Garuda, the "Devourer", is the mythical lord of the birds in both Hinduism and Buddhism.  According to Hindu Puranic legend Garuda was the son of Kashyapa and Vinata, who after five hundred years of incubation, hatched fully grown from the egg that his mother, Vinata, laid at his "first birth".  As soon as he emerged from his egg Garuda's terrifying form filled the skies, the beating of his wings shook the earth, and even the gods mistook the unbearable solar light of his golden body as that of the fire god, Agni.

Vinata had an argument with her sister in-law Kadru over the color of the horse that had risen at the churning of the ocean.  Kadru was the mother of egg-born naga-serpents and, as an act of vengeance, she held Vinata for ransom in her serpent pit prison.  In order to free his mother Garuda stormed the heaven of Indra and stole the sacred amrita as payment for the ransom.  Through this deceptive strategy Garuda was able to liberate his mother but during the transaction a few drops of the amrita fell from his beak onto some kusha grass.  The serpents licked this grass and its sharp edges caused their tongues to become forked.  With great difficulty the gods managed to retrieve the amrita from Garuda's beak, but Garuda's power was so great that even Indra's mighty vajra was broken on his body during the struggle.  Only Vishnu was capable of subduing Garuda, and, once he was subdued, Vishnu bond him to an oath of servitude and obedience.  Vishnu then made Garuda his vehicle and granted him his request for immortality.  In later Hindu mythology, Krishna, as the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, takes Garuda as his mount to subdue the great naga serpent Kaliya.

Garuda has always been the sworn enemy of snakes or nagas, and this pattern of hostility between birds of prey and serpents is common to many mythological traditions.  Originally the Indian Garuda, was represented as a great eagle bird and given such names as Suparna (beautiful wings), Garutman (solar bird), Sarparati (enemy of serpents) and Khageshvara or Pakshiraj (lord of birds).  His forms later assumed that of a bird-man, a creature half eagle and half man, combining the upper torso, arms and hands of a human with a bird's head, thighs, legs, talons and wings.  Zoomorphic variations of Garuda's form spread throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand and southeast Asia, where he is still traditionally summoned to ward off snakes, snake bites and all types of poisonings.

In Tibet the Indian Garuda became assimilated with the Bonpo khading (Tib. mkha' lding), the 'horned golden eagle', king of birds and the Bon bird of fire.  In Tibetan iconography Garuda is depicted with the torso, arms and hands of a man.  Below his waist his large feathered thighs terminate in ostrich-like lower legs with sharp talons.  His back is feathered, with long tail feathers that reach to the level of his feet.  His curved beak is like that of and eagle or falcon and like his talons it has the vajra nature of meteorite iron.  No naga is able to survive Garuda's grip or bite.  His wings and eyes are usually golden, his tawny hair twists upwards and his eyebrows blaze like fire.  Between his sharp horns a head protuberance (Skt. ushnisha) conceals a naga jewel within his skull, and this hidden jewel is crowned with the insignia of a crescent moon, sun and dissolving point (Skt. nada).

Garuda has great importance in the Dzogchen transmission of the Nyingma and Bon traditions.  In the Nyingma tradition he personifies certain wrathful forms of Padmasambhava and in the terma (Tib. gter-ma) or hidden treasure traditions he is venerated as guardian of treasures.  As a deity, Garuda is also strongly associated with Vajrapani and Hayagriva.  The triple sadhana or practice of these three deities is highly effective for removing obstacles and illnesses, especially naga-related afflictions such as kidney failure, plague and cancer.  In this particular practice many different forms of Garuda are visualized in different parts of the body.

Garuda is the vehicle of Amoghasiddhi, the green Buddha of the north and Lord of the Karma or Action Family.  The image of Garuda as the supreme golden sunbird appears at the top of the torana or the enlightenment throne of the Buddha, where he spreads his golden wings and grasps the tails of two naga kings or queens in his talons.  The auspicious crest of the crescent moon, sun and dissolving flame on his crown symbolizes the union of the lunar and solar winds dissolving into the central channel.  His two horns represent the two truths, conventional and ultimate.  His two wings represent the union of method and wisdom.  His fiery form symbolizes the transmutation of poison into nectar.  Hi emergence fully-fledged from the egg at his 'second birth' symbolizes the birth of great spontaneous awareness.