Garuda Purana

इदमाप हरेस्तार्क्ष्यस्तार्क्ष्यादाप ततो भृगुः । भृगोर्वसिष्ठः संप्राप वामदेवस्ततः पुनः ॥ २,४९.

Tārkṣya received this from Hari; from Tārkṣya, Bhṛgu obtained it; from Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha received it; then from Vasiṣṭha, Vāmadeva.

पराशरमुनिः प्राप तस्माद्व्यासस्ततो ह्यहम् । मया तु भवतां प्रोक्तं परं गुह्यं हरेरिदम् ॥ २,४९.

From him, the sage Parāśara received it; then Vyāsa, and then I; and now I have spoken to you this supreme secret of Hari.

य इदं शृणुयान्मर्त्यो यो वाप्यभिदधाति च । इहामुत्र च लोके स सर्वत्र सुखमाप्नुयात् ॥ २,४९.

Whoever among mortals hears or recites this, here or in the next world, attains happiness everywhere.

व्रजतः संयमन्यां यद्दुः खमत्र निरूपितम् । अस्य श्रवणतः पुण्यं तन्मुक्तो जायते ततः ॥ २,४९.

Whatever suffering is described here for those who stray from self-control, by hearing this, one gains merit and is freed from that.

अत्रोक्तकर्मपाकादिश्रवणाच्च नृणामिह । वैराग्यमावहेद्यस्मात्तस्माच्छ्रोतव्यमेव च ॥ २,४९.

By hearing about the results of actions and their ripening as told here, detachment arises in people; therefore, this should indeed be heard.

भजत जितहृषीकाः कृष्णमेनं मुनीशं समजनि बत यस्माद्गीः सुधासारधारा । पृषतमपि यदीयं वर्णरूपं निपीय श्रुतिपुटचुलुकेन प्राप्नुयादात्मनैक्यम् ॥ २,४९.

Worship Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of sages, whose senses are conquered, from whom the stream of nectar-like speech arose; even a drop of his words, tasted with the cup of the ear, brings unity with the Self.

व्यास उवाच । इति सूतमुखोद्गीर्णांसर्वशास्त्रार्थमण्डिताम् । वैष्णवीं वाक्सुधां पीत्वा ऋषयस्तुष्टिमाययुः ॥ २,४९.

Vyāsa said: Having drunk this nectar of Vaiṣṇava speech, adorned with the essence of all scriptures and uttered from the mouth of Sūta, the sages attained satisfaction.

प्रशशंसुस्तथान्योन्यं सूतं सर्वार्थदर्शिनम् । प्रहर्षमतुलं प्रापुर्मुनयः शौनकादयः ॥ २,४९.

They praised one another and Sūta, the knower of all meanings; the sages headed by Śaunaka experienced incomparable joy.

इति हरिवचनानि सूतवाचा खगपतिसंशयभेदकानि यानि । स मुनिरपि निशम्य शौनकेन्द्रो बहुतरमानयति स्म चात्मनि स्वम् ॥ २,४९.

Thus, the words of Hari, spoken by Sūta, which dispelled the doubts of the king of birds, were heard by the sage Śaunaka, who then reflected deeply within himself.

अपूजयंस्ते मुनयस्तदानीमुदाखाग्भिर्मुहुरेव सूतम् । धन्योऽसि सूत त्वमिहेत्युदैरयन्व्यसर्जयंस्तं च निवर्तितेऽध्वरे ॥ २,४९.

Then the sages repeatedly honored Sūta with joyful words, saying, 'You are blessed, Sūta, truly blessed here,' and dismissed him when the sacrifice was concluded.

पुराणं गारुडं पुण्यं पवित्रं पापनाशनम् २,४९.

The Garuḍa Purāṇa is holy, pure, and destroys sin.

श्रुत्वा दानानि देयानि वाचकायाखिलानि च । पूर्वोक्तशयनादीनि नान्यथा सफलं भवेत् ॥ २,४९.

Having heard of the gifts to be given, and all that is to be offered to the reciter, as well as the previously mentioned beds and so forth, if these are not given, the result will not be attained.

पुराणं पूजयेत्पूर्वं वाचकं तदनन्तरम् । वस्त्रालङ्कारगोदानैर्दक्षिणाभिश्च सादरम् ॥ २,४९.

First, one should honor the Purāṇa, and then the reciter, with respect, by giving garments, ornaments, cows, and gifts.

अन्नदानैर्हेमदानैर्भमिदानैश्च भूरिभिः । पूजयेद्वाचकं भक्त्या बहुपुण्यफलाप्तये ॥ २,४९.

With abundant gifts of food, gold, and land, one should worship the reciter with devotion, in order to obtain many meritorious results.

यश्चेदं शृणुयान्मर्त्यो यथापि परिकीर्तयेत् । विहाय यातनां घोरां धूतपापो दिवं व्रजेत् ॥ २,४९.

Whoever among mortals hears or recites this, abandoning terrible torment, having their sins washed away, will go to heaven.

अथ गारुडे ब्रह्मकाण्डस्तृतीय आरभ्यते । ओं मल्लानामशनिर्नृणां नरवरः स्त्रीणां स्मरो मूर्तिमान् गोपानां स्वजनोऽसतां क्षितिभृतां शास्ता स्वपित्रोः शिशुः । मृत्युर्भोजपतेर्विधातृविहित स्तत्त्वं परं योगिनां वृष्णीनां च पतिः सदैव शुशुभे रङ्गेऽच्युतः साग्रजः ॥ ३,१.

Now, in the Garuḍa Purāṇa, the third section, the Brahma Kāṇḍa, begins. Om. Among wrestlers, he is the thunderbolt; among men, the best of men; among women, he is embodied Kāma; among cowherds, their kinsman; among the wicked, the ruler; among kings, the protector; to his parents, a child. To the king of Bhoja, he is death; to the creator, the ordained truth; to yogis, the supreme reality; and always, in the arena, Acyuta shone forth with his elder brother.

नमो नारायणायेति तस्मै वै मूलरूपिणे । नमस्कृत्य प्रवक्ष्यामि नारायणकथामिमाम् ॥ ३,१.

Salutation to Nārāyaṇa, the one who is the root form; having bowed to him, I will now speak this tale of Nārāyaṇa.

शौनकाद्या महात्मानो ह्यृषयो ब्रह्मवादिनः । नैमिषाख्ये महापुण्ये तपस्तेपुर्महत्तरम् ॥ ३,१.

Great souls such as Śaunaka, sages devoted to Brahman, performed great austerities in the highly meritorious place called Naimiṣa.

जितेन्द्रिया जिताहाराः संतः सत्यपरायणाः । यजन्तः परया भक्त्या विष्णुमाद्यं जगद्गुरुम् ॥ ३,१.

Having conquered their senses and food, being virtuous and devoted to truth, they worshipped Viṣṇu, the original preceptor of the world, with supreme devotion.

गृणन्तः परमं ब्रह्म जगच्चक्षुर्महौजसः । सर्वशास्त्रार्थतत्त्वज्ञास्तेपुर्नैमिष कानने ॥ ३,१.

Praising the supreme Brahman, the eye of the world, of great energy, and knowing the true meaning of all the scriptures, they dwelt in the forest of Naimiṣa.

यज्ञैर्यज्ञपतिं केचिज्ज्ञानैर्ज्ञानात्मकं परम् । केचित्परमया भक्त्या नारायणमपूजयन् ॥ ३,१.

Some worshipped the Lord of sacrifices with sacrifices, some worshipped the one whose essence is knowledge with knowledge, and some worshipped Nārāyaṇa with supreme devotion.

एकदा तु महात्मानः समाजं चक्रुरुत्तमाः । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणामुपायं ज्ञातुमिच्छवः ॥ ३,१.

Once, those great souls, the best among them, assembled, wishing to know the means to dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa.

षद्विंशतिसहस्राणि मुनीनामूर्ध्वरेतसाम् । तेषां शिष्यप्रशिष्याणां संख्या वक्तुं न शङ्क्यते ॥ ३,१.

There were twenty-six thousand sages, steadfast in celibacy; the number of their disciples and sub-disciples cannot be reckoned.

मुनयो भावितात्मानो मिलितास्ते महोजसः । लोकानुग्रहकर्तारो वीतरागा विमत्सराः ॥ ३,१.

Those sages, purified in mind, assembled together, possessed of great energy, benefactors of the world, free from passion and envy.

कथं हरौ मनुष्याणां भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी । केन सिध्येत्तु सकलं कर्म त्रिविधमात्मनः ॥ ३,१.

How can unwavering devotion to Hari arise among people? By what means can all three kinds of actions of the self be perfected?

इत्येवं प्रष्टुमात्मानमुद्यतान्प्रेक्ष्य शौनकः । सांज लिर्वाक्यमाह स्म विनयावनतः सुधीः ॥ ३,१.

Seeing them thus prepared to ask, Śaunaka, wise and humble, spoke these gentle words.

शौनक उवाच । आस्ते सिद्धाश्रमे पुण्ये सूतः पौराणिकोत्तमः । स एतदखिलं वेत्ति व्यासशिष्यो यतीश्वरः ॥ ३,१.

Śaunaka said: In the holy hermitage of Siddhas resides Sūta, the foremost of narrators of the Purāṇas; he, the disciple of Vyāsa, the lord of ascetics, knows all this.

तस्मात्तमेव पृच्छाम इत्येवं शौनको मुनिः । अथ ते ऋषयो जग्मुः पुण्यं सिद्धाश्रमं ततः ॥ ३,१.

Therefore, let us ask him—so said the sage Śaunaka. Then those seers went to the holy hermitage of the Siddhas.

पप्रच्छुस्ते सुखासीनं नैमिषारण्यवासिनः । ऋषय ऊचुः । वयं त्वतिथयः प्राप्तास्त्वातिथेयोसि सुव्रत ॥ ३,१.

They questioned him, who was seated comfortably, the resident of Naimiṣāraṇya. The sages said: We have come as guests, and you are the host, O virtuous one.