202 Birds in Sanskrit Literature kind of Eagle, of eating turtles was also attributed to res. All these attributes, touched up with a little anthropomorphism, helped to raise res to the status of a semi-divine being () destined to play a great role in Hindu mythology: पक्षिजद्दो नराङ्घ्रिश्च तुङ्गनासो नराङ्गकः । द्विबाहु वक्षयुक्तश्च कर्त्तव्यो विततासुतः ॥ नारदपञ्चरात्र in शब्दकल्पद्रुम, 2.8.811, col.1. We have again the picture of Tes or are holding both an elephant and a tortoise as food: and sage The afrage यस्य हस्तिनमादाय महाकायं च कच्छपं । भक्ष्यार्थं गरुड: शाखामाजगाम महाबलः ॥ -रामायण' advising his son res to live on both these in Mahabharata, also describes the semi-human form ofered in these words: ● पुनयन्महातार्क्ष्य द्विपक्षं मानुषाकृति । द्विभुजं वत्रचञ्चं च गजकूर्मधरं प्रभुम् ॥ असंख्योरगपादस्थमागञ्छन्तं खमध्यतः ।। 33.22-23. This composite bird is the Te of mythology and the vehicle of God far. It is quite possible that the difference between the Golden Eagle and the Lammergeyer was well understood, and certain traits or habits of some of the important birds of the group were deliberately attributed to the primeval , their progenitor, so as to account for them in the progeny on grounds of heredity. This is perhaps going too far, but this much is fairly certain that the actual physical basis for the conception of as afer and even of his composite form, is no other than the Golden Eagle. This is clear from the description of the the plumage of THE or gf and his Himalayan home given in grd and elsewhere:- हृष्टानि सर्वभूतानि नाम चक्रुर्गरुत्मतः सुरूपं पत्नमालक्ष्य सुपर्णोऽयं भवत्विति ॥ महाभारत 1.33,23. 1. 3.35.28. Cf. Mahabharata 1.29.43. different. 2. 1.29.13. ff. It is also possible to explain these mythological facts differently: The etymological meaning of is "what moves low on the gound'; is land by the side of water or a hill' so that is what lives in such places'; and fr 'what squats on the ground. The terms may well therefore simply refer to the normal prey taken by of in situations. Now if we remember how mythology has grown up from forgotten metaphors, polynymy, use of equivocal words and false etymology it is not impossible to see how the mythical gef came to have attributes like , etc. and is said to have eaten serpents, tortoises, elephant and even the human fare. Or, are these statements illustrative of the principle terfirar fi: according to which facts must be dressed up in mystifying language. as in a riddle? Eagles, Falcons and Allied Birds पक्षिराजो गरुत्मांध नित्यमधितिष्ठतिम. भा. 12.327.7. सुवर्णस्वर्णवपुषा सुपर्ण खेचरोत्तमम् । मत्स्य पुराण, 1.174.47. The of सुपर्ण---- 203 mountain in the Himalayas is mentioned as the breeding place जन्मक्षेत्रं सुपर्णस्य वैनतेयस्य धीमतः । वायुपुराण, 40.2. and another where a certain medicinal herb was known to grow- सुपर्णसुवने गिरी जातं हिमवतस्परि- अथर्ववेद, 5.4.2. The easy, effortless and graceful soaring flight, as also the courage and power to carry off heavier prey of the Golden and incidentally of other Eagles have been fully recognized :- प्र सुष विभ्यो मरुतो विरस्तु प्रश्येनः श्येनेभ्य आशु पत्वा अचक्रया यत्स्वधया सुपर्णो हव्यं भरन् मनवे देवजुष्टम् ।। (ऋग्वेद, 4.26.4) अयं लोकः सुपर्णानां पक्षिणां पन्नगाशिनां । विक्रमे गमने भारे नैषामस्ति परिश्रमः ॥ महाभारत, 5.10.1. The epithet a refers to the soaring flight of the Eagle with wings held stiff on a level with the body, and the real significance of the term be- comes clear when we recall the adnoun for the Swan or Goose which must fly with a rotary motion of the wings and cannot soar. 7. Finally, types of demons and robbers, active during the day and night, have been named after certain birds of prey in RV (VII. 104. 22) where garg is one who robs forcibly even the strong during day-time; गृघवातु, one who robs the weak in the day, and so on. बाज संहिता (11.79) also names different kinds of th f thief. 8. The following six true Eagles of genus Aquila are, everyone of them, a gor v in a general sense, and no individual names for them, with the solitary exception of the Tawny Eagle, are available though I have ventured to offer a couple of guesses based on vernacular names. which however need not be taken seriously at all. (i) The female Golden Eagle measures up to 40 inches and has a wing-expanse er 7 feet. The male is 4-5 inches shorter. The colour of the plumage is brown becoming darker with age, and the feathers of the head and neck are pointed and of a golden-red hue. With powerful feet and long claws the birds are mighty hunters and live on Snow-cock, Monal, other Pheasants, Pigeons etc., and on mammals like young ante- lopes, sheep, and Musk-deer. These Eagles often hunt in pairs, and tak- ing advantage of this trait Falconers used to train them in pairs to hunt 1. The carrion eating Imperial is a tree-breeding Eagle of the plains and lower hills in the outer Himalayas, Sind and Baluchistan and has no right to the title of for गरुत्मान्. 2. Cf. AV. VII. 70.3 cited in Section D of this Art,
