Hamsa (bird)

Hamsa is thought to refer to the bar-headed goose found in India (left) or a species of swan.[1]

The Hansa (Sanskrit: हंस Hansa or hamsa) is an aquatic migratory bird, referred to in ancient Sanskrit texts which various scholars have interpreted as being based on the goose, the swan,[2] or even the flamingo.[1][3] Its image is used in Indian and Southeast Asian culture as a spiritual symbol and a decorative element. It is also used in a metaphorical sense with the bird attributed with the mythical ability to extract milk from a mixture of milk and water or good from evil. In Hindu iconography, hamsa is the vahana (or vehicle) of Brahma, Gayatri, Saraswati, and Vishvakarma.[3]

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  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference monier was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Jones, Lindsay (2005). Encyclopedia of religion, Volume 13. Macmillan Reference. p. 8894. ISBN 978-0028657332. In Hindu iconography the swan personifies Brahman-Atman, the transcendent yet immanent ground of being, the Self.
  3. ^ a b Cush, Denise (2007). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Routledge. p. 697. ISBN 978-0415556231.