Garuda Purana

श्रीभूदुर्गादिरूपाणां तथा सीतादिरूपिणाम् । अन्योन्यं नाणुमात्रं च भेदो बाह्यान्तरेपि च ॥ ३,२.

Among the forms of Shri, Bhū, Durgā, and likewise those of Sītā and others, there is not even the slightest difference, either externally or internally.

चिन्तनीयः कथमपि ज्ञात्वा यान्त्यधरं तमः । प्रतिबिंबस्थितो बिंबः स्त्रीरूपो ह्यस्ति सर्वदा ॥ ३,२.

Whoever, having known this, still contemplates difference, they go to the lower darkness; the reflection that abides in the form of a woman always exists.

प्रलये समनुप्राप्ते लक्ष्म्या सह खगोत्तम । एकीभावं नाप्नुवन्ति बिंबेन सह संस्थिताः ॥ ३,२.

When dissolution arrives, O best of birds, those who are established with the reflection do not attain unity with the original along with Lakshmi.

बिंबस्थितानां रूपाणां लक्ष्म्याश्च विनतासुत । भेदस्तु नाणुमात्रं च शङ्कनीयः कथञ्चन ॥ ३,२.

For the forms abiding in the reflection and for Lakshmi, O son of Vinata, not even the slightest difference should be suspected in any way.

यदा हि शेते प्रलयार्णवे विभुर्जीवांश्च सर्वानुदरे निवेश्य । मुक्तांश्च ब्रह्मेन्द्रमरुद्गणादीन्प्रात्पव्यमुक्तींश्च सुतौ? च संस्थितान् ॥ ३,२.

When the Lord lies in the ocean of dissolution, having placed all living beings within his belly—those who are liberated, Brahma, Indra, the hosts of Maruts, and those who have attained liberation, as well as his sons who remain—

प्राप्तान्धकूपादिसमस्तजीवांस्तथैव प्राप्तव्यकलीनथापरान् । तथैव नित्यं सृतिसंस्थिताञ्जनानचेतनानृक्षरूपादिजीवान् ॥ ३,२.

He similarly receives all living beings who have entered the darkness of hell and others, as well as those destined for future births, and likewise those who are eternally established in the cycle of creation, and the insentient, and the living beings of the forms of trees and others.

एवं जनाञ्जठरे संनिधाय सम्यक्शेते ह्यंभसि वै स कल्पे । लक्ष्मीस्तु सा सर्ववेदात्मिका च भक्त्या हरौ नित्यसंवर्धितापि ॥ ३,२.

Thus, having placed all beings in his belly, he truly lies in the waters during the cosmic cycle; but Lakshmi, who is the essence of all the Vedas, is always nurtured by devotion to Hari.

अत्यादरं दर्शयतीव सा तु ईडे विष्णुं भक्तिसंवर्धितापि । चेष्टादिरूपेण तदा न किञ्चिदासीद्विना विष्णुमथ श्रियं च ॥ ३,२.

Though she appeared to show the utmost reverence, I praise Viṣṇu, for even though devotion had grown within her, at that time there was nothing besides Viṣṇu and Śrī in the form of action and so forth.

पर्यङ्करूपेण बभूव देवी वासस्वरूपेण रमा विरेजे । सर्वं रमा सैव तदैव चासीत्सैका देवी बहुरूपा बभाषे ॥ ३,२.

The goddess became the form of the couch, and Ramā shone forth as the garment; at that moment, Ramā alone was everything—she alone, the goddess, manifested in many forms.

त्वमुत्कृष्टः सर्वदेवोत्तमत्वान्न त्वत्समः कश्चिदेवाधिको वा । त्वं ब्रह्म एको न चतुर्मुखश्च नाहं रुद्रो न बृहस्पतिश्च ॥ ३,२.

You are supreme, surpassing all the gods; there is no one equal to you or greater. You alone are Brahman—not the four-faced one, nor am I Rudra, nor Bṛhaspati.

विष्णावेव ब्रह्मशब्दो हि मुख्यो ह्यन्येष्वमुख्यो ब्रह्मरुद्रादिकेषु । अनन्तगुणपूर्णत्वाद्ब्रह्मेति हरिरुच्यते ॥ ३,२.

The word 'Brahman' is properly applied only to Viṣṇu; for others like Brahmā and Rudra, it is secondary. Because he is filled with infinite qualities, Hari is called Brahman.

गुणादिपूर्णताभावान्नान्ये ब्रह्मेत्युदाहृताः । देशानन्त्यं गुणतः कालतो वा नास्त्यानन्त्यं क्वापि देशे च काले ॥ ३,२.

Because others lack fullness of qualities and so forth, they are not referred to as Brahman. There is no infinity of space or time anywhere; only qualities are infinite.

यदा नन्त्यं किमु वक्तव्यमत्र गुणानन्त्यं नास्ति ब्रह्मादिकेषु । यद्यप्यहं देशतः कालतश्च समस्तदा वासुदेवेन सार्धम् ॥ ३,२.

If there is infinity, what more need be said? There is no infinity of qualities in Brahmā and the others. Even though I exist everywhere in space and time, it is always together with Vāsudeva.

तथापि मे गुणतो नास्त्यनन्तं ततो धर्मा गुणतोनन्ततश्च । संति श्रुतावविरुद्धाश्च देवे चिन्त्या ह्यचिन्त्या बहुधा ते ह्यनन्ताः ॥ ३,२.

Still, I do not possess infinite qualities; therefore, my attributes are not infinite. In the scriptures, there are indeed many qualities of the god that are both conceivable and inconceivable, and they are infinite.

अतो गुणांस्तव देवस्य विष्णो स्तोतुं सदा स्मो न हरेः कदापि । नाहं न केशौ न च गीर्न रुद्रो न दक्षकन्या न च मेनकासुता ॥ ३,२.

Therefore, we are never able to praise the qualities of you, O god Viṣṇu, O Hari. Neither I, nor Keśava, nor Gīrṇa, nor Rudra, nor Dakṣa's daughter, nor Menakā's child can do so.

न वै बिडौजा न च वा पुलोमजा न चेध्मवाहो न यमो न चान्यः । न नारदो नापि भृगुर्वसिष्ठो न विघ्नपो नापि बल्यादयश्च ॥ ३,२.

Neither Biḍauja, nor Pulomajā, nor Agni, nor Yama, nor anyone else; not Nārada, nor Bhṛgu, nor Vasiṣṭha, nor Gaṇeśa, nor Bali and the others.

न वै विराटो नापि भीमः शनिश्च न पुष्करो न कशेरुस्तथैव । न किन्नराः पितरो नैव देवा गन्धर्वमुख्या नापि वा तुष्यसंज्ञाः ॥ ३,२.

Neither Virāṭ, nor Bhīma, nor Śani, nor Puṣkara, nor Kaśeru; not the Kinnaras, nor the ancestors, nor the gods, nor the chief Gandharvas, nor those called Tuṣyas.

न वै क्षितीशा न च मानुषाश्च विष्णोर्न जानन्ति किमत्र चान्ये । मत्तोधमः कोचिगुणेन ब्रह्मा समो हि तस्य ब्रह्मणो मातरिश्व ॥ ३,२.

Neither the lords of the earth nor humans know Viṣṇu; what then of others? I am inferior to Brahmā by a small measure of qualities; indeed, he is equal to the wind among the sons of Brahmā.

तौ वै विरागे हरिभक्तिभावे धृतिस्तितिप्राणबलेषुयोगे । बुद्धौ समानौ संसृतौ मोक्षकाले परस्पराधारसमन्वितौ च ॥ ३,२.

Those two, in their dispassion and devotion to Hari, are equal in steadfastness, endurance, life-force, and union; in intellect, in transmigration, and at the time of liberation, they are mutually dependent.

अन्नाभिमानं ब्रह्म चाहुर्मुरारिं जीवाभिमानं वायुमाहुर्महान्तः । न शक्तोसौ ब्रह्मदेवो विवस्तुं वायुं विना संसृतावेव नित्यम् ॥ ३,२.

The great ones say that Brahmā is the presiding deity of food, and Mūrāri (Viṣṇu) is the presiding deity of life, and Vāyu is the wind. Brahmā is never able to exist without Vāyu; in creation, they are always together.

न तं विना मातरिश्वा च वस्तुमन्योन्यमाप्तिः कालतो न्यूनता च । यदा महत्तत्त्वनि यामकोभूद्ब्रह्माण्डान्तस्थूलसृष्टौ महात्मा ॥ ३,२.

Without him, the wind cannot exist; there is no mutual attainment without each other, and there is inferiority in time. When the great principle arose, then the great soul Brahmā was born in the gross creation within the cosmic egg.

तदा वायुर्नाशकद्वै महात्मा बाह्ये सृष्टौ कालभेदेन चास्ति । सरस्वती भारती ब्रह्मणस्तु संवत्सरानन्तरं संबभूव ॥ ३,२.

Then the great soul Vāyu was not able to create externally; creation occurs according to divisions of time. Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, was born from Brahmā after a year.

यदा दशाब्दाः समतीता महात्मा तदा वायुः समभूल्लोकपूज्यः । किञ्चिन्न्यूनत्वं स्थूलसृष्टौ महात्मन्नैतावता वानयोः सौम्यहानिः ॥ ३,२.

When ten years had passed, then the great soul Vāyu was born, honored by the worlds. There is some inferiority in the gross creation, but by this, there is no loss of excellence for either of them.

सरस्वती वत्सरात्संबभूव ह्यनन्तरं ब्रह्मणो जन्मकालात् । गिरः सकाशात्कालतो न्यूनतास्ति वायोस्तदा ह्यधमत्त्वे क्षतिः का ॥ ३,२.

Sarasvatī was born a year after Brahmā's birth; from the time of her emergence, there is inferiority in time for Vāyu. But then, what harm is there in being lower for the gentle one?

वायोरनन्तरं वाणी ह्यभूत्संवत्सरात्परम् । यावत्पश्चाज्जनिस्तावत्पूर्वदेहक्षयो भवेत् ॥ ३,२.

After Vāyu, speech (Vāṇī) arose, more than a year later; as long as a new birth occurs, the previous body must perish.

शेषस्त्विन्द्रो रुद्र एते त्रयश्च समा ह्येते ज्ञानबलादिकेष्वपि तथापि तेषां कालतो न्यूनतास्ति कालोपि तेषां द्विव्येसहस्रवर्षम् ॥ ३,२.

Śeṣa, Indra, and Rudra—these three are indeed equal in knowledge and strength, yet even among them there is inferiority due to time; and their time is two thousand divine years.

अनन्तरुद्रो ब्रह्मवायू यथा वा तथा ज्ञेयो नैव हानिः स्वरूपे । स्थूलस्य सृष्टौ बाह्यसृष्टौ महात्मन्कालान्न्यूनत्वं स मया नैव चिन्त्यः ॥ ३,२.

The one called Anantarudra, Brahma, or Vāyu should be understood in the same way; there is no diminution in their essential nature. In the creation of the gross and the external, O great soul, their inferiority in time is not to be considered by me.

तेषां सकाशाद्वारुणी पार्वती च सौपर्णीनाम्नी तिस्त्र एता महात्मन् । दशाब्देभ्योनन्तरं संबभूवुः सरस्वती भारतीवच्च बोध्या ॥ ३,२.

From among them arose Vāruṇī, Pārvatī, and Sauparṇī—these three great souls. After ten years, Sarasvatī and Bhāratī also appeared and should be known as such.

इन्द्रो वरो रुद्रभार्यादिकेभ्य एवं ज्ञानं सर्वदा देह्यमन्दम् । एवं ज्ञानं यस्य भवेच्च लोके स वै ज्ञानी वेदवेद्यः स एव ॥ ३,२.

Indra, Varuṇa, and the wives of Rudra and others—knowledge should always be given to them without reservation. Whoever possesses such knowledge in the world, he alone is wise, he alone is the knower of the Veda.