Garuda Purana

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.

स्नानदानोपचारेण पूजयित्वा यथाविधि । केन विष्णुः प्रसन्नः स्यात्स कथं पूज्यते नरैः ॥ ३,१.

After worshipping with bathing, gifts, and proper offerings, by what means does Vishnu become pleased, and how should he be worshipped by men?

मुक्तिसाधनभूतं च ब्रूहि तत्त्वविनिर्णयम् । सूत उवाच । शृणुध्वमृषयः सर्वे हरिं तत्त्वविनिर्णयम् ॥ ३,१.

Tell us the determination of truth regarding that which is the means to liberation. Sūta said: Listen, O sages, to the determination of truth about Hari.

नत्वा विष्णुं श्रियं वायुं भारतीं शेषसंज्ञकम् । द्वैपायनं गुरुं कृष्णं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथामति ॥ ३,१.

Having bowed to Vishnu, Śrī, Vāyu, Bhāratī, Śeṣa, Dvaipāyana, the guru, and Kṛṣṇa, I shall speak according to my understanding.

नास्ति नारायणसमं न भूतं न भविष्यति । एतेन सत्यवाक्येन सर्वार्थान्साधयाम्यहम् ॥ ३,१.

There is none equal to Nārāyaṇa, nor has there been, nor will there be. By this truthful statement, I accomplish all purposes.

शौनक उवाच । किमर्थं नमनं विष्णोर्ग्रन्थादौ मुनिसत्तम । कर्तव्यं ब्रूहि मे ब्रह्मन्कृपया मम सुव्रत ॥ ३,१.

Śaunaka said: For what reason, O best of sages, is it necessary to bow to Vishnu at the beginning of a scripture? Tell me, O Brahman, kindly, O virtuous one.

ततः श्रियं ततो वायुं भारतीं च ततः परम् । अन्ते व्यासं किमर्थं च त्वं नमस्कृतवानसि । सूतसूत महाभाग ब्रूहि कारणमत्र च ॥ ३,१.

Then to Śrī, then to Vāyu, then to Bhāratī, and finally to Vyāsa—why have you offered salutations to them? O Sūta, greatly fortunate, tell me the reason for this.

सूत उवाच । आदौ वन्द्यः सर्ववेदैकवेद्यो वेदे शास्त्रे सेतिहासे पुराणे । सत्तां प्रायो विष्णुरेवैक एव प्रकाशतेऽतो नम्य एको हरिर्हि ॥ ३,१.

Sūta said: At the beginning, the one to be worshipped is Vishnu alone, who is known through all the Vedas, in the Vedas, scriptures, histories, and Purāṇas. He alone shines forth as existence; therefore, Hari alone is to be worshipped.

सर्वत्र मुख्यस्त्वधिकोन्यतोपि स एव नम्यो न च शङ्कराद्याः । नमन्ति येऽविनयाच्छङ्करं तु विनायकं चण्डिकां रेणुकां च ॥ ३,१.

He alone is chief everywhere and superior to others; only he is to be worshipped, not Śaṅkara and others. Those who bow to Śaṅkara, Vināyaka, Caṇḍikā, and Reṇukā do so out of ignorance.

तथा सूर्यं भैरवं मातारश्व तथा वाणीं गिरिजां वै श्रियं च । सर्वेपि ते वैष्णवा नैव लोके न तद्भक्ता वेति चार्या वदन्ति ॥ ३,१.

Likewise, to Sūrya, Bhairava, Mātāraśva, Vāṇī, Girijā, and Śrī—all these are Vaiṣṇavas, not independent deities in the world, nor are their devotees; so say the teachers.

न पार्थिक्यान्नमनं कार्यमेव प्रीणन्ति नैता देवताः पूजनेन । पूजां गृहीत्वा देवताश्चैव सर्वाः किञ्चिद्दत्वा फलदानेन तांश्च ॥ ३,१.

Bowing to those who are not related to Pārtha is not to be done; these deities are not pleased by such worship. Even when worship is accepted, all the deities give only a little fruit.

संतर्प्य तुष्टैः स्वमनोनु सारात्तैः कारितां काम्यपूजां तथैव । निवेदयित्वा परदेवतायां विष्णौ हरौ श्रीपुरुषादिवन्द्ये ॥ ३,१.

Having satisfied them with offerings according to one's desire, and having performed the desired worship, one should dedicate it to the supreme deity, Vishnu, Hari, the lord of Śrī, and those worthy of worship.

इहापरत्रापि सुखेतराणि दास्यन्ति पश्चादधरं वै तमश्च । अतो ह्येते नैव पूज्या न नम्या मोक्षेच्छुभिर्ब्राह्मणाद्यैर्द्विजेन्द्र ॥ ३,१.

In this world and the next, they will give only mixed happiness; afterwards, lower darkness. Therefore, these are not to be worshipped or bowed to by those desiring liberation, O best of twice-born.

तथैव सर्वाश्रमिभिश्च नित्यं महाविपत्तावपि विप्रवर्याः । श्रीकाम्य या ये तु भजन्ति नित्यं श्रीब्रह्मरुद्रेद्रयमादिदेवान् ॥ ३,१.

Likewise, by all those in every stage of life, even in great calamity, O best of Brāhmaṇas. Those who desire Śrī and worship Brahma, Rudra, Indra, Yama, and other gods.

इहेव भुञ्जन्ति महच्च दुः खं महापदः कुष्ठभगन्दरादीन् । नमन्ति येऽवैष्णवान्ब्रह्मरुद्रवायु प्रतीकान्नैव ते विष्णुभक्ताः ॥ ३,१.

They enjoy great suffering here—misery, great disease, leprosy, fistula, and so on. Those who bow to non-Vaiṣṇava forms—Brahma, Rudra, Vāyu—they are not devotees of Vishnu.

अभिप्रायं त्वत्र वक्ष्ये मुनीन्द्राः परं गोप्यं हृदि धार्यं हि तद्धि । वायोः प्रतीकं पूज्यमेवेह विप्रा न ब्रह्मरुद्रादिप्रतीकमेव ॥ ३,१.

Now I will speak my intention here, O foremost sages, which is most secret and should be held in the heart. Among the forms, only that of Vāyu is to be worshipped here by Brāhmaṇas, not those of Brahma, Rudra, and others.

पूजाकाले देवदेवस्य विष्णोर्वायोः प्रतीकं योग्यभागे निधाय । अन्तर्गतं तस्य वायोर्हरिं च लक्ष्मीपतिं पूजयित्वा हि सम्यक् ॥ ३,१.

At the time of worship, placing the form of Vāyu, the representative of Vishnu, in the proper place, one should worship Hari, the lord of Lakṣmī, who is present within Vāyu, properly.

पश्चाद्वायोः सुप्रतीकं च सम्यङ्निर्माल्यशेषेण हरेः समर्चयेत् । पृथक्च स्रग्धूपविलेपनादिपूजां प्रकुर्वन्ति च ये विमूढः ॥ ३,१.

Afterwards, one should properly worship the excellent form of Vāyu with the remaining offerings from Hari. Those who perform separate worship with garlands, incense, ointments, and so on are deluded.

तेषां दुः खमिह लोके परत्र भविष्यते नात्र विचार्यमस्ति । प्रायश्चित्तं स्वस्ति विप्राः कथञ्चित्तत्कुर्वन्तु स्मरणं नाम विष्णोः ॥ ३,१.

For them, suffering will arise in this world and the next; there is no doubt about it. For atonement, O Brāhmaṇas, let them somehow remember the name of Vishnu.

पाषण्डरुद्रादिकसं प्रतिष्ठितान्हरेर्वायोः शङ्करस्य प्रतीकान् । नमन्ति ये फलबुद्ध्या विभूढास्तेषां फलं शाश्वतं दुः खमेव ॥ ३,१.

Those who, with the desire for reward, bow to images established for heretics, Rudra, and others, or to forms of Hari, Vāyu, or Śaṅkara, are truly deluded; for them, the result is only perpetual suffering.

वायोः प्रतीकं यदि विप्रवर्यैः प्रतिष्ठितं चेन्नमनं हि कार्यम् । नैवेद्यशेषेण हरेश्च विष्णोः पूजा कृता चेन्न हि दोषलेशः ॥ ३,१.

If an image of Vāyu has been established by excellent brāhmaṇas, then it should indeed be worshipped; and if worship is performed for Hari or Viṣṇu with the remnants of offerings, there is not even the slightest fault.