Garuda Purana

अनन्तांशैः संयुतत्वेपि तांश्च निरंशिनो भ्रान्तिदृष्ट्या वदन्ति । तस्मात्परा (रमा) णोः परमाणुत्वमस्ति तदंशानां विनतागर्भजात ॥ ३,३.

Even though it is joined with countless parts, some, due to mistaken perception, call those partless. Therefore, O son of Vinatā, the supreme atom possesses atomicity, and so do its parts.

परा (रमा) णूनामेकदेशे खगेन्द्र तन्नो संति प्राणिनां राशयश्च । प्रत्येकश संति रूपा हरेश्च ह्यतश्च तत्परमाणोरणीयः ॥ ३,३.

Among the supreme atoms, O king of birds, in a certain place, there are aggregates of living beings. Each has its own form, and so does Hari; thus, the supreme atom is subtler than the subtle.

यो वा त्वणीयान्परमस्य विष्णोः स एव रूपो महतो महीयान् । तेषामन्योन्यं न विशेषोस्ति कश्चिदचिन्त्यरूपे च विचिन्तनीयः ॥ ३,३.

That which is subtler than the subtlest belongs to the supreme Vishnu; that form is greater than the greatest. Among them, there is no mutual distinction, yet the inconceivable form should be contemplated.

कालकोटिविहीनत्वं कालानन्त्यं विदुर्बुधाः । देशकोटिविहीनत्वं देशानन्त्यं विदुर्बुधाः ॥ ३,३.

The wise know that the absence of a boundary in time is the infinity of time; the wise know that the absence of a boundary in space is the infinity of space.

गुणानामप्रमेयत्वे गुणानन्त्यं विदुर्बुधाः । आनन्त्यं त्रिविधं नित्यं हरेर्नान्यस्य कस्यचित् ॥ ३,३.

The wise know that the immeasurability of qualities is the infinity of qualities. This threefold infinity is eternal in Hari, and not in anyone else.

तस्य सर्वस्वरूपेषु चानन्त्यं तु त्रिलक्षणम् । तथापि देशतस्तस्य परिच्छेदोपि युज्यते ॥ ३,३.

In all his forms, this threefold infinity exists. Yet, even so, limitation by space is possible for him.

परिच्छेदस्तथा व्याप्तेरेकरूपेपि युज्यते । तस्याचिन्त्याद्भुतैश्वर्यं व्यवहारार्थमेव च ॥ ३,३.

Limitation of pervasion is also possible in a single form. His inconceivable, wondrous majesty is only for the sake of worldly dealings.

गुणतः कालतश्चैव परिच्छेदो न कुत्रचित् । व्याप्तत्वं देशतो ह्यस्ति सर्वभूतेषु यद्यापि ॥ ३,३.

There is no limitation by quality or by time anywhere; although pervasiveness exists spatially in all beings.

न च भेदः क्वचित्तस्य ह्यणुमात्रेपि युज्यते । तथापि विद्यतेणुत्वं तस्मादैश्वर्ययोगतः ॥ ३,३.

Nor is there any division in it, not even to the smallest degree; yet minuteness does exist, due to the power of sovereignty.

तस्माद्विद्ध्यवतारार्थं व्याप्तत्वं चापि भण्यते । यत्तस्य व्यापकं रूपं परं नारायणं विदुः ॥ ३,३.

Therefore, know that pervasiveness is also spoken of for the sake of incarnation; that supreme form of his, which is all-pervading, is known as Nārāyaṇa.

अतश्च परमाणूनां पार्थिवाऽनन्त्यवादिनाम् । भेदः परस्परं ज्ञेयस्तथेशस्य महात्मनः ॥ ३,३.

Thus, among those who assert the infinity of earth-atoms, distinction among the atoms is to be understood, as also for the great Lord.

जडेशयोर्जडानां च जीवानां च परस्परम् । तथैव जडजीवानां नित्यं भेदो जडेशयोः ॥ ३,३.

Between inert matter and the Lord, between inert beings and living beings, and likewise between inert and living beings, there is always distinction between matter and the Lord.

पञ्च भेदा इमे नित्यं सर्वावस्थासु सर्वशः । एतादृश्यां तु मायायां वीर्यमाधत्त वीर्यवान् ॥ ३,३.

These five distinctions always exist in all conditions and in every way; in such a māyā, the powerful one established his might.

पुरुषाख्यो हरिस्तस्मात्त्रिगुणानसृजत्प्रभुः ॥ ३,३.

Therefore, Hari, known as the Person, the Lord, created the three qualities.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ४ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । यथा ससर्ज भगवांस्त्रीन् गुणान्प्रकृतेस्तदा । लक्ष्मीस्त्रिरूपा संभूता श्रीर्भूर्दुर्गोति संज्ञिता ॥ ३,४.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: When the Lord created the three qualities from Prakṛti, Lakṣmī appeared in three forms, called Śrī, Bhū, and Durgā.

सत्त्वाभिमानिनी श्रीस्तु भूर्देवी रजमानिनी । तमोभिमानिनी दुर्गा ह्येवमाहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ ३,४.

Śrī is associated with sattva, Bhū-devī with rajas, and Durgā is said by the wise to be associated with tamas.

अन्तरं न विजानीयाद्रूपाणां च परस्परम् । गुणानां चैव संबन्धाद्दुर्गादीनां खगेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

One should not perceive any difference among their forms, O Lord of Birds, because of the connection of these qualities with Durgā and the others.

अन्तरं ये विजानन्ति ते यान्त्यन्धन्तमः परम् । पुरुषस्तु त्रिरूपोभूद्विष्णुर्ब्रह्मा भवेतिसः ॥ ३,४.

Those who perceive difference among them go to utter darkness; but the Person became threefold: Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and so he is called.

सत्त्वेन लोकान्वर्धयितुं विष्णुः साक्षाद्धरिः स्वयम् । सृष्टिं कर्तुं च रजसा ब्रह्मणि प्राविशद्धरिः ॥ ३,४.

To increase the worlds by sattva, Viṣṇu, Hari himself, directly entered; and to perform creation by rajas, Hari entered into Brahmā.

आद्यो ब्रह्मा स विज्ञेयो न तु साक्षाद्धरिः स्वयम् । तमसापि समान्हन्तुं रुद्रे च प्राविशद्धरिः ॥ ३,४.

That first Brahmā is to be known, but not as Hari himself directly; and to destroy by tamas, Hari also entered into Rudra.

रुद्रे स्थितो रुद्रसंज्ञो न रुद्रस्तु हरिः स्वयम् । विष्णुरेव हरिः साक्षात्तावुभौन हरी स्मृतौ ॥ ३,४.

Hari abides in Rudra, called Rudra, but Rudra is not Hari himself; only Viṣṇu is directly Hari, and both are called Hari in the tradition.

आविष्टरूपौ विज्ञेयौ ब्रह्मरुद्राभिधायकौ । एवं ज्ञात्वा मोक्षमेति नान्यथा तु कथञ्चन ॥ ३,४.

Brahmā and Rudra, known by those names, should be understood as forms entered into; knowing thus, one attains liberation, and not otherwise by any means.

विष्णुब्रह्मादिरूपाणामैक्यं जानन्ति ये द्विजाः । ते यान्ति नरकं घोरं पुनरावृत्तिवर्जितम् ॥ ३,४.

Those twice-born who believe in the unity of the forms of Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and others, go to a terrible hell, from which there is no return.

गुणत्रयं प्रविष्टस्तु पुरुषो हरिरव्ययः । कार्योन्मुखं यथा भूयात्क्षोभयामास वै तथा ॥ ३,४.

Hari, the imperishable Person, entered into the three qualities; as one intent on action, he thus stirred them up.

जातक्षोभाद्भगवतो महानासीद्गुणत्रयात् । गुणत्रये विद्यमानाद्भागादेव न संशयः ॥ ३,४.

From the agitation of the Lord, caused by the three qualities, the Great Principle arose; it is indeed from the division of the three qualities, without doubt.

महतो ब्रह्मवायू च जज्ञाते खाभिमानिनौ । तस्य संवत्सरात्पश्चाद्यमलौ संबभूवतुः ॥ ३,४.

From the great Brahma and Vayu were born, both possessing pride in the element of space; after a year, twins were produced from him.

रजः प्रधानं यत्तत्वं महत्तत्तवमितीरितम् । सर्गं त्विमं विजानीयाद्गुणवैषम्यनामकम् ॥ ३,४.

The principle of rajas is called the great principle; know this creation as named after the inequality of the qualities.

गरुड उवाच । महत्तत्तवस्वरूपस्य ज्ञानार्थं देवकीसुत । त्वयोक्ता गुणवैषम्यनामिका सृष्टिरुत्तमा ॥ ३,४.

Garuda said: For the sake of understanding the nature of the great principle, O son of Devaki, you have spoken of the supreme creation called the inequality of the qualities.

गुणवैषम्यशब्दार्थं मम ब्रूहि महाप्रभो । श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । गुणवैषम्यशब्दार्थज्ञापनाय खगेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

Tell me, O great lord, the meaning of the term 'inequality of the qualities.' Sri Krishna said: To explain the meaning of the term 'inequality of the qualities,' O king of birds—