Garuḍāzhvār — The Divine Eagle, Supreme Devotee
Garuḍāzhvār (Tamil: Garuḍa + āzhvār = one immersed in Bhagavān) is the Śrī Vaiṣṇava title for Garuḍa, the great divine eagle who serves as Bhagavān Viṣṇu's vāhana (mount/vehicle). The suffix āzhvār — normally reserved for the twelve divine poet-saints — is applied here in its primary sense: one who is utterly immersed in love and service to Bhagavān.
Identity and Mythology: In Vedic and Purāṇic texts, Garuḍa is the son of the sage Kaśyapa and Vinatā. He is among the Nitya-sūris — the eternally free, ever-perfect beings of Śrī Vaikuṇṭham who have never been in bondage. His foremost quality is śeṣatva — the consciousness of being entirely for Bhagavān, with no independent agenda. Garuḍa is revered as the bearer of Bhagavān, carrying Nārāyaṇa across the cosmos — an image of the greatest privilege possible for a jīva.
Garuḍa in Śrī Vaiṣṇava Temples: Every major Śrī Vaiṣṇava temple has a Garuḍa-stambha (Garuḍa pillar) in the main maṇḍapa, and Garuḍāzhvār has a dedicated shrine. The Garuḍa-sēvai — the procession in which Bhagavān rides upon Garuḍa's image — is among the most auspicious events in the ritual calendar, notably at Śrī Raṅgam and Tirumalai. Devotees believe that seeing the Garuḍa-sēvai destroys accumulated sins just as Garuḍa once destroyed serpents — an allegory for the destruction of sins (sarpa = pāpa).
Theological Significance: Garuḍāzhvār embodies two cardinal Śrī Vaiṣṇava virtues: pāratantriyam (complete dependence on Bhagavān) and kaiṅkaryam (joyful selfless service). He carries Bhagavān not as a burden but as his supreme joy and the very purpose of his existence. Piḷḷai Lokāchārya cites Garuḍa as one of the models for understanding what svarūpa-jñānam — knowledge of one's essential nature as servant — looks like in its most perfected form.