Garuda Purana

एवं स्तुत्वा तु वरुणः प्राञ्जलिः समुपस्थितः । वरुणानन्तरोत्पन्नो नारदो ह्यस्तुवद्धरिम् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, Varuṇa, with joined palms, stood before you. After Varuṇa, Nārada was born and praised Hari.

नारद उवाच । यन्नामधेयश्रवणानुकीर्तनात्स्वाद्वन्यतत्त्वं मम नास्ति विष्णो । पुनीह्यतश्चैव परोवरायान्यज्जिह्वाग्रे वर्तते नाम तस्य ॥ ३,७.

Nārada said: O Viṣṇu, for me there is nothing higher than the essence gained by hearing, reciting, or remembering Your name. Therefore, purify me, for whatever other name exists on the tip of one's tongue is inferior to Yours.

यज्जिह्वाग्रे हरिनामैव नास्ति स ब्राह्मणो नैव स एव गोखरः । अहं न जाने च तव स्वरूपं न्यूनो ह्यहं वरुणात्सर्वदैव ॥ ३,७.

He whose tongue does not hold the name of Hari is not a brāhmaṇa; he is indeed like a cow or a donkey. I do not know Your true form; I am always inferior to Varuṇa.

एवं स्तुत्वा नारदो वै खगेन्द्रस्तूष्णीमभूद्देवदेवस्य चाग्रे । यो नारदानन्तरं संबभूव भृगुर्महात्मा स्तोतुमुपप्रचक्रमे ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised the god of gods, Nārada, the foremost of birds, became silent. Then, after Nārada, the great-souled Bhṛgu began to offer his praise.

भृगुरुवाच । किमासनं ते गरुडासनाय किं भूषणं कौस्तुभभूषणाय । लक्ष्मीकलत्राय किमस्ति देयं वागीश किं ते वचनीयमस्ति । अतो न जाने तव सद्गुणांश्च ह्यहं सदा वरुणात्पादहीनः ॥ ३,७.

Bhṛgu said: What seat could be worthy of You, who has Garuḍa as Your seat? What ornament could befit You, adorned with the Kaustubha gem? What could be given to You, whose consort is Lakṣmī? O Lord of speech, what words could be spoken to You? Thus, I do not know Your noble qualities; I am always lacking, being footless from Varuṇa.

एवं स्तुत्वा हरिं देवं भृगुस्तूष्णीं बभूव ह । तदनन्तरजो ह्यग्निरस्तावीत्पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised Lord Hari, Bhṛgu became silent. Then, Agni, who was born next, began to praise the Supreme Person.

अग्निरुवाच । यत्तेजसाहं सुसमिद्धतेजा हव्यं वहाम्यध्वरे आज्यसिक्तम् ॥ ३,७.

Agni said: By Your radiance, I am endowed with blazing energy and carry the oblations poured with ghee in the sacrifice.

यत्तेजसाहं जठरे संप्रविश्य पचन्नन्नं सर्वदा पूर्णशक्तिः । अतो न जाने तव सद्गुणांश्च भृगोरहं सर्वदैवं समोस्मि ॥ ३,७.

By Your radiance, I enter the stomach and always cook food with full power. Therefore, I do not know Your noble qualities; I am always equal to Bhṛgu.

तदनन्तरजा स्तोतुं प्रसूतिरुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,७.

Then, after him, Prasūti began to offer her praise.

प्रसूतिरुवाच । यन्नामार्थविचारणेपि मुनयो मुह्यंति वै सर्वदा त्वद्भीता अपि देवता ह्यविरतं स्त्रीभिः सहैव स्थिताः । मान्धातृध्रुवनारदाश्च भृगवो वैवस्वताद्याखिलाः प्रेम्णा वै प्रणमाम्यहं हितकृते तस्मै नमो विष्णवे ॥ ३,७.

Prasūti said: Even the sages are bewildered when they inquire into the meaning of Your name, and all the gods, though fearful of You, remain constantly with their wives. Māndhātṛ, Dhruva, Nārada, the Bhṛgus, Vaivasvata, and all others—out of love, I bow to that Viṣṇu, the benefactor.

अतो न जाने तव सद्गुणान्सदा एवं विधा का मम शक्तिरस्ति । स्तुत्वा ह्येवं प्रसूतिस्तु तूष्णीमासीत्खगेश्वर ॥ ३,७.

Therefore, I do not always know Your noble qualities; what power do I have for such praise? Having thus praised, Prasūti became silent, O lord of birds.

अग्निर्वागात्मको ब्रह्मपुत्रो भृगु ऋषिस्तथा । तद्भार्या वै प्रसूतिस्तु त्रय एते समाः स्मृताः ॥ ३,७.

Agni, the embodiment of speech, Bhṛgu the sage, and his wife Prasūti—these three are regarded as equals.

वरुणात्पादहीनाश्च प्रवहाद्विगुणाधमाः । दक्षाच्छतावरा ज्ञेया मित्रात्तु द्विगुणाधिकाः ॥ ३,७.

Those deprived of feet from Varuṇa are to be known as twice as inferior as those from Pravaha; those from Dakṣa are a hundred times superior, and those from Mitra are twice as excellent.

प्रसूत्यनन्तरं जातो वसिष्ठो ब्रह्मनन्दनः । विनयावनतो भूत्वा स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,७.

After Prasūti, Vasiṣṭha, the son of Brahmā, was born. Humbly bowing, he began to offer his praise.

वसिष्ठ उवाच । नमोस्तु तस्मै पुरुषाय वेधसे नमोनमोऽसद्वृजिनच्छिदे नमः । नमोनमो स्वाङ्गभवाय नित्यं नतोस्मि हे नाथ तवाङ्घ्रिपङ्कजम् ॥ ३,७.

Vasiṣṭha said: Salutations to that Person, the Creator; repeated salutations to the destroyer of falsehood and evil. Repeated salutations to Him who is ever born from His own limbs. O Lord, I always bow to Your lotus feet.

मां पाहि नित्यं भगवन्वासुदेव ह्यग्नेरहं सर्वदा न्यून एव । मित्रादहं सर्वदा किञ्चिदूनः स्तुत्वा देव सोभवत्तत्र तूष्णीम् ॥ ३,७.

Protect me always, O Lord Vāsudeva. I am always inferior to Agni, and I am always somewhat less than Mitra. Having thus praised the god, he became silent there.

यो वसिष्ठानन्तरजो मरीचिर्ब्रह्मनन्दनः । हरिन्तुष्टाव परया भक्त्या नारायणं गुरुम् ॥ ३,७.

He who was born after Vasiṣṭha, Marīci, the son of Brahmā, praised Hari, Nārāyaṇa the teacher, with supreme devotion.

मरीचिरुवाच । देवेन चाहं हतधीर्भवनप्रसङ्गात्सर्वाशुभोपगमनाद्विमुखेंद्रियश्च । कुर्वे च नित्यं सुखलेशलवादिना त्वद्दूरं मनस्त्वशुभकर्म समाचरिष्ये ॥ ३,७.

Marīci said: Because of my association with the world, O Lord, my mind is deluded, my senses are turned away due to the approach of all inauspiciousness. Yet, I always direct my mind, which speaks only of a trace of happiness, far from You, and I perform unwholesome deeds.

एतादृशोहं भगवाननन्तः सदा वसिष्ठस्य समान एव ॥ ३,७.

O Lord, I am always like this, endless one, always equal to Vasiṣṭha.

एवं स्तुत्वा मरीचिस्तु तूष्णीमास तदा खग । तदतन्तरजोह्यत्रिरस्तावीत्प्राञ्जलिर्हरिम् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, Marīci then became silent, O bird; immediately after him, Atri, with joined palms, praised Hari.

आविर्भवज्जगत्प्रभवायावतीर्णं तद्रक्षणार्थमनवद्यञ्च तथाव्ययाय । तत्त्वार्थमूलमविकारि तव स्वरूपं ह्यानन्दसारमत एव विकारशून्यम् ॥ ३,७.

You, who have manifested for the creation of the world, descended for its protection, flawless and imperishable; your true nature is the root of reality, unchanging, the very essence of bliss, ever free from transformation.

त्रैगुण्यशून्यमखिलेषु च संविभक्तं तत्र प्रविश्य भगवन्न हि पश्यतीव । अतो मुरारेस्तव सद्गुणांश्च स्तोतुं न शक्नोमि मरीचितुल्यः ॥ ३,७.

Devoid of the three guṇas, yet pervading all things; having entered therein, O Lord, you do not seem to see them; therefore, O slayer of Mura, I, like Marīci, am unable to praise your noble qualities.

एवं स्तुत्वा ह्यत्रिरपितूष्णीमास तदा खग । तदनन्तरजः स्तोतुमङ्गिरा वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, Atri too became silent at that time, O bird; immediately after him, Aṅgiras spoke words to praise.

अङ्गिरा उवाच । द्रष्टुं न शक्नोमि तव स्वरूपं ह्यनन्तबाहूदरमस्तकं च । अनन्तसाहस्रकिरीटजुष्टं महार्हनानाभरणैश्च शोभितम् । एतादृशं रूपमनन्तपारं स्तोतुं ह्यशक्तस्तु समोस्मि चात्रेः ॥ ३,७.

Aṅgiras said: I am unable to behold your true form, with infinite arms, belly, and heads, adorned with countless thousands of crowns, shining with great and various precious ornaments; such a boundless form I am powerless to praise, just as Atri was.

एवं स्तुत्वा ह्यङ्गिराश्च तूष्णीमास खगेश्वर । तदनन्तरजः स्तोतुं पुलस्त्यो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, Aṅgiras too became silent, O lord of birds; immediately after him, Pulastya spoke words to praise.

पुलस्त्य उवाच । यो वा हरिस्तु भगवान्स (स्व) उपासकानां संदर्शयेद्भुवनमङ्गलमङ्गलं च । (लश्च) यस्मै नमो भगवते पुरुषाय तुभ्यं यो वाविता निरयभागगमप्रसङ्गे ॥ ३,७.

Pulastya said: That Hari, the Blessed Lord, reveals to his devotees both auspicious and inauspicious worlds; to him I bow, to the Blessed Person, who delivers even those destined for hell from the course of suffering.

एतादृशांस्तव गुणान्नवितुं न शक्तं मां पाहि भगवन्सदृशो ह्यङ्गिरसा च ॥ ३,७.

I am unable to know such qualities of yours; protect me, O Lord, for I am just like Aṅgiras in this regard.

एवं स्तुत्वा पुलस्त्योपि स्तूष्णीमेव बभूव ह । तदनन्तरजः स्तोतुं पुलहो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, Pulastya too became silent; immediately after him, Pulaha spoke words to praise.

पुलह उवाच । निष्कामरूपरिहितस्य समर्पितं च स्नानावरोत्तमपयः फलपुष्पभोज्यम् । आराधनं भगवतस्तव सत्क्रियाश्च व्यर्थं भवेदिति वदन्ति महानुभावाः ॥ ३,७.

Pulaha said: Offerings of water, fruits, flowers, and food, even the best, if given without desire and with a pure heart, are said by the great to be vain as worship and service to you, O Lord.