Garuda Purana

सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यमुद्धत्य भुजमुत्यते । वेदाच्छास्त्रं परं नास्ति न देवः केशवात्परः ॥ ३,१०.

Truth, truth, again truth—I declare this raising my arm: there is no scripture higher than the Veda, nor any god higher than Keśava.

सर्वोत्कृष्टं केशवं च विहायान्यमुपासते । तेषामन्धं तमो ज्ञेयं पितॄणां गरुणामपि ॥ ३,१०.

Those who abandon Keśava, the highest of all, and worship another—their darkness is to be known as blind, even among ancestors and birds.

इदानीं शृणु पक्षीन्द्र वैकृतं सर्गमुत्तमम् । सम्यग्जानाति यो लोके स याति परमं पदम् ॥ ३,१०.

Now hear, O king of birds, the supreme secondary creation; whoever knows it rightly in the world attains the highest state.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ११ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । पुरुषाख्यो हरिः साक्षाद्भगवान्पुरुषोत्तमः । शिश्येत्वण्डोदक विष्णुर्नृणां साहस्रवत्सरम् । लक्ष्मीश्चोदकरूपेण शय्यारूपेण भोण्डजा ॥ ३,११.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Hari, called the Puruṣa, the supreme Lord, truly lay in the waters of the cosmic egg for a thousand years of men, O offspring of Vinatā, and Lakṣmī, in the form of water, became his couch.

विद्या तरङ्गरूपेण वायुरूपेण भोण्डज ॥ ३,११.

In the form of the waves of knowledge, and in the form of wind, O offspring of Vinatā.

तमोरूपेण सैवासी न्नान्यदासीत्कथञ्चन । असीद्गर्भोदके चैव नान्यदासीत्कथञ्चन ॥ ३,११.

She alone existed in the form of darkness; there was nothing else whatsoever. In the waters of the cosmic womb, she alone was; nothing else existed at all.

लक्ष्मीस्तुष्टाव च हरिं गर्भोदे पक्षिसत्तम । लक्ष्मीधराभ्यां रूपाभ्यां प्रकृतिर्हरिणा तथा ॥ ३,११.

Lakshmi praised Hari in the cosmic waters, O best of birds. With the forms of Lakshmi and the earth, Nature likewise praised Hari.

शेत श्रुतिस्वरूपेण स्तौति गर्भोदके हरिम् । नारायण नमस्तेऽस्तु शृणु विज्ञापनं मम ॥ ३,११.

She lay there in the form of sacred sound, praising Hari in the cosmic waters: 'O Narayana, I bow to you; please hear my request.'

अजां जहि महाभाग योग्यानां मुक्तिमावह । अजा तु प्रकृतिः प्रोक्ता चापरा प्रकृतिः परा ॥ ३,११.

'O greatly fortunate one, destroy the unborn (Prakriti) and grant liberation to those who are worthy. The unborn is called Prakriti; there is also the lower and the higher Prakriti.'

शततोवरा तु ब्रह्माणी ब्रह्मपत्नी वरानना । उमा शच्यवरा तस्या अवराः संप्रकीर्तिताः ॥ ३,११.

Among hundreds, Brahmani, the wife of Brahma with a beautiful face, is the best; Uma and Shachi are also foremost, and others are said to be lesser.

एतासां हननं नैव प्रार्थयामः सदा हरे । अस्ति प्रतिनृषु ब्रह्म प्रकृती द्वे व्यवस्थिते ॥ ३,११.

'We never desire the destruction of these, O Hari. Among beings, there are two established forms of Prakriti.'

एका तु नित्यसंसारा त्वजशब्दाभिधायिका । द्वितीया तु तमोऽपोह्या अजशब्दाभिधायिका ॥ ३,११.

One is eternal transmigration, known by the term 'unborn'; the second, to be rejected as darkness, is also called by the term 'unborn.'

अत एव त्वजे ज्येष्ठे इति लोके प्रकीर्तिते । सुखदुः खप्रदा चैव अपरा दुः खदैव तु ॥ ३,११.

Therefore, the higher is called 'eldest' in the world; she gives both happiness and sorrow, while the lower gives only sorrow.

मोक्षाधिकारिणामेव ज्ञानैश्वर्यादयो गणाः । तेषामाच्छादिका होका तमोङ्गा सा प्रकीर्तिता ॥ ३,११.

Only for those eligible for liberation are the groups of knowledge, lordship, and so on. That which covers them is called the deluding power, composed of darkness.

जीवं प्रति महाविष्णुं पाह्याच्छादयति प्रभो । सा परा प्रकृतिर्ज्ञेया परमाच्छादिका स्मृता ॥ ३,११.

She covers the soul and even the great Vishnu, O Lord. That is to be known as the higher Prakriti, remembered as the supreme covering power.

एवं सा परमा दुष्टा होका तमोङ्गा तु प्रकीर्तिता । जीववर्गेष्वेव खग ब्रह्मादेर्नास्ति सा क्वचित् ॥ ३,११.

Thus, she is called the supreme and wicked deluding power, composed of darkness. But among the classes of living beings, O bird, she is never found in Brahma and others.

पिशाचवत्समुद्दिष्टा जीवस्येत्यधिकारिणः । प्रेरिका तु तयोर्देव्यो स्त्वहमाद्या सुखात्मिका ॥ ३,११.

She is described as possessing the soul like a demon for those who are eligible. Among these two goddesses, I am the first, of the nature of happiness, and the inspirer.

तत्र विष्णो महाभाग सगुणाच्छादको हितः । परमाच्छादिकां दुष्टां व्यामुच्यैव महाप्रभो ॥ ३,११.

Therefore, O greatly fortunate Vishnu, you are the benefactor who removes the covering of qualities. Having cast off the wicked supreme covering, O great Lord—

मोक्षं देहि महादेव त्वद्भक्तानां महाप्रभो । परमाच्छादिका ह्यस्मान्नित्य संसारिणो यतः ॥ ३,११.

'Grant liberation, O great God, to your devotees, O great Lord. For from this supreme covering, beings are bound in eternal transmigration.'

अत एव च नित्यत्वात्तस्मात्तदपसारणम् । कुरु देव महाभाग इति विज्ञायतां मम ॥ ३,११.

'Therefore, because of its eternal nature, its removal is necessary. O greatly fortunate God, do this—thus, let my request be known.'

एवं स्तुतो हरिः कृष्णो सुप्रबुद्धोऽपि सर्बदा । उद्वुद्धवन्महा विष्णुरभूदज्ञपरीक्षया ॥ ३,११.

Thus praised, Hari Krishna, though always fully awakened, became as if asleep, O best of birds, in order to test knowledge.

तस्य नाभेरभूत्पद्मं सौवर्णं भुवनाश्रयम् । तत्प्राकृतं च विज्ञेयं भूदेवी त्वभिमानिनी ॥ ३,११.

From his navel arose a golden lotus, the support of the worlds. That is to be understood as material; the earth goddess identified herself with it.

अनन्तसूर्यवच्चैव प्रकाशकरमीरितम् । चिदानन्दमयो विष्णुस्तस्माद्भिन्नो न संशयः ॥ ३,११.

Just as the endless sun radiates light, so too did it shine forth. Vishnu, full of consciousness and bliss, is distinct from that—of this there is no doubt.

विष्णोः स्वरूपभूतं च ये विजानन्ति ते नराः । ते यान्ति ह्यधरं लोकं तथा तत्संगिसंगिनः ॥ ३,११.

Those people who know the true form of Vishnu, and those who associate with such people, indeed go to the lower worlds.

किरीटादिकवच्चैव ज्ञातव्यं च खगेश्वर । किरीटाद्या अपि हरेर्द्विधा संति न संशयः ॥ ३,११.

Just as with crowns and similar ornaments, O Lord of Birds, know that even crowns and such things of Hari are of two kinds, without doubt.

स्वरूपा ह्यस्वरूपाश्च स्वस्वरूपनि दर्शने । गृहीता इति विज्ञेया न स्वरूपाः खगेश्वर ॥ ३,११.

There are true forms and non-true forms; those that appear as one's own true form are to be understood as assumed, not as the true forms, O Lord of Birds.

भ्माण्डं ह्यसृजत्तत्र सर्वलोकविधायकम् । प्रलये मुक्तिहीनश्च सुप्त इत्युच्यते बुधः ॥ ३,११.

He created the cosmic egg there, which brings about all worlds; at dissolution, one without liberation is called 'asleep' by the wise.

तस्य समिवस्त्रिवं च न ज्ञातव्या खगेश्वर । प्रलयोपि महाभाग ब्रह्मवाय्वोर्न चास्ति हि ॥ ३,११.

Its true nature, O Lord of Birds, is not to be known; even at dissolution, O greatly fortunate one, there is no true existence of Brahma and Vayu.

वृत्तिरूपं परं ज्ञानं पाद्यार्घ्यं नात्र संशयः । इन्द्रियाणामुपरतिः सुप्तिरित्युच्यते बुधैः ॥ ३,११.

The supreme knowledge in the form of cessation is the washing of the feet and offering of water, without doubt; the cessation of the senses is called 'sleep' by the wise.