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Garutman or Garuda, the mighty bird-vehicle of Lord Visnu is a
minor deity invariably found in all the Vaisnava temples. He is
described as the son of the sage couple Kasyapa and Vinata and
as the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of Sun-god. The
chief among his multifarious exploits is his bringing of the pot
of nectar from Indra's heaven. It is precisely this that made
Lord Visnu choose him as His vehicle.
Literally, the word Garuda means 'wings of speech'. He actually
personifies Vedic knowledge. On his wings, as it were, Vedic
Knowledge has come down to us, from the world of God.
The Garuda image is usually anthropomorphic. He is shown with a
sharp beak, and two wings at the back. The hands may be eight or
four or just two. Two of the hands are always in the adoration
pose. In the others he carries the conch, wheel, mace, sword,
snake and nectarpot. The image is usually installed right
opposite the central shrine.
It may appear to be rather intriguing that Lord Visnu has a
serpent as his couch and an eagle, its arch enemy, as his
vehicle! This is to show that he is the Lord of balance and
harmony which is an essential quality for one charged with the
responsibility of sustaining this multifarious universe.
Another deity invariably found in the Visnu temples, especially
in the South, is Hanuman the monkey-god. The Ramayana pictures
him as a highly erudite, cultured and refined person. He is as
strong as he is wise, and as devoted as he is strong and wise, a
rare combination indeed.
He is represented in two postures: When in the company of SrI
Rama, SIta and Laksmana, he is shown standing humbly at a
distance or sitting devotedly at the feet of SrI Rama. In
shrines specially erected for him, he strikes a heroic pose,
usually with the mace in his left hand and carrying the
Sanjivini mountain in his right hand.
Apart from these, it is common to show the weapons of Lord Visnu
also in human form. They are then called Ayudhapurusas
(weapon-beings). The Ayudhapurusa may be male, female, or
neuter, depending upon the gender of the word indicating it. For
instance, Gada (mace) is a female deity whereas the Cakra
(discus) is a neuter deity.
The Sudarsana-cakra is shown as a person. with a hexagon as his
background, brilliant as fire and having four or eight or
sixteen arms holding bow, arrow, trident, noose, goad and other
implements as also weapons, apart from the usual Vaisnavite
symbols. It is said to represent the cosmic mind, the will of
the Lord to multiply as well as His infinite power to create and
destroy the universe. The Sudarsana-mantra is said to possess
the power to neutralize poisons and exorcise malignant spirits.
The Kaumodaki, the Gada (mace) of Lord Visnu is depicted as a
female deity, with one face and two hands which are in the
posture of adoration. It symbolises power and sovereignty.
No account of Lord Visnu will be complete without mentioning
about the Salagrama, a blackish rounded and polished stone with
a hole containing the fossils of tiny molluses, which is
worshipped as an emblem of-His. There are several varieties of
them representing different aspects of the Lord. Salagramas can
be installed in temples but are usually worshipped in one's own
home privately. Once it is kept at home, its worship becomes
obligatory.
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