Garuda Purana

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—

अपिक्षितं च तत्रादौ गुणसाम्यं न संशयः । सम्यग्ज्ञापयितुं तत्र खादौ तावत्स्वगेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

In the beginning, there was equality of the qualities, without doubt; to explain this properly, at the outset, O lord of birds—

राशिभूतं गुणानां तु दर्शयिष्ये स्थितिं च वै । राशीभूतस्य तसमः सकाशाद्विनतासुत ॥ ३,४.

I will show you the state of the qualities when they have become aggregated, and also their condition, O son of Vinata, when they are in aggregate form.

राशीभूतं रजो ज्ञेयन्द्विगुणं तत्तु नान्यथा । राशीभूतस्य रजसः सकाशाद्विनतासुत ॥ ३,४.

Know that the aggregated rajas is double; it is not otherwise. From the aggregated rajas, O son of Vinata—

राशीभूतं तथा सत्त्वं द्विगुणं समुदाहृतम् । मूलप्रकृतिजा ह्येते न मूला प्रकृतिः स्मृता ॥ ३,४.

Similarly, the aggregated sattva is said to be double; these are born from the root-prakriti, but the root itself is not called prakriti.

यतः प्रकृतिरूपाणां परिच्छेदो न विद्यते । अतः प्रकृतिजा ज्ञेया न मूलास्ते खगेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

Because there is no delimitation of the forms of prakriti, therefore, those born from prakriti are to be known as not the root, O king of birds.

एवं तव गुणानाञ्च परिमाणं खगेश्वर । उक्तं स्वरूपं तेषां तु तव सम्यक्खगेश्वर ॥ ३,४.

Thus, O king of birds, the measure of the qualities has been told to you; their nature has been properly explained to you, O king of birds.

तत्र राशित्रये सत्त्वं केवलं समुदाहृतम् । रजस्तमोभ्यां गरुड ह्यविमिश्रं ह्यतस्तु तत् ॥ ३,४.

There, in the three aggregates, sattva alone is declared; but, O Garuda, it is unmixed with rajas and tamas, and thus it is so.

केवलं सत्त्वमित्युक्तं न तु श्रेष्ठत्वतः प्रभो । सृष्टिकाले केवलं स्यात्प्रलये मिश्रितं भवेत् ॥ ३,४.

It is called pure sattva, not because of superiority, O lord; at the time of creation it is pure, but at dissolution it becomes mixed.

सर्वदाप्यविमिश्रं च सत्त्वराशिं खगेश्वर । सर्वदापि विमिश्रं च सत्त्वराशिं द्विजोत्तम ॥ ३,४.

Always, O king of birds, the aggregate of sattva is unmixed; yet always, O best of twice-born, the aggregate of sattva is mixed.

ये विजानन्ति ते सर्वे विशन्ति ह्यधरं तमः । रजस्तमोगुणौ वीन्द्र इतराभ्यां विमिश्रितौ ॥ ३,४.

All those who know enter the lower darkness; the qualities of rajas and tamas, O Indra among birds, are mixed with the other two.

सृष्टौ प्रलयकालेपि मिश्रावेव खगेश्वर । राशिभूतेपि रजसि रजोभागाच्छताधिकम् ॥ ३,४.

Even at the time of creation and dissolution, O king of birds, they are mixed; even in the aggregate of rajas, the portion of rajas exceeds a hundredfold.

सत्त्वं च मिश्रितं ज्ञेयं नान्यथा पक्षिसत्तम । रजसः शतभागानां मध्ये तु विनतासुत ॥ ३,४.

Know that sattva is mixed, O best of birds; among the hundred portions of rajas, O son of Vinata—

य एको भाग उद्दिष्टस्तावत्परिमितं तमः । राशिभूतेपि रजसि मिश्रितं परिकीर्तितम् ॥ ३,४.

That one portion which is specified is the measure of tamas; even in the aggregate of rajas, it is said to be mixed.

रजोराशिस्थितिस्त्वेवं तात व्याप्तं तमोगुणैः । राशिभूतेपि तमसि सत्त्वं च विनतासुत ॥ ३,४.

Thus, O dear one, the aggregate of rajas is pervaded by the quality of tamas; even in the aggregate of tamas, O son of Vinata, sattva is present.

तमः सकाशाद्गरुड दशभागाधिकेन च । मिश्रितं भवतीत्येवं ज्ञातव्यं नात्र संशयः ॥ ३,४.

O Garuḍa, from tamas, when mixed with a portion greater by one-tenth, this is to be understood—there is no doubt in this matter.

तमसो दशभागानां मध्ये तु विनतासुत । य एको भाग उद्दिष्टस्तावत्परिमितं रजः ॥ ३,४.

Among ten parts of tamas, O son of Vinatā, when one part is specified, that is the measure of rajas.

राशिभूतेपि तमसि मिश्रितं भवति ध्रुवम् । तमोराशिस्थितिस्त्वेवं ज्ञातव्या पक्षिसत्तम ॥ ३,४.

Even when tamas is in aggregate, it is certainly mixed; thus, the state of the mass of tamas is to be known, O best of birds.

गरुड उवाच । रशिभूतेपि रजसि राशिभूते तमस्यपि । सत्त्वांशा ह्यधिकाः संतीत्येवमुक्तं मयानघ ॥ ३,४.

Garuḍa said: Even when rajas is in aggregate, and likewise when tamas is in aggregate, the portions of sattva are greater—thus I have stated, O sinless one.

तत्र मे संशयो ह्यस्ति शृणु त्वं सात्त्वतां पते । यद्राश्यां यद्रा शिभागा ह्यधिकाः संति यावता ॥ ३,४.

There is a doubt in me regarding this; listen, O lord of those endowed with sattva: in each aggregate, by how much are the portions greater?

तावता व्यवहारः स्यात्क्षीरनीरमिव प्रभो । श्रुत्वा स गरुडेनोक्तं भगवान्पुरुषोत्तमः ॥ ३,४.

By that much is the distinction, just as with milk and water, O Lord. Having heard this spoken by Garuḍa, the blessed Supreme Person—