Epics for children: Birds of divine feather
By Gaurav Yadav
Of all the birds that are considered divine, the hamsa or hansa has the most exalted position as it is identified with Brahman—the Supreme Spirit.
Of all the birds that are considered divine, the hamsa or hansa has the most exalted position as it is identified with Brahman—the Supreme Spirit. It has also been used as a representation of the individual soul; its pure white complexion denoting the pristine soul, before it is tarnished by worldly things. It is the vehicle of Brahma and Saraswati. The epics claim that hamsa eats pearls, and is able to separate milk from water. Saints are sometimes referred to as paramhamsa (supreme hamsa), implying that they have the ability to separate the good from the bad.
The hamsa is also revered in Buddhism as a symbol of wisdom. There is a controversy over which bird is referred to as hamsa in the epics. Most scholars believe it to be a swan as it flies high, remains alone, is graceful and pure white-coloured, just like its description in the books. Some scholars, however, believe that since swan is rarely found in India, hamsa must refer to the goose which is quite common.
The Garuda—kite or eagle—has been called the ‘chief of feathered creatures.’ It is the vehicle of Vishnu. Garuda’s mother Vinata is considered the mother of all birds. She was tricked into becoming the slave of Kadru, the mother of the nagas. Due to this, birds and serpents have an everlasting enmity. The nagas promised to release Vinata in exchange for amrita (nectar of immortality). Garuda stole it from Indra, but later helped Indra get the amrita back after he had delivered it to the serpents and freed his mother.
Finding the amrita gone, the serpents licked the darbha grass on which it had been kept. Their tongues got forked due to the sharp edges of the grass. The Garuda is a giant bird. Its name means ‘devourer’, and it scares all beings as it falls out of the sky with its claws extended. The flapping of its huge wings stirs even the seas.
Mayura or peacock is believed to have been created from the feathers of Garuda. It is the vehicle of Kartikeya. It is considered a symbol of purity and beauty. Sri Krishna used to adorn his headband with peacock feathers. Peacock feathers are considered to have a purifying influence, and are used to dust idols or kept in homes. It is believed that the peacock did not have beautiful feathers at first.
During a war between Indra and Ravana, the bird helped Indra by allowing him to fight from behind its feathers. Thus, a grateful Indra gave beautiful colours to the peacock feathers. Peacocks have been associated with royalty. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan got a peacock throne made for himself. Peacocks originated in India, and are now the country’s national bird.
Comments
Post a Comment