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Does anyone have info regarding their naming? Another commentator mentioned the bird in Hindu mythology but I'm curious why they chose that name. They also have

Does anyone have info regarding their naming? Another commentator mentioned the bird in Hindu mythology but I'm curious why they chose that name. They also have a ||Shree|| at the top of their webpages.

splintercell 6y ago
Just a mascot I presume
xinuc 6y ago
Garuda is the common name for Javan hawk-eagle [1], an Indonesian endemic bird. It's also Indonesian national emblem [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javan_hawk-eagle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javan_hawk-eagle [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_emblem_of_Indonesia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_emblem_of_Indonesia
FlyingSnake 6y ago
It denotes speed and air-supremacy and it's mythical status makes it a well known symbol across South and S.E. Asia. (as well as Mongolia). Some of the core developers are Indians and Garuda is a local name for Eagle in many Indian languages.
danans 6y ago
Linux has historically been associated with a penguin mascot, so seems like perhaps they pivoted to the local name of a different bird, the eagle, which is what Garuda literally translates to (in addition to being the name of the mythological king of the eagles). The ||Shree|| at the top is a religious symbol when presented in that way though, as a search for that term will easily demonstrate: https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&rlz=1CAUSXU_enUS921&sxsrf=ALeKk02rXIIqsFZP8_2AHonLERzo9RMJEQ%3A1612295407228&ei=76wZYKS4Dc7K0PEP45iNkAo&q=%22%7C%7C+%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80+%7C%7C%22&oq=%22%7C%7C+%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80+%7C%7C%22&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB4yBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB4yBggAEAcQHjICCAAyAgguMgIILjICCAA6BwgAEEcQsANQgL0CWOLIAmCPzAJoAXACeACAAWuIAbYBkgEDMS4xmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesgBCMABAQ&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjk65S4_MvuAhVOJTQIHWNMA6IQ4dUDCA0&uact=5 https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&rlz=1CAUSXU_enUS92... The only common non-religious context for that word is when it means "Mr." but for that it must precede a name. So I'm not sure why it's there if not as a religious symbol. It would be similar to having "God is great" or "Allahu 'Akbar" up there. Perhaps projecting their religious identity is important for the developers of this project.
- FlyingSnake 6y ago
  > It would be similar to having "God is great" or "Allahu 'Akbar" up there. This is not true, ।।श्री।। is not equivalent to "Allahu Akbar". It is commonly used term to denote a start of something, e.g. a notebook or a new project. I would say it falls in a gray area as it doesn't invoke any Indian deity and is pretty open to interpretation. It's functional equivalent in Indian Islamic tradition is 786.
  - danans 6y ago
    > I would say it falls in a gray area as it doesn't invoke any Indian deity and is pretty open to interpretation. It's functional equivalent in Indian Islamic tradition is 786. Just because it does not invoke a particular deity doesn't mean it is not religious, and specifically Hindu. Unlike many other Sanskrit phrases that can be interpreted in secular contexts, that one is quite specifically Hindu, especially of abstract Hinduism that is more a system of philosophy and political identity then an affinity for any particular deity of the Pantheon. That all said, it's hardly surprising given that Indian culture has long had a tendency to distinctly mark even the most mundane and non-religious aspects of life with religious symbolism, regardless of the religion. The Enlightenment arrived relatively late to India, and with it the secular and religious dualism that is more pronounced in the West, which is why you don't tend to see scientific or technical documentation in the West imbued with religious symbols.
    - eyeundersand 6y ago
      Thank you for the response. I'm from Nepal, so I know what a Garuda is and what Shree means. Another commenter also mentioned the connection with Indonesia but you're probably aware that it is the vahan (mount) of the lord Vishnu himself, so it is quite ubiquitous. I had not, for some reason, made the connection with the linux penguin and it makes a lot of sense in that context. Thanks! Regarding the other discussion on 786 and Shree, I agree with you. The closest parallel to Allah hu Akbar I can think of would perhaps be something like Aum Namaha Shivaya, but not really.
      - 6y ago

splintercell 6y ago

Just a mascot I presume

xinuc 6y ago

Garuda is the common name for Javan hawk-eagle [1], an Indonesian endemic bird. It's also Indonesian national emblem [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javan_hawk-eagle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javan_hawk-eagle [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_emblem_of_Indonesia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_emblem_of_Indonesia

FlyingSnake 6y ago

It denotes speed and air-supremacy and it's mythical status makes it a well known symbol across South and S.E. Asia. (as well as Mongolia). Some of the core developers are Indians and Garuda is a local name for Eagle in many Indian languages.

danans 6y ago

Linux has historically been associated with a penguin mascot, so seems like perhaps they pivoted to the local name of a different bird, the eagle, which is what Garuda literally translates to (in addition to being the name of the mythological king of the eagles). The ||Shree|| at the top is a religious symbol when presented in that way though, as a search for that term will easily demonstrate: https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&rlz=1CAUSXU_enUS921&sxsrf=ALeKk02rXIIqsFZP8_2AHonLERzo9RMJEQ%3A1612295407228&ei=76wZYKS4Dc7K0PEP45iNkAo&q=%22%7C%7C+%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80+%7C%7C%22&oq=%22%7C%7C+%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80+%7C%7C%22&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB4yBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB4yBggAEAcQHjICCAAyAgguMgIILjICCAA6BwgAEEcQsANQgL0CWOLIAmCPzAJoAXACeACAAWuIAbYBkgEDMS4xmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesgBCMABAQ&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjk65S4_MvuAhVOJTQIHWNMA6IQ4dUDCA0&uact=5 https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&rlz=1CAUSXU_enUS92... The only common non-religious context for that word is when it means "Mr." but for that it must precede a name. So I'm not sure why it's there if not as a religious symbol. It would be similar to having "God is great" or "Allahu 'Akbar" up there. Perhaps projecting their religious identity is important for the developers of this project.

FlyingSnake 6y ago
> It would be similar to having "God is great" or "Allahu 'Akbar" up there. This is not true, ।।श्री।। is not equivalent to "Allahu Akbar". It is commonly used term to denote a start of something, e.g. a notebook or a new project. I would say it falls in a gray area as it doesn't invoke any Indian deity and is pretty open to interpretation. It's functional equivalent in Indian Islamic tradition is 786.
- danans 6y ago
  > I would say it falls in a gray area as it doesn't invoke any Indian deity and is pretty open to interpretation. It's functional equivalent in Indian Islamic tradition is 786. Just because it does not invoke a particular deity doesn't mean it is not religious, and specifically Hindu. Unlike many other Sanskrit phrases that can be interpreted in secular contexts, that one is quite specifically Hindu, especially of abstract Hinduism that is more a system of philosophy and political identity then an affinity for any particular deity of the Pantheon. That all said, it's hardly surprising given that Indian culture has long had a tendency to distinctly mark even the most mundane and non-religious aspects of life with religious symbolism, regardless of the religion. The Enlightenment arrived relatively late to India, and with it the secular and religious dualism that is more pronounced in the West, which is why you don't tend to see scientific or technical documentation in the West imbued with religious symbols.
  - eyeundersand 6y ago
    Thank you for the response. I'm from Nepal, so I know what a Garuda is and what Shree means. Another commenter also mentioned the connection with Indonesia but you're probably aware that it is the vahan (mount) of the lord Vishnu himself, so it is quite ubiquitous. I had not, for some reason, made the connection with the linux penguin and it makes a lot of sense in that context. Thanks! Regarding the other discussion on 786 and Shree, I agree with you. The closest parallel to Allah hu Akbar I can think of would perhaps be something like Aum Namaha Shivaya, but not really.
    - 6y ago