Garuda
Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 7 "The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity"
Meaning
Garuda is the eagle-like bird that is the vahana (mount) of the god Vishnu. The Gupta kings were Vaishnavas, which means devotees of Vishnu. So they took Garuda as their royal emblem (symbol). It appears on their inscriptions, seals and on the Garuda standard (a flag-pole) shown on gold coins. It shows how religion was used to present the king's power.
Example
Chandragupta II "Vikramaditya" (c. 375–415 CE) was a devoted follower of Vishnu. Garuda appears on many of his inscriptions. Much earlier, in the 2nd century BCE, the Greek envoy Heliodorus set up a pillar at Besnagar (Vidisha) in honour of Vishnu. That pillar was once crowned with a Garuda.
Don't confuse with
- Nandi: the bull mount of Shiva. Many Shiva-worshipping dynasties, such as most Pallava kings, used Shiva symbols, not Garuda.
Related concepts
- Ramagupta
- Chandragupta II
- Iron Pillar of Delhi
- Navaratnas of Vikramaditya
- Amarakosha
- Prabhavati Gupta