Garuda Panchami

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Bhaktas,

 

Adiyen thanks Sri Sadagopan Swamin for his excellent post on this

extremely auspicious day. Adiyen wishes to add the following summary on

Garuda to celebrate this sacred occassion. In a previous post, Adiyen

summarized the connections of Garuda to the Vedam.

 

Various parts of Garuda's body denote the Vedas. The Vedas

exemplify Dharma and Garuda embodies the Vedas. Therefore, Dharma

Swaroopi Garuda paves way for all victories. It is interesting to note

that Lord Narayana always has the banner of Garuda. Garuda has never

been vanquished. Accordingly, the Garuda banner denotes the

invincibility of

Lord Narayana. Among the Vyuha Murthis, Garuda is Sankarshana. Swami

Desikan salutes this aspect of Garuda in the Garuda Dandakam

" SankarshaNatman Garuthman " . Among the six auspicious qualities (JnAna,

Bala, Aishwarya, Shakti, Tejas and Vatsalya) associated with Lord

Narayana, Sankarshana denotes

JnAna and Bala. Garuda rules over the five forms of Vayu

(Garuthman Marut PanchakAdIsha SatyAdimUrthE), i.e., PrAna, Apana,

Samana, Udanan and Vyana. Garuda controls these five types of Vayus

and is thus regarded as the life-giving source of one's body.

Recitation

of the Garuda Mantram confers the benefits of victory in

arguments and debates, destruction of enemies, petrification of

opponents, unmitigated eloquence of speech and happiness.

 

Lord Narayana takes the form of four Vyuha Murthis, i.e. Vasudeva,

Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Sankarshana. Similarly Garuda's body is

made up of four colours. His face is black, his arms are red in

colour (vermillon), his thighs are white like the Sun and his feet

are of the HiraNya VarNa (yellow like gold). Among the birds, Garuda is

Indra. Garuda Drushti and Garuda Dvani are extremely auspicious.

 

A person blessed by the benevolent glances

of Garuda is assured of victory. Examples of the benefits from Garuda

Drushti can be seen from a couple of instances in the

Ramayana. In Perumal's battle with the Asura Malyavan, the moment

Garuda's gaze fell upon the Asura he was effortlessly vanquished by

Lord Rama. Valmiki uses the simile that Garuda's gaze was instrumental

in

the Asura being blown away like a piece of cotton by wind. Later on

in the war against Ravana, both Rama and Lakshmana were rendered

unconscious by the bonds of the Naga Pasham used by Indrajit.

Again Garuda Drushti was responsible for their release. Garuda then

lovingly massaged the wounds on their body. Valmiki says that this

act invigorated them and made them even more powerful than before.

This benefit of Gruda's glances can also seen from Swami Desikan's

Garuda Dandakam salutation " Shadgrim ShadgaNa CharaNou..... "

 

Garuda's glaces have an inherent beauty. This is also called Sukshma

Drushti. Garuda possesses microscopic vision. As a result, he is

known as Tarkshyan. The five types of " Garuda Parvai " are Keram,

Sparam,

Triyak, Artham and Arthaha. Keram is the type of glance which

will bless the beneficiary. In this mode, Garuda looks at one from the

corner of his eyes. Sparam is one where the eyes are wide open.

Triyak is one where the eyes have a diagonal look. Garuda's eyes are

half open eyes in Artha Parvai. Arthaha is the mode adopted by Garuda

when he serves as the vehicle of Lord Narayana. Keram confers

auspiciousness. Sparam bodes evil. Triyak will save the place or

land from any attack. Artham destroys all evils and diseases. Arthaha

confers enlightenment. When the Lord is seated on Garuda's shoulders,

his eyes are turned in a way that he sees the Lord's feet with half

the eyes and with the other half he is engaged in Dhyanam. This is

an excellent illustration of the VishNu Sooktam salutation

" Tad VishNO Paramam Padagam SadA Pashyanti SUraya: " .

 

Garuda bestows a person with the eight kinds of Siddhis.

These are Anima, Mahima, Lakima, Karima Esitvam, Vasithvam,

Prapti and Prakamyam. Garuda also possesses the six

auspicious qualities of the Lord (JnAna, Bala, Aishwarya, Shakti,

Tejas and Vatsalya). This is the reason for Garuda being so closely

associated with the Lord.

 

Garuda Dvani is even more auspicious than Garuda Parvai. This is

because Garuda is the embodiment of the seven swarams (Nishadam,

Rushabam, Gandharam, Shadjam, Madhyamam, Daivatam, and Panchamam).

One of the Ragams of Carnatic music is Garuda Dvani. Garuda Dvani

denotes Sama Ganam. The auspiciousness conferred by playing all Mangala

Vadyams can be obtained as a result of a single Garuda Dvani.

This is the reason for using the emblem of Garuda at the top of the

bell used in performance of Tiruvaradhanam for Perumal. Use of the

Sudarshana emblem too has the same effect. During Samprokshanam at

Temples, the noise made by the bells are Garuda Dvani. During

the tying of the sacred Mangala Sutra in weddings, Garuda Dvani is

played.

 

Everything correctly stated is entirely due to the grace of

my Acharyan, H.H. Srimad Andavan Swamigal of Srimad Poundarikapuram

Ashramam and my mentor, H.H. Sri Rangapriya Mahadesikan Swami.

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan