Garuda Purana

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.

विश्वामित्र उवाच । न ध्याते चरणांबुजे भगवतो संध्यापि नानुष्ठिता ज्ञानद्वारकपाटपाटनपटुर्धर्मोपि नोपार्जितः । अन्तर्व्याप्तमलाभिघातकरणे पट्वी श्रुता ते कथा नो देव श्रवणेन पाहि भगवन्मामत्रितुल्यं सदा ॥ ३,७.

Viśvāmitra said: I have not meditated upon the lotus feet of the Lord, nor have I performed the twilight rites; I have not acquired the skill to open the gate of knowledge, nor have I attained righteousness. Your teachings, which penetrate within and dispel impurity, I have heard, but not mastered. O Lord, protect me always by hearing, for I am ever unequal to Atri.

विश्वामित्रऋषिस्त्वेवं स्तुत्वा तूष्णीं बभूव ह । भृगुनारदक्षांश्च विहाय ब्रह्मपुत्रकाः ॥ ३,७.

Thus, having praised, the sage Viśvāmitra became silent; and the sons of Brahmā, leaving aside Bhṛgu, Nārada, and Dakṣa, remained.

सप्तसंख्या वसिष्ठाद्या विश्वामित्रस्तथैव च । वैवस्वतमनुस्त्वेते परस्परसमाः स्मृताः ॥ ३,७.

The seven, counted as Vasiṣṭha and others, as well as Viśvāmitra, and Vaivasvata Manu, are remembered as equal to one another.

वह्नेरप्यवरा नित्यं किञ्चिन्मित्राद्गुणाधिकाः । तदनन्तजस्तोत्रं वक्ष्ये शृणु खगेश्वर ॥ ३,७.

Those born from Agni are always lesser, though some surpass Mitra in qualities; now I shall recite the praise of the next-born, listen, O Lord of Birds.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ८ क्रतोरनन्तरं जातो मित्रो (श्रो) नाम खगेश्वर । नारायणं जगद्योनिं स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,८.

In the eighth chapter of the glorious Garuḍa Purāṇa: After the sacrifice, Mitra was born, O Lord of Birds; he began to praise Nārāyaṇa, the source of the universe.

मित्र उवाच । नतोस्म्यज्ञस्त्वच्चरणारविन्दं भवच्छिदं स्वस्त्ययनं भवच्छिदे । वेद स्वयं भगवान्वासुदेवो नाहं नाग्निर्न त्रिदेवा मुनीन्द्राः ॥ ३,८.

Mitra said: Though ignorant, I bow to your lotus feet, which destroy worldly existence and bring auspiciousness. The blessed Vāsudeva himself is the Veda; neither I, nor Agni, nor the three gods, nor the foremost sages, are so.

अथापरे भागवतप्रधाना यदा न जानीयुरथापरे कुतः । मां पाहि नित्यं परतोप्यधीश विश्वामित्रान्न्यून एवेति नित्यम् । अहं पर्जन्यार्द्विगुण एव नित्यमतो मम स्तवने नास्ति शक्तिः ॥ ३,८.

When even the foremost devotees do not know, how could others know? Protect me always, O Supreme Lord, for I am ever less than Viśvāmitra. I am always twice inferior to Parjanya; therefore, I have no power in praising you.

एवं स्तुत्वा हरिं मित्रस्तूष्णीमास तदा खग । तदनन्तरजा तारा स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,८.

Thus, having praised Hari, Mitra became silent at that time, O Bird; then, after him, Tārā began to offer praise.

तारोवाच अनन्येन तु भावेन भक्तिं कुर्वन्ति ये दृढाम् । त्वत्कृते त्यक्तकर्माणस्त्यक्तस्वजनबान्धवाः ॥ ३,८.

Tārā said: Those who perform steadfast devotion with undivided mind for your sake, abandoning actions and forsaking their own relatives and friends—

त्वदाश्रयां कथां श्रुत्वा (दृष्ट्वा) शृण्वन्ति कथयन्ति च । तथैते साधवो विष्णो सर्वसंगविवर्जिताः ॥ ३,८.

Having heard (or seen) your stories, they listen and narrate them; thus, these virtuous ones, O Viṣṇu, are free from all attachments.