Garuda Purana

नैतावता मम वायोश्च नित्यं दुः खातनं नैव संचितनीयम् । एतादृशोहं स्तवनेनु कास्ति शक्तिर्गुणानां मधुसूदन प्रभो । वायोः सकाशाच्च गुणेन हीना संसाररूपे मुक्तरूपे च देव ॥ ३,६.

Therefore, neither for me nor for Vāyu should constant suffering be considered; O Madhusūdana, Lord, by such praise what power is there of qualities? From Vāyu too, being deprived of qualities, one is in the form of bondage and in the form of liberation, O god.

एवं स्तुत्वा भारती तु तूष्णीमास खगेश्वर । तदनन्तरजः शेषः प्राञ्जलिः प्राह केशवम् ॥ ३,६.

Having thus praised, Bhāratī became silent, O Lord of birds; then Śeṣa, with joined palms, spoke to Keśava.

शेष उवाच । नाहं च जाने तव पादमूलं रुद्रो न वेत्ति गरुडो न वेद । अहं वाण्याः शतगुणांशहीनो दत्त्वा ह्यायतनं पाहि मां वासुदेव ॥ ३,६.

Śeṣa said: Neither do I know your feet, nor does Rudra, nor does Garuḍa; I am a hundredfold less than Vāṇī—granting me a place, protect me, O Vāsudeva.

एवं स्तुत्वा सशेषस्तु तूष्णीमास खगेश्वर । तदनन्तरजो वीशः स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,६.

Having thus praised, Śeṣa too became silent, O Lord of birds; then Viśa, born after him, began to praise.

गरुड उवाच । तव पदोः स्तुतिं किं करोम्यहं मम पदांबुजे ह्यर्पितं मनः । कथमहं मुखे पक्षियोनिजः कथमेवङ्गुणानीडितुं क्षमः ॥ ३,६.

Garuḍa said: What praise of your feet can I offer, when my mind is fixed on your lotus feet? How can I, born among birds, be fit to praise such qualities with my mouth?

एवं स्तुत्वा तु गरुडस्तूष्णीमास नयान्वितः । तदनन्तरजो रुद्रस्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,६.

Having thus praised, Garuḍa, endowed with wisdom, became silent; then Rudra, born after him, began to praise.

रुद्र उवाच । या वै तवेश भगवन्न विदाम भूमन् भक्तिर्ममास्तु शिवपादसरोजमूले । छन्नापि सा ननु सदा न ममास्ति देव तेनाद्रुहं तव विरुद्धमतः करोमि ॥ ३,६.

Rudra said: O Lord, O Blessed One, O Infinite, that devotion which I do not know—may it be at the root of Śiva's lotus feet; even if hidden, it is never mine, O god, therefore I do what is contrary to you.

सर्वान्न बुद्धिसहितस्य हरे मुरारे का शक्तिरस्ति वचने मम मूढबुद्धेः । वाण्या सदा शतगुणेन विहीनमेनं मां पाहि चेश मम चायतनं च दत्त्वा ॥ ३,६.

What power of speech do I have before you, O Hari, slayer of Mura, when my mind is deluded? Always lacking a hundredfold in speech, protect me, O Lord, and grant me a place.

एवं स्तुत्वा स रुद्रस्तु तूष्णीमास द्विजोत्तमः । शेषानन्तरजा देवी वारुणी वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ३,६.

Having thus praised, Rudra, the best of twice-born, became silent; then the goddess Vāruṇī, born after Śeṣa, spoke.

वारुण्युवाच । लक्ष्मीपते ब्रह्मपते मनोः पते गिरःपते रुद्रपते नृणां पते । गुणांस्तव स्तोतुमहं समर्था न पार्वती नापि सुपर्णपत्नी ॥ ३,६.

Vāruṇī said: O Lord of Lakṣmī, Lord of Brahmā, Lord of Manu, Lord of speech, Lord of Rudra, Lord of men—neither Pārvatī nor the wife of Suparṇa is able to praise your qualities, nor am I.

शेषादहं दशगुणैर्विहीना मां पाहि नित्यं जगतामधीश ॥ ३,६.

I am tenfold less than Śeṣa; protect me always, Lord of the worlds.

एवं स्तुत्वा वारुणी तु तूष्णीमास खगेश्वर । तदनन्तरजा ब्राह्मी सौपर्णी ह्युपचक्रमे ॥ ३,६.

Having thus praised, Vāruṇī became silent, O Lord of birds; then Brāhmī, born after Śeṣa, began.

सौपर्ण्युवाच । स्तोतुं गुणांस्तव हरे जगदीशवाचा श्रोतुं हरे तव कथां श्रवणे न शक्तिः । यस्तत्त्वनुं स्मरति देव तव स्वरूपं को वै नु वेद भुवि तं भगवत्पदार्थम् ॥ ३,६.

Sauparṇī said: To praise your qualities, O Hari, Lord of the world, with speech, or to hear your stories—there is no power in hearing. Who, remembering your true form, O god, knows that meaning of your divine feet on earth?

अतो गुणस्तवने नास्ति शक्तिर्वीन्द्रादहं दशगुणैरवरा च नित्यम् ॥ ३,६.

Therefore, I have no power to praise your qualities; I am always tenfold less than Indrāṇī.

एवं स्तुत्वा तु सौपर्णी तूष्णीमास खगेश्वर । रुद्रानन्तरजा स्तोतुं गिरिजा तूपचक्रमे ॥ ३,६.

Having thus praised, Sauparṇī became silent, O Lord of birds; then Girijā, born after Rudra, began to praise.

पार्वत्युवाच गोविन्द नारायण वासुदेव त्वया हि मे किञ्चिदपि प्रयोजनम् । नास्त्येव स्वामिन्न च नाम वाचा सौभाग्यरूपः सर्वदा एक एव ॥ ३,६.

Pārvatī said: Govinda, Nārāyaṇa, Vāsudeva, I truly have no need of anything from you. O Lord, there is never any other name or word for fortune—there is always only one.

नारायणेति तव नाम च एकमेव वैराग्यभक्तिविभवे परमं समर्थाम् । असंख्यब्रह्मादिकहत्यनाशाने गुर्वङ्गनाकोटिविनाशने च ॥ ३,६.

Your single name, Nārāyaṇa, is supremely powerful in bestowing detachment and devotion; it destroys the countless sins of killing Brahmins and others, and removes the ruin of millions of teachers’ wives.

नामाधिकारिणी चाहं गुणानां च महाप्रभो । स्तवने नास्ति मे शक्ती रुद्राद्दशगुणैरहम् ॥ ३,६.

O Great Lord, I am only qualified for your name, not for your qualities. I have no strength for praise; even with ten times Rudra’s power, I am lacking.

अवरा च सदास्म्येव नात्र कार्या विचारणा । एवं स्तुत्वा सा गिरिजास्तूष्णीमास खगेश्वर ॥ ३,६.

I am always inferior—there is no need to consider this further. Having thus praised him, Girijā remained silent, O Lord of Birds.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ७ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । पार्वत्यानन्तरोत्पन्न इन्द्रो वचनमब्रवीत् । इन्द्र उवाच । तव स्वरूपं हृदि संविजानन् समुत्सुकः स्यात्स्तवने यस्तु मूढः । अजानतः स्तवनं देवदेव तदेवाहुर्हेलनं चक्रपाणे ॥ ३,७.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: After Pārvatī, Indra spoke these words: Indra said: One who, knowing your true form in his heart, is still eager to praise you but does so in ignorance, O Lord of Lords, O wielder of the discus, that praise is said to be mere negligence.

तथापि तद्वै तव नाम पूर्वं भवेत्तदा पुण्यकरं भवेदिति । रुद्रादिकानां स्तवने नास्ति शक्तिस्तदा वक्तव्यं मम नास्तीति किं वा ॥ ३,७.

Yet even so, your name alone, when uttered first, brings merit. If one lacks the power to praise Rudra and the others, then it should simply be said, ‘I do not have the ability.’

गुणांशतो दशभी रुद्रतो वै सदा न्यूनो मत्समः कामदेवः । ज्ञाने बले समता सर्वदास्ति तथाः कामः किं च दूतः सदैव ॥ ३,७.

In qualities, I am always ten times less than Rudra; Kāma is my equal. In knowledge and strength, there is always equality, and Kāma is always my messenger.

एवं स्तुत्वा देवदेवो हरिं च तूष्णीं स्थितः प्राञ्जलिर्नम्रभूर्धां । तदनन्तरजो ब्रह्मा अहङ्कारिक ऊचिवान् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised Hari, the Lord of Gods, he stood silently, with joined palms and bowed head. Then Brahmā, born after him, spoke with a sense of self-importance.

अहङ्कारिक उवाच । नमस्ते गणपूर्णाय नमस्ते ज्ञानमूर्तये । नमोऽज्ञानविदूराय ब्रह्मणेनंतमूर्तये ॥ ३,७.

The self-important one said: Salutations to you, who are full of all hosts, salutations to you, embodiment of knowledge. Salutations to you, who are far from ignorance, O Brahman, whose form is endless.

इन्द्रादहं दशगुणैः सर्वदा न्यून उक्तो न जनि त्वां सर्वदा ह्यप्रमेय । तथापि मां पाहि जगद्गुरो त्वं दत्त्वा दिव्यं ह्यायतनं च विष्णो ॥ ३,७.

Indra said I am always ten times less than him, but you are truly immeasurable and never born. Even so, O teacher of the world, O Viṣṇu, protect me, granting me a divine abode.

आहङ्कारिक एवं तु स्तुत्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह । तदनन्तरजा स्तोतुं शची वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, the self-important one became silent. Then Śacī, born after him, began to speak in praise.

शच्युवाच । संचिन्तयामि अनिशं तव पादपद्मं वज्राङ्कुशध्वजसरोरुहलाञ्छनाढ्यम् । वागीश्वरैरपि सदा मनसापि धर्तुं नो शक्यमीश तव पादरजः स्मरामि ॥ ३,७.

Śacī said: I constantly contemplate your lotus feet, adorned with the marks of the thunderbolt, goad, banner, and lotus. Even the lords of speech cannot always hold in mind the dust of your feet, O Lord; I remember it.

आहङ्कारिकप्राणाच्च गुणैश्च दशभिः सदा । न्यूनभूतां च मां पाहि कृपालो भक्तवत्सल ॥ ३,७.

Because I am always less than the self-important one in life and qualities by tenfold, protect me, O compassionate one, lover of devotees.

एवं स्तुत्वा शची देवी तूष्णीं भगवती ह्यभूत् । तदनन्तरजा स्तोतुं रतिः समुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, the goddess Śacī became silent. Then Rati, born after her, began to offer praise.