

The 50th sarga of the Yuddha Kanda gives a detailed account of Sri GarudA's

prowess and the invaluable and timely assistance he rendered to the Lord in His

Ramavatara, as a friend in need. Sri Garuda addresses Sri Rama as a friend

-"SakhE Raghava! " (My dear friend Rama!), which prompts Sri Alavandar's

description

 

"Dasa: SakhA vAhanam Asanam dhwaja:

 

YastE vitAnam vyajanam TrayImaya:

 

Upasttitam tEna purO GarutmatA

 

Tvat anghri sammarddha kiNAnka sObhinA".

 

The other epic, Sri Mahabharata, also contains a vivid account of the daring

exploits of the Big Bird in getting hold of Amritam.

 

Thus the greatness of Suparna is chronicled in the Vedas, Itihasas like Srimad

Ramayana and Sri Mahabharata, Puranas like the Sri Vishnu Purana and the Garuda

Purana, various PAncharAtra SamhitAs, and with great devotional and poetic

fervour by Swami Desikan in Sri Garuda Panchasat and Sri Garuda Dandakam.

 

 

 

Bhagavatas would now agree that if the Kanchi Garudotsavam is such a

magnificent event, it is as much due to VainatEyA's splendour and greatness, as

to that of Sri DevAdirAja. Adiyen apologises for such a lengthy posting and an

ungrammatical title (born out of a weakness for the pun).

 

"nama: pannaga naddhAya Vaikunta vasa vartinE

 

Shruti sindhu sudhOtpAda mandarAya GarutmatE"

 

 

 

"KumkumAnkita varNAya kuntEndu dhavaLAnghrayE

 

VishNu vAhana namastubhyam PakshirAjAya tE nama:"

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

Dasan, sadagopan.