अथ श्रीगरुडमहापुराणं प्रारभ्यते ॐ नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्
Now begins the glorious Garuḍa Mahāpurāṇa. Om. Having bowed to Nārāyaṇa, and also to Nara, the best among men,
नमस्यामि हरिं रुद्रं ब्रह्माणं च गणाधिपम् 1.
I bow to Hari, to Rudra, to Brahmā, and to Gaṇeśa, the lord of the hosts.
सूतं पौराणिकं शान्तं सर्वशास्त्रविशारदम् 1.
I bow to Sūta, the peaceful narrator of the Purāṇas, expert in all the scriptures.
तीर्थयात्राप्रसङ्गेन उपविष्टं शुभासने 1.
He was seated on an auspicious seat, on the occasion of a pilgrimage.
शौनकाद्या महाभागा नैमिषीयास्तपोधनाः 1.
Great and fortunate sages such as Śaunaka, the ascetics of Naimiṣa, were present.
ऋषय: ऊचुः देवतानां हि को देव ईश्वरः पूज्य एव कः ।। 1.
The sages said: Among the gods, who is the God? Who is truly worthy of worship?
को ध्येयः को जगत्स्रष्टा जगत्पाति च हन्ति कः 1.
Who should be meditated upon? Who is the creator of the world, its protector, and its destroyer?
तस्य देवस्य किं रूपं जगत्सर्गः कथं मतः 1.
What is the form of that God? How is the creation of the world understood?
अवताराश्च के तस्य कथं वंशादिसम्भवः 1.
What are his incarnations, and how does his lineage and other origins arise?
एतत्सर्वं तथान्यच्च ब्रूहि सूत ! महामते ! 1.
O Sūta, wise one, tell us all this and whatever else is relevant.
सूत उवाच गरुडोक्तं कश्यपाय पुरा व्यासाच्छ्रुतं मया ।। 1.
Sūta said: What was spoken by Garuḍa to Kaśyapa long ago, I heard from Vyāsa.
एको नारायणो देवो देवानामीश्वरेश्वरः 1.
Nārāyaṇa alone is the God, the supreme Lord of the gods.
जगतो रक्षणार्थाय वासुदेवोऽजरोऽमरः 1.
For the protection of the world, Vāsudeva, who is ageless and immortal, exists.
हरिः स प्रथमं देवः कौमारं सर्गमास्थितः 1.
Hari, that first God, assumed the form of Kumāra at the beginning of creation.
द्वितीयं तु भवायास्य रसातलगतां महीम् 1.
As the second, for the sake of the earth, he entered the netherworld.
तृतीयमृषिसर्गं तु देवर्षित्वमुपेत्य सः 1.
As the third, he took on the form of a sage, attaining the state of a divine seer.
नरनारायणो भूत्वा तुर्य्ये तेपे तपो हरिः 1.
Becoming Nara and Nārāyaṇa, Hari performed austerities as the fourth.
पञ्चमः कपिलो नाम सिद्धेशः कालविप्लुतम् 1.
The fifth is Kapila by name, the lord of the perfected ones, who appeared when time was disturbed.
षष्ठमत्रेरपत्यत्वं दत्तः प्राप्तोऽनसूयया 1.
The sixth son was born to Atri, granted by Anasūyā.
ततः सप्त आकूत्यां रुचेर्यज्ञोऽभ्यजायत 1.
Then, from Ākūti and Ruci, Yajña was born as the seventh.
अष्टमे मेरुदेव्यां तु नाभेर्जात उरुक्रमः 1.
In the eighth, Urukrama was born to Nābhi and Merudevī.
ऋषिभिर्याचितो भेजे नवमं पार्थिवं वपुः 1.
At the request of the sages, he assumed the ninth, royal form.
रूपं स जगृहे मात्स्यं चाक्षुषान्तरसंप्लवे 1.
He took the form of a fish during the flood of the Cākṣuṣa epoch.
सुरासुराणामुदधिं मथ्नतां मन्दराचलम् 1.
When the gods and demons churned the ocean, using Mandara Mountain,
धान्वन्तरं द्वादशमं त्रयोदशममेव च 1.
Dhanvantari appeared as the twelfth, and then the thirteenth.
चतुर्दशं नारसिंहं चैत्य (वैर) दैत्येन्द्रमूर्जितम् 1.
The fourteenth was Nṛsiṃha, who slew the mighty Daitya king.
पञ्चदशं वामनको भूत्वागादध्वरं बलेः 1.
As the fifteenth, he became Vāmana and went to Bali's sacrifice.
अवतारे षोडशमे पश्यन्ब्रह्मद्रुहो नृपान् 1.
In the sixteenth descent, seeing kings hostile to Brahman, he appeared.
ततः सप्तदशे जातः सत्यवत्यां पराशरात् 1.
Then, in the seventeenth, he was born to Satyavatī from Parāśara.
नरदेवत्वमापन्नः सुरकार्य्यचिकीर्षया 1.
He assumed a human-divine form, wishing to accomplish the work of the gods.