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A Widespread Tale
The Hindu tradition has a wealth of stories and texts, including versions of the Garuda story dating back more than 3,000 years. When Buddhism branched off from Hinduism around 500 BC, these stories transformed as they spread through Asia and beyond. Today a billion people practice Hinduism, mostly in India, and another 350 million practice Buddhism. Garudas and Nagas can now be found in Balinese paintings, Himalayan bronzes, Japanese and Tibetan ritual dramas, Thai shadow puppets and Cambodian architecture, as well as in countless local shrines in India and elsewhere.
Many Faces of Garuda
In Hinduism, Garuda is a single character, but in Buddhist stories, there are many Garudas. The Hindu Garuda carries the god Vishnu on his back, while in the Buddhist world Garuda is an agent of the faith, wrestling with Nagas until they become Buddhist. Meanings can vary as much as details. For Buddhists, the story of Garuda overcoming Nagas symbolizes the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia, with Nagas representing indigenous religions and deities that were converted to Buddhism.
Garuda Today
Garuda is part of daily life in Asia. In addition to being evoked in worship, theater, art and story, Garuda is the national symbol of Thailand and Indonesia. Garuda has also inspired the name of an airline, a yoga pose and characters in video games, comic books, television series and card games such as Digimon and Yu-Gi-Oh!.
Naga
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Nagas have split tongues caused by licking grass on which Garuda spilled the nectar of eternal life
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Human face with cobralike hood; snake body and tail
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Nagas live underground in caves, sometimes in jeweled palaces.
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The Naga king supports the world; when he moves it causes earthquakes
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The Naga king has a thousand heads, which serve as an umbrella for the sleeping Buddha.
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Naga
The snakelike Nagas are not figures of evil like the serpent of Christian stories. Although some stories describe Nagas as Garuda's enemies, whom he perpetually punishes, Nagas are also worshiped in their own right. In Cambodia, for instance, the Naga is revered as the ancestor of the Cambodian people and protector of the Buddha. In Buddhist societies, Nagas are sometimes thought of as local deities that became part of Buddhism, retaining their powers to assist people. In South India, for example, Nagas can bring fertility, and women seek their aid in having children.
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