Kalaviṅka Explained

Kalaviṅka (Sanskrit: कलविंक kalaviṅka; Pali: karavika; Jiālíngpínqié;^[1] Japanese: 迦陵頻伽|Karyōbinga,^[2] Korean: 가릉빈가;^[3] Vietnamese: Ca Lăng Tần Già; Burmese: ကရဝိက် karawik; Thai: การเวก, Malay: karawek) is a fantastical immortal creature in Buddhism, with a human head and a bird's torso, with long flowing tail.^[4]

The kalaviṅka is said to dwell in the Western pure land and is reputed to preach the Dharma with its fine voice.^[4] It is said to sing while still unhatched within its eggshell. Its voice is a descriptor of the Buddha's voice. In the Japanese text, it goes by various titles such as,^{[5] [5]} among others.

Edward H. Schafer notes that in East Asian religious art the Kalaviṅka is often confused with the Kinnara, which is also a half-human half-bird hybrid mythical creature, but that the two are actually distinct and unrelated.^[6]

Depictions

In Burmese art

The karaweik is commonly used as a motif in traditional Burmese royal barges. The Karaweik located on Yangon's Kandawgyi Lake is an iconic reproduction of the karaweik royal barge.

In Chinese art

In Chinese mural art, it is portrayed as a human-headed, bird-bodied being. In the murals of Dunhuang (敦煌) they appear as figures both dancing and playing music.

In Japanese art

A well-known example is the pair of kalaviṅka carved in openwork (sukashibori) onto a Buddhist hanging ornament called the keman, used in the golden hall of Chūson-ji temple in Iwate Prefecture. The kalaviṅka from this ornament was commemorated on a 120-yen definitive stamp issued Nov. 1, 1962.^[7] The pose and general appearance of this piece are similar to the ones seen on the octagonal pedestal of the same temple (pictured right).

• In another keman from the Tokugawa period (see keman page), the creatures stand more bipedally erect and hence more humanlike.
• In the ancient courtly dance performance Gagaku - is the name of dance expressive of the kalaviṅka, and is danced in pair with the, a dance of butterfly motif. The paired dancing is called .
• A kalaviṅka painting by the brushstrokes of Hasegawa Tōhaku resides in Daitoku-ji (Kyoto), inside the erected by tea-master Sen no Rikyū.
• Painted on the ceiling of Tōfuku-ji's Sanmon gate (Kyoto).
• Painted on the ceiling of Myōshin-ji's Sanmon gate (Kyoto), normally not open to the public.
• The at 214 Mizusawa, in the former city of Ikaho, Gunma, Main Hall, front right ceiling, painting of a heavenly woman with eagle-like talons, anonymous.
• Kawakami Sadayakko (Sada Yacco), billed as the first overseas Japanese actress, late in her life, built a villa located at Unumahōshakujichō, Kagamihara, Gifu. The villa was christened by Itō Hirobumi, and the room with the Buddhist altar has a ceiling painting of kalaviṅka, which may be peered from outside (but access to premises only on Tuesday mornings).

In Tangut art

The Kalaviṅka is a common feature of Tangut art created during the Western Xia period (1038–1227).

In Hinduism

Kalavinka was born from one of the head of Vishvaroopacharya who was beheaded by Indra. Indra was angry when Vishwaroopacharya was found to be praying for demons instead of gods. Indra cut his three heads which respectively became Kalavinka, Kapinjala, and Tittiri (all birds)^[8]

Popular culture

(Manga)

• RG Veda by CLAMP: Ancient Hindu mythology theme. A sickly princess character.
• by Megumi Tachikawa : based on Amano-Iwato legend. A sacred bird character.

(Novels)

• (ナイチンゲールの沈黙 Nightingale's silence) by, bestselling medical fiction author:
• (高丘親王航海記 Prince Takaoka's voyages) by Tatsuhiko Shibusawa
• (赤目四十八瀧心中未遂 Akame forty-eight waterfall suicide pact attempt) by : Tattooed on the back of Aya, a female character.

(Music)

• Kalavinka by Buck-Tick

(Cycling)

• The Tokyo-based Tsukumo Cycle Sports's brand is Kalavinka. Many of the bikes feature the Karyōbinga kanji as well as a head badge which features the image of the karyoubinga with the head of a bodhisattva bosatsu and the winged body of a bird.^[9]

See also

• Karaweik
• Garuda
• Harpie (Greek mythology)
• Putto
• Karura
• Inmyeonjo
• Kinnara

Notes and References

1. Web site: 迦陵頻伽 - 教育百科 . . Cloud.edu.tw . . 2010-01-11.
2. Book: Hepburn, James Curtis . A Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionary. 1903 . google. 270.
3. News: 평창 올림픽 개막식 인면조의 정체는 '가릉빈가'?. 2018-05-17. ko.
4. Book: Shinchosha. 新潮世界美術事典 (Shincho Encyclopedia of World Art). 1985. Shinchosha. 4-10-730206-7.
5. Kojien dictionary, 2nd rev. ed., 1976,
6. Book: Schafer, Edward H. . Edward H. Schafer . The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of Tʻang Exotics . University of California Press . 1963 . 103 .
7. The American Philatelist, volume 76, number ?, 1962, p.70: "A 120-yen stamp in one-color photogravure will be released Nov. 1. 1962, depicting Keman-no-karyōbinga
8. Book: Bhagavata Purana. Canto 6 Chapter 9 Verse 5.
9. Web site:
   • Kalavinka * Tsukumo Cycle Sports
   .