Garuda Purana

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.

तस्मै सदा भगवते प्रणमामि नित्यं निष्कामया तव समर्पणमात्रबुद्ध्या । वैकुण्ठनाथ भगवन्स्तवने न शक्तिः सोहं पुलस्त्यसदृशोस्मि न संशयोत्र ॥ ३,७.

To that eternal Lord I bow always, with a mind intent only on offering without desire; O Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, I have no power to praise you, I am just like Pulastya in this—of this there is no doubt.

एवं स्तुत्वा तु पुलहस्तूष्णीमास तदा खग । तदनन्तरजः स्तोतुं क्रतुः समुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, Pulaha too became silent at that time, O bird; immediately after him, Kratu began to praise.

क्रतुरुवाच । प्राणप्रयाणसमये भगवंस्तवैव नामानि संसृतिजदुःखविनाशकानि । येनैकजन्मशमलं सहसैव हित्वा संयाति मुक्तिममलां तमहं प्रपद्ये ॥ ३,७.

Kratu said: At the time of the departure of life, O Lord, your very names destroy the suffering born of transmigration; by which, having instantly cast off the impurity of a single birth, one attains pure liberation—unto that I take refuge.

ये भक्त्या विवशा विष्णो नाममात्रैकजल्पकाः । तेपि मुक्तिं प्रयान्त्याशु किमुत ध्यायिनः सदा ॥ ३,७.

Those who, overwhelmed with devotion, utter only your name, O Viṣṇu, they too quickly attain liberation—how much more so those who always meditate upon you!

एवं स्तुत्वा क्रतुरपि तूष्णीमास खगेश्वर । तदनन्तरजः स्तोतुं मनुर्वैवस्वतोब्रवीत् ॥ ३,७.

Having thus praised, Kratu too became silent, O lord of birds; immediately after him, Manu Vaivasvata spoke to praise.

वैवस्वत उवाच । सोहं हि कर्मकरणे निरतः सदैव स्त्रीणां भोगे च निरतश्च गुदे प्रमत्तः । जिह्वेन्द्रिये च निरतस्तव दर्शने च सम्यग्विरागसहितः परमोदरेण ॥ ३,७.

Vaivasvata said: I am always engaged in performing actions, absorbed in the pleasures of women, heedless in the lower passions, intent upon the tongue and senses, yet in beholding you, I am truly detached with supreme indifference.

मांसास्थिमज्जरुधिरैः सहिते च देहे भक्तिं सदैव भगवन्नपि तस्करे च । गुर्वग्निबाडबगवादिषु सत्सु दुःखात्सम्यग्विरक्तिमुपयामि सहस्व नित्यम् ॥ ३,७.

Though my body is composed of flesh, bone, marrow, and blood, still, O Lord, I always have devotion—even as a thief; among teachers, fire, and other venerable ones, I attain true detachment from suffering—may you always bear with me.

लोकानुवादश्रवणे परमा च शक्तिर्नारायणस्य नमने न च मेस्ति शक्तिः । लोकानुयानकरणे परमा च शक्तिः क्षेत्रादिमार्गगमने परमा ह्यशक्तिः ॥ ३,७.

I have supreme power in hearing worldly talk, but no power at all in praising Nārāyaṇa; I have great power in following worldly ways, and in traveling to fields and such paths, but truly no power at all.

वैश्यादिकेषु धनिकेषु परा च शक्तिः सद्ब्राह्मणेष्वपि न शक्तिरहो मुरारे ॥ ३,७.

Among the wealthy in the classes of Vaiśyas and others, there is greater power; but even among virtuous Brāhmaṇas, alas, there is no such power, O Murāri.

वैवस्वतमनुर्देवं स्तुत्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह । तदनन्तरजः स्तोतुं विश्वामित्रोपचक्रमे ॥ ३,७.

Vaivasvata Manu, having praised the divine, became silent; then, after him, Viśvāmitra began to offer praise.