Chapter 61 - The king of birds (Garuḍa)

1. The measurement and the characteristic features of the king of birds (Garuḍa) will be described now.

2-5, Equal to the height of the principal idol (of Viṣṇu), three-fourths, and one-half of it; equal to the utsava^[1] height (i. e., the comparative height of the idol), twice, thrice, three-and-a-half times, four times, four and a half times thereof: these are said to be the nine kinds of height (of Garuḍa) consisting of three in each of the three sizes, namely, the largest, etc.

6-7. Each one of these measures, being divided into thirty parts, should be increased by one to one hundred and twenty-five parts, for the verification by the six auspicious formulas, namely, the āya, etc.^[2]

8-10. As an alternative the height of Garuḍa may be measured in aṅgula (unit of three-fourths inch): it should begin from one aṅgula and end at one hundred and twenty-three aṅgulas, the increment being by two aṅgulas; this measurement (also) should be verified by the formulas of āya, etc.

11. Like the height of Garuḍa, the king of birds, should be also measured its length.

12-15. The nine kinds (of length) consisting of the smallest size, etc., should be equal to the length of the pedestal (pīṭha), greater by one-half and three-fourths, twice, twice and one-fourth, twice and a half, twice and three-fourths, thrice, and thrice and one-fourth.

16-17. It (the height) should be equal to the length, three-fourths and one-half thereof; these are said to be the three sizes, namely, the largest, etc.: thus is known to be (measured) the height of Garuḍa.

18. This (? height) need not be verified by all the six formulas: only the formula of aṃśa should be applied (in this case)^[3].

19-20. In the erect, the sitting, or the walking posture the height should be taken, according to rules, from the crown of the head to the foot.

21-23. In comparison with those measures, and according to some, in comparison with the principal idol, as also in the aṅgula unit in case of the utsava image as aforesaid: in all these ways the measures (of height) should be ascertained, and should be as stated above.

24. The best artist should make that (Garuḍa image) stationary or movable.

25. The rules of the six auspicious formulas, namely, the āya, etc., will be stated now.

26-28. The formulas of āya, etc., in case of all the riding animals should be properly considered: by multiplying and dividing, according to the rules, the height of the riding animals, namely, Garuḍa (of Viṣṇu), Haṃsa (the goose, of Brahmā), Vṛṣabha (the bull, of Śiva) and Siṃha (the lion).^[4]

29. In order to find out the āya, it (the length) should be multiplied by eight and the product should be divided by twelve^[5].

30. The vyaya is found out by multiplying it (the breadth) with nine and dividing the product by ten.

31. The yoni is found out by multiplying it (the breadth) with three and dividing the product by eight.

32. The ṛkṣa is found out by multiplying it (the length) with eight and dividing the product with twenty-seven (lit., gupta and twenty).

33. The vāra is found out by multiplying it (the height) with nine and dividing the product with seven.

34. The aṃśa is found out by multiplying it (the height) with four and dividing the product by nine.

35. The remainders (in each of the above mentioned six formulas) indicate the āya, etc.; thus the six formulas should be solved.

36. The greater āya and less vyaya (are auspicious), but the reverse with greater vyāya (is inauspicious).

37. The horse, the lion, the bull, and the elephant: these are known as the auspicious yoni.

38. With regard to the lion, if the elephant-yoni be available it is inauspicious; if that (lion) be not available the elephant should be preferred.

39. The vivat, pratyaraga, and hastā: excluding these, all other ṛkṣa are auspicious.

40. Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday: excluding these, all other vāra (week days) are auspicious.

41. The taskara, ṣaṇḍa, and preṣya: these aṃśa should be avoided (the rest are auspicious).

42. Thus should be considered the āya, etc. The measurement of the limbs (of Garuḍa) will be stated here.

43-46. In accordance with the nine tāla system the (total) height of Garuḍa should be distributed to the hair (i.e., crown), thence to faoe, thence to neck, thence to lower portion, thence to sex organ, thence to thigh, thence to knee, thence to legs, and thence to loot in order of four, twelve, four, twelve, twelve, twelve, twenty-four, twenty-four, six, twelve, and four respectively^[6].

47. Then, out of fifteen parts of its lion-like foot ten parts should be the (measure of the) sole.

48. The length of the arm should be twice the face, the elbow should be equal to the eye, and the fore hands should lean over a stick.

49. Thus is described the (limbs of Garuḍa from the) sole to the other (members) by the ancient sages versed in the science (of sculpture).

50-53. In the large type of nine tāla system the breadth of the ear should be eight parts, and the breadth (of the chest) from one arm-pit to the other should be twenty parts, the breadth along the heart seventeen parts, the width of the belly twelve (? thirty-two) parts, and the breadth equal to (that of) the buttocks.

54-57. Below that, the width of the hip should be seven parts, and the thigh ten (parts), and the width of the circular testicle at the root eight parts; the organ of generation should be made at the middle of the breadth of the root of the legs, and the breadth of the ankle should be four parts.

58-69. The breadth of the foot should be five parts and the length of the largest toe (? thumb) three parts; and equal to that is said to be the length of the fore finger.

60-61. The other four fingers should be nine, (?) ten, eleven, and twelve parts; they should be made of human measure by the learned artists.

62-65. Seven, six, five, and four parts should be the measures at the joints of the arm; of the twelve parts width of the foreface the width at the middle and the front portions should be respectively three and nine; and the length thereof (i.e., of the foreface) and of the middle and the front portions should be respectively six, six, and four,

66-67. The length of the ring-finger and the forefinger should be five yavas and six yavas respectively, and that of the little finger and the thumb three yavas each.

68-69. The sculptor versed in the rules (of sculpture) should make the face of three parts: it should be smiling at the end (corner) of the eyes; the mind (sentiment, mati) should be expressive (on the face); otherwise it should be befitting to the king (of birds, i.e., Garuḍa),

70-71. The pair of eye-brows between the eye and hair at the end should be five parts, and that should extend to the nostril (puṭa).

72-75. The length of the vihṛta (the concealed organ) from the root of its goji (? origin) to the navel should be four yavas, and its height on the reverse should be one part; the forepart of the vihṛta should be one part more than the width of the forepart of the goji, and the lower portion should be four parts (lit, half of eight mātras); its height should be equal to the breadth, and the length four parts (mātras).

76-77. (Thus is distributed) the (whole) height which is divided into three portions, namely, the length between the lip (adhara), concealed organ (vihṛta), and the foot (pāda); the remainder of the length; the breadth, the height, and the rest should be discreetly made.

78-81. The nose up to the tip should be equal to the length of the face, the measure of which should fittingly extend to the drum of the ear; the chin (jaw) thereof should extend to the height of the ear; a half of that should be the breadth, and the tubular vessel the same.

82-83. Thus is described the measurement; what is not stated here should be measured in accordance with the ten tāla system.^[7]

84-85. The chain (ornament) should be (suspending) up to the elbow-joint, and the bodice should be put covering the two arms, the two wings, and the fingers.

86- 87. Its nose should be made like the beak of a parrot, the fore-part of its foot like that of a goose, and the face with fangs.

88-89. The face should also be furnished with white complexion as of the nails; and the bright green complexion should be at the fore part of the back.

90-91. It should be adorned with the eight-hooded snake (nāga), and with wings like those of a bird; its look should be terrific, and its diadem of the karaṇḍa (lit., basket) type-

92-93. Garuḍa should have a melted gold complexion with circular spot resembling the colour of the sapphire.

94-95. The wings should have the mixture of five colours? and the ear artery (vein) should have the colour of the young shoot.

96-97. He is known to have the posture of bent mixedness is the walking pose and collectiveness is the sitting pose.

98-101. The crown of the head should be adorned with a milk white conch-shell (ornament); on the left ear should be a lotus of the lotus colour, and on the right ear should be a large lotus; there should be a chain of ash colour and marked with cobras.

102-103. The cobras of black or blood-red colour should be suspended over the round (lit., ball like, guḍaka) shoulders along the (two) face-lines.

104-105. The root of the left forearm of Tārkṣya (Garuḍa) should have a white complexion, and the wrist (lit., bracelet, kaṭaka), should be gold in colour.

106. According to some the colouring of Tārkṣya (Garuḍa) should be particularly as follows for the sake of beauty.

107. From the hair to the ear it should be bright green, and at the edge it should be blue.

108-109. From the sides to the heart and from these two to the elbows there should be five coloured wings which should be clotted with a bodice.

110-112. The parts from the heart to the hip-line and from the forearm to the tips of the two hands are said to be yellow; the part therefrom to the knee should be red, and thence the part to the foot should be whitish.

113. The fore parts of the two hands, the face, and the two logs should be a little bent down.

114. It (Garuḍa) should be in the erect or the sitting posture with the palms joined together, and in the pose of meditating on Viṣṇu.

115. It should be adorned with, all ornaments, and may be installed independently (of Viṣṇu) in the village.

116. This should be worshipped by the wise man for prosperity and success.

117. The image of Tārkṣya (Garuḍa) is (worshipped) specially for success in making charms (for mischievous purposes), etc.

118. (For this purpose) its feet should be made in the erect posture and the face partly (as) in the sitting posture.

119. The body all over should be gold in complexion, and the wings should be covered with the bodice as (stated before).

120. The (main) body should be in the recumbent posture (nirvāṇa, final emancipation), and the two hands should be kept downwards with the palms joined together.

121. The head should be like that of the lion and be furnished with five colours.

122. There should be no (coronation) crown on the head, but it (the crown of the head) should be like the crest of the cook.

123. The (pointed) end of the tail should be red, and its length should be (divided into) five parts.

124. The upper face should be thick, and there should be no covering over the (whole) face.

125. The limbs should interchange, as before, seven or eight colours all over (the body).

126-127. In the villages, at the end of the field, and at other places frequented by people, the learned (sculptor) well versed in the science (of sculpture) should build a temporary temple, and worship him.

128 -129. If the Trikāla (Garuḍa) be worshipped every day, the enemy (of the worshipper) would be destroyed within three nāḍis^[8] three days, three fortnights, or three months; there is no doubt about this.

130. If it be for capturing the enemy, the two arms (of Garuḍa) should be made at night.

131. During the war time for suppressing the allied enemy force the two hands (of Garuḍa) should be tied (together).

132-133. The image of Garuḍa (lit., son of Vinatā) should be made of stone, earth (terra-cotta), wood, and planked grit; and there should be a mixture of colour.

184-137. The fore wings should be of thirty parts and the hind wings one part less; similarly, the width at the root of the fore wings should be of five parts, and the width at the tip of all the wings should be as desired (i.e., discretely made).

138-141. Thus should be connected the wings on the inside and the outside; the forefeathers should be attached to the two outside wings and to the tip (of the other wings); there should be five principal (feathers) for each of the wings of proper measure; and the smaller ones of unspecified measure may be made for the sake of beauty.

142-143. Yellow, white, dark blue, red and black: these should be the five colours (of the body) in order from the foot to the crown (i.e., bottom to the top).

144-145. The ears should be adorned with garlands as if attached to the shoulders; and there should be two lines (of garlands) along the buttocks and the wings.

146-148. If the height and breadth of the face be less, the death of the master would be inevitable, but if the measurement be made according to the rules there would be an increase of sons.

Thus in the Mānasāra, the science of architecture, the sixty-first chapter, entitled: “The measure and description of Garuḍa.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Images are given special height when made for a festivity; the usual meaning of utsava is the height of an image in comparison with the idol (see chapter LV. 34, and the writer’s Dictionary, pages 80-81).

[2]:

Compare lines 25-42, and Note 1, page 542, and see the writer’s Dictionary, pages 600 fol.

[3]:

With regard to the measurement of the riding animals the six auspicious formulas consisting of āya, etc., must nob be made to include the Tithi, but they should be made of the Aṃśa instead. See the writer’s Dictionary, page 600.

[4]:

Of men, gods and goddesses (page 599, lines 45-45).

[5]:

The remainder should be the āya.

[6]:

The exact site of the nine tāla is not specified here, but in the largest type the whole height is divided into 112 parts (see the writer’s Dictionary, pp. 225-226) and in the smallest size there should be 108 parts. Some unspecified limbs are also stated according to the ten tāla system see line 83). Again the whole figure being the composition of limbs of hybrid species of animals and birds, and the text being beyond improvement the measures given in the following lines are more or less confusing.

[7]:

The hybrid features of Garuḍa end the combination of the nine and ten tāla systems of measures, above all the defective text have rendered the description partly obscure; but a clearer account of the whole figure is given is the following descriptive portion proper.

[8]:

One nāḍi=1/60th of a sidereal day i.e. one daṇḍa or twenty-four minutes.