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.
तन्मध्ये पतितां पाहि सदा मित्रसमां प्रभो । तारानन्तरजः प्राह निरृतिश्च खगेश्वर ॥ ३,८.
Among them, protect me always, O Lord, equal to Mitra; after Tārā, Nirṛti spoke, O Lord of Birds.
निरृतिरुवाच । योगेन त्वय्यर्पितया च भक्त्या संयान्ति लोकाः परमां गतिं च । आसेवया सर्वगुणाधिकानां ज्ञानेन वैराग्ययुतेनदवे ॥ ३,८.
Nirṛti said: By yoga dedicated to you and by devotion, people attain the highest state; by service to those who excel in all virtues, with knowledge joined to detachment.
चित्तस्य निग्रहेणैव विष्णोर्यान्ति परं पदम् । अतो मां पाहि दयया सदा तारासमं प्रभो । तदनन्तरजा स्तोतुं प्रावही तं प्रचक्रमे ॥ ३,८.
By restraint of the mind alone, they reach the supreme abode of Viṣṇu; therefore, O Lord, always protect me with compassion, equal to Tārā. After Nirṛti, Pravāhī began to offer praise.
प्रवाह्युवाच । सुताः प्रसंगेन भवन्ति वीर्यात्तव प्रसादात्परमाः सम्पदश्च । या ह्युत्तमश्लोकरसायनाः कथास्तत्सेवनादास्त्वपवर्गवर्त्मनि ॥ ३,८.
Pravāhī said: Children are born through association, and by your grace, supreme strength and wealth arise; those stories which are the nectar of the highest praise, by their service, one attains the path of liberation.
भक्तिर्भवेत्सर्वदा देवदेव सदाप्यहं निरृतेः साम्यमेव । सहर्भाष्यकोमित्रः त्कयीतारः प्रकीर्तिताः ॥ ३,८.
May devotion always arise, O God of gods; I am always equal to Nirṛti. Saharbhāṣya, Komitra, Tkayī, and Tārā are named.
कोणाधिपो निरृतिश्च प्रावही प्रवहप्रिया । चत्वार एते पर्जन्यात्त्रिगुणाः परिकीर्तिताः ॥ ३,८.
Koṇādhipa, Nirṛti, Pravāhī, and Pravaha's beloved—these four are declared to be three times inferior to Parjanya.
तदनन्तरजान्वक्ष्ये ताञ्छृणु त्वं खगेश्वर । प्रवाहभार्यानन्तरजो विष्वक्सेनोथपार्षदः । वायुपुत्रो महाभागः हरिं स्तोतुं प्रचक्रमे ॥ ३,८.
After that, I will now tell you about those who come next—listen, O Lord of Birds. Viṣvaksena, the chief attendant, born after the wife of the wind, the greatly fortunate son of Vāyu, began to praise Hari.
विष्वक्सेन उवाच । भगवान्मोक्षदः कृष्णः पूर्णानन्दो सदायदि । यदि स्यात्परमा भक्तिर्ह्य परोक्षत्वसाधना ॥ ३,८.
Viṣvaksena said: The Blessed Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is the giver of liberation, ever complete in bliss. If there is supreme devotion, even when practiced indirectly, it leads to realization.
तथा स्वगुरुमारभ्य ब्रह्मान्तेषु च साधुषु । तद्योग्यतानुसारेण भक्तिर्निष्कपटा यदि ॥ ३,८.
Likewise, if one has pure, guileless devotion, beginning with one's own teacher and extending to the virtuous up to Brahmā, according to their worthiness—
तुलस्यादिषु जीवेषु यदि स्यात्प्रीतिरण्डज । संस्मृतिश्च तदा नाशी भूयादेव न संशयः ॥ ३,८.
If, O bird-born, there is affection for living beings such as Tulasī and others, then remembrance of the Lord will never be lost—of this there is no doubt.
एवं स्तुत्त्वा महाभागो विष्वक्से नो महाप्रभो । तूष्णीं बभूव गरुड प्राञ्जलिर्नम्रकन्धरः । मित्रादहं न्यून एव नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥ ३,८.
Having thus praised the great Lord, the greatly fortunate Viṣvaksena became silent, Garuḍa, with hands joined and head bowed. I am indeed inferior to my friend; there is no need to consider this further.
श्रीगरुड उवाच । अजानजस्वरूपं च ब्रूहि कृष्ण महामते । तदन्यांश्च क्रमेणेव वक्तुं कृष्ण त्वमर्हसि ॥ ३,९.
Śrī Garuḍa said: O Kṛṣṇa, of great wisdom, tell me about the nature of the Ajānas, and in order, please also speak of the others.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अजानाख्या देवतास्तु तत्तद्देवकुले भवाः । अजानदेवतास्ता हि तेभ्योग्र्याः कर्मदेवताः ॥ ३,९.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: The deities called Ajānas dwell in their respective divine abodes. The Ajāna deities are indeed superior to the deities born of karma.
विराधश्चारुदेष्णश्च तथा चित्ररथस्तथा । धृतराष्ट्रः किशोरश्च हूहूर्हाहास्तथैव च ॥ ३,९.
Virādha, Arudeṣṇa, Citraratha, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Kiśora, Hūhū, and Hāhā—
विद्याधरश्चोग्रसेनो विश्वावसुपरावसू । चित्रसेनश्च गोपालो बलः पञ्चदश स्मृताः ॥ ३,९.
Vidyādhara, Ugrasena, Viśvāvasu, Parāvasu, Citrasena, Gopāla, and Bala—these fifteen are remembered.
एवमाद्याश्च गन्धर्वाः शतसंख्याः खगेश्वर । अजानजसमा ज्ञेया मुक्तौ संसार एव च ॥ ३,९.
In this way, O Lord of Birds, the foremost Gandharvas, numbering in the hundreds, are to be known as equal to the Ajānas, both in liberation and in worldly existence.
अज्ञानजास्तु मे देवाः कर्मजेभ्यः शतावराः । घृताची मेनका रंभा उर्वशी च तिलोत्तमा ॥ ३,९.
But my deities born of ignorance are inferior by hundreds to those born of karma: Ghṛtācī, Menakā, Rambhā, Urvaśī, and Tilottamā.
सुकेतुः शबरी चैव मञ्जुघोषा च पिङ्गला । इत्यादिकं यक्षरत्नं सह संपरिकीर्तितम् ॥ ३,९.
Suketu, Śabarī, Mañjughoṣā, Piṅgalā, and so on—the chief Yakṣas are also mentioned along with them.
अजानजसमा ह्येते कर्मजेभ्यः शतावराः । विश्वामित्रो वसिष्ठश्च नारदश्च्यवनस्तथा ॥ ३,९.
These, though equal to the Ajānas, are hundreds less than those born of karma: Viśvāmitra, Vasiṣṭha, Nārada, and Cyavana—
उतथ्यश्च मुनिश्चैतान्द्राजपित्वा खगेश्वर । ऋषयश्च महात्मानो ह्यजानजसमाः स्मृताः ॥ ३,९.
Utathya and other sages, having ruled as kings, O Lord of Birds, are also remembered as great-souled sages equal to the Ajānas.