Garuda Purana

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.

रतिरुवाच । संचिन्तयामि नृहरेर्वदनारविन्दं भृत्यानुकंपितधिया हि गृहीतमूर्तिम् । यच्छ्रीनिकेतमजरुद्ररमादिकैश्च संलालितं कुटिलङ्कुन्तलवृन्दजुष्टम् ॥ ३,७.

Rati said: I contemplate the lotus face of Nṛhari, who, out of compassion for his servants, assumed a form. That face, the abode of Śrī, is cherished by Brahmā, Rudra, and others, adorned with curling locks.

एतादृशं तव मुखं नुवितुं न शक्तिः शच्या समापि भगवन्परिपाहि नित्यम् । कृत्वा स्तुतिं रतिरियं परमादरेण तूष्णीं स्थिता भगवतश्च समीप एव ॥ ३,७.

Even Śacī, equal to me, is not able to praise such a face of yours, O Lord; always protect me. Having offered her praise with utmost devotion, Rati stood silently near the Lord.

रत्यनन्तरजो दक्षः स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,७.

After Rati, Dakṣa began to offer praise.

दक्ष उवाच । संचिन्तये भगवतश्चरणोदतीर्थं भक्त्या ह्यजेन परिषिक्तमजादिवन्द्यम् । यच्छौचनिःसृतमजप्रवरावतारं गङ्गाख्यतीर्थमभवत्सरितां वरिष्ठम् ॥ ३,७.

Dakṣa said: I contemplate with devotion the holy water from the Lord’s feet, sprinkled by the unborn one and worshipped by the primordial beings. Flowing from its purity, it became the Ganges, the foremost of rivers.

रुद्रोपि तेन विधृतेन जटाकलापपूतेन पादरजसा ह्यशिवः शिवोभूत् । एतादृशं ते चरणं करुणेश विष्णो स्तोतुं शक्तिर्मम नास्ति कृपावतार । रत्या समः श्रुतिगतो न गतोस्मि मोक्षमेतादृशं च परिपाहि निदानमूर्ते ॥ ३,७.

Even Rudra, who was unpurified, became auspicious by the dust of your feet, which sanctified his matted locks. O Lord of compassion, O Viṣṇu, I do not have the power to praise such feet of yours, the very embodiment of mercy. I have not attained the joy described in the scriptures, nor liberation; O source of all, protect me who am thus.

एवं स्तुत्वा स दक्षस्तु तूष्णीमेव बभूव ह । तदनन्तरजः स्तोतुं बृहस्पतिरुपाक्रमीत् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, Dakṣa became silent. Then, after him, Bṛhaspati began to offer praise.

बृहस्पतिरुवाच । संचिन्तयामि सततं तव चाननाब्जं त्वं देहि दुष्टविषयेषु विरक्तिमीश ॥ ३,७.

Bṛhaspati said: I constantly contemplate your lotus face; O Lord, grant me dispassion for wicked objects.

एतेषु शक्तिर्यदि वै स जीवो कर्ता च भोक्ता च सदा च दाता । योषां च पुत्रसुहृदौ च पशूंश्च सर्वमेवं विनश्यति यतो हि तदाशु छिन्धि ॥ ३,७.

If indeed the soul has power in these things, and is always the doer, the enjoyer, and the giver, then all—wives, sons, friends, cattle—perish; therefore, swiftly cut off attachment to them.

संसारचक्रभ्रमणेनैव देव संसारदुःखमनुभूयेहागतोस्मि । शक्तिर्न चास्ति नवने मम देवदेव सत्या समं च सततं परिपाहि नित्यम् ॥ ३,७.

O God, having wandered in the cycle of worldly existence and experienced its suffering, I have come here. I have no power for renewal, O God of gods; always protect me, who am ever truthful.

एवं श्रुत्वा च परमं तूष्णीमेव स्थितो मुनिः । तदनन्तरजस्तोतुं ह्यनिरुद्धोपचक्रमे ॥ ३,७.

Having heard thus, the supreme sage remained silent. Then, after him, Aniruddha began to offer praise.