Garuda Purana

तस्मात्तद्वास्तवं नास्ति ब्रह्मवाय्वोः खगेश्वर । स्वप्नावस्थायाः सदृशी ह्यवस्था सुप्तिसंज्ञिका ॥ ३,११.

Therefore, the real existence of Brahma and Vayu does not exist, O Lord of Birds; the state called 'sleep' is similar to the dream state.

ब्रह्मण्यमुख्यया वृत्त्या ह्यस्तीत्येवं निबोध मे । अतो न वास्तवमिदमङ्गीकार्यं खगेश्वर ॥ ३,११.

Understand from me that, by the primary function of Brahman, it is said to exist; therefore, O Lord of Birds, this is not to be accepted as truly real.

वास्तवं ये विजानन्ति तेषां नित्यं धनं तपः । श्रीगरुड उवाच । सुप्तिस्त्वज्ञानकार्यत्वात्सुप्तिर्नास्तीत्युदीरिता ॥ ३,११.

Those who know the real, for them wealth and austerity are eternal. Śrī Garuḍa said: Sleep is said not to exist, since it is the result of ignorance.

यदा हि कारणं चास्ति तदा कार्यमिति प्रभो । इत्यभिप्रायगर्भेण त्वं समाधास्य ते यदि ॥ ३,११.

When the cause exists, then the effect exists, O Lord; if you resolve this with such an intention, then—

तर्हि तस्य महाभाग कथं ब्रूहि भयादिकम् । भयादिकं ह्यस्तु नाम का वास्माकं क्षतिर्भवेत् ॥ ३,११.

Then, O greatly fortunate one, tell me how fear and the like arise; let there be fear and such, but what harm would come to us?

एवमुक्तस्तु गोविन्दोब्रवीत्तत्रापि कारणम् । भयं त्वज्ञानकार्यं स्यात्कार्याकारणमत्र हि ॥ ३,११.

Thus addressed, Govinda spoke: Even there, the cause is present; fear is the result of ignorance, for here the effect is without a cause.

प्रीयते मत्वा ब्रह्म तस्मात्सुप्तिश्च तत्र हि । अज्ञादिकं यदि ब्रह्म तस्य न स्यात्कथञ्चन ॥ ३,११.

Thinking of Brahman, one is pleased; therefore, sleep is there. If Brahman were ignorance and the like, then it would never be so.

कथं सुखी प्रदृश्येत न कथञ्चित्करिष्यति । कथं वा मुक्तिपर्यन्तं ज्ञानव्यक्तिर्वदस्व मे ॥ ३,११.

How could one be happy or act in any way? Tell me, how does the manifestation of knowledge continue up to liberation?

यद्यज्ञानं तस्य सत्यं न स्यात्तर्हि महाप्रभो । अत्यादरात्कथं ब्रह्मञ्छ्रवणं कुरुते वद ॥ ३,११.

If ignorance truly belonged to it, then, O great Lord, how could Brahman, out of great respect, listen to the teaching?

इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा कृष्णो वचनमब्रवीत् । भयं च वास्तवं तस्य न जानीहि महामते ॥ ३,११.

Hearing these words, Krishna spoke: Know that fear is not real for it, O greatly wise one.

दृश्यते मद्भयं तस्य हरिप्रीत्यर्थमेव च । भयाकामवतीवानमुवास्तवमीरितम् ॥ ३,११.

Fear of me is seen in it, and also for the sake of pleasing Hari; fear, like desire, is said to be unreal.

प्राप्तप्राब्धलेशस्त तस्य नास्ति खगेश्वर । दुः खाज्ञानादिकं किञ्चित्कथं तस्मिन् भविष्यति ॥ ३,११.

O King of Birds, for him who has attained even a fraction of his destined portion, there is no suffering, ignorance, or the like; how could such things exist in him?

विष्णोराज्ञानुसारेण भयायानुकरोत्यसौ । तेन प्रीणाति च हरिस्तस्य नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥ ३,११.

He acts out of fear in accordance with the command of Viṣṇu; by this, he pleases Hari—of this there is no doubt.

शृणोति सततं ब्रह्मा न चिन्त्यात्तावताज्ञता । कदाचिद्दृश्यते ब्रह्मा दुः खी न च खगेश्वर ॥ ३,११.

Brahmā always hears, but does not think; thus, ignorance is not to be considered here. Sometimes Brahmā appears to be suffering, but not truly, O King of Birds.

यद्ब्रह्म च न जानीयाद्धरिप्रीत्यर्थमेव च । दुः खिवद्दृश्यते ब्रह्मा आज्ञानां मोहनाय च ॥ ३,११.

If Brahmā does not know something, it is only for the sake of pleasing Hari; Brahmā appears as if suffering, for the delusion of the ignorant.

योग्यतामनतिक्रम्य यावज्ज्ञानं च तिष्ठति । ब्रह्मणस्तावदेवास्ति नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥ ३,११.

So long as knowledge remains, within the bounds of his own capacity, it exists for Brahmā; there is no need for further inquiry here.

ज्ञानस्य व्यक्तता नाम विद्यमानस्य चादरात् । ज्ञानस्यासादनं चैव ज्ञानव्यक्तिरिति स्मृता ॥ ३,११.

The manifestation of knowledge, when it is present and approached with reverence, and the attainment of knowledge—this is what is called the manifestation of knowledge.

अतो ज्ञानादिकं नास्ति ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । पद्माद्धिरण्म याज्जातो ब्रह्मा तु चतुराननः ॥ ३,११.

Therefore, there is no ignorance or the like in Brahmā, the supreme creator; Brahmā, the four-faced one, was born from the lotus arising from the golden egg.

सर्वदाऽलोचनायुक्तस्तेन स्वालोचनं कृतम् । अज्ञानां मोहनार्थाय हरिप्रीत्यर्थमेव च ॥ ३,११.

He is always endowed with reflection, and thus his own reflection is performed—for the delusion of the ignorant and for the pleasure of Hari.

संकल्पोपि तथैवास्ति न ह्यज्ञानात्कृतस्तथा । को वा मां सृष्टवानत्र इति ह्यालोच्य स प्रभुः ॥ ३,११.

Even so, intention exists, but it is not produced from ignorance; considering, 'Who indeed created me here?'—thus that Lord reflects.

तं विचारयितुं ब्रह्मा पद्मनाडीं विवेश ह ॥ ३,११.

To investigate this, Brahmā entered the stalk of the lotus.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् १२ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । नाडीं समाविश्य महानुभावः श्रीविष्णुभक्तो त्वथ पुष्करस्थः । विचारयामास गुरुं स्वमूलं नारायणं निर्गुणमद्वितीयम् ॥ ३,१२.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Then, the great-souled devotee of Viṣṇu, who was situated in the lotus, entered the stalk and began to contemplate his own source, Nārāyaṇa, who is without qualities and without a second.

एतावता हरिभक्तस्य तस्याप्यच्छिन्नभक्तस्य चतुर्मुखस्य । विचारकाले च विचिन्तनीयो ह्यज्ञानलेशस्तु खगेश्वरेश्वर ॥ ३,१२.

O Lord of Birds, even for that four-faced one, whose devotion to Hari is unbroken, at the time of inquiry, a trace of ignorance is to be considered.

यथास्ति विष्णोर्मनः सङ्कल्प एव तथैव सोपि प्रकरोति नित्यम् । आलोचने तस्य सदास्ति भूमन्स्वयोग्यतामनतिक्रम्य चैव ॥ ३,१२.

Just as Viṣṇu has intention only in thought, so too does he always act; in his reflection, knowledge remains, never exceeding his own capacity.

हरेः स्वरूपे च तथा प्रपञ्चः स्वस्मिन्स्वरूपे च खगास्ति ज्ञानम् । यथापि नित्यं परिचारवारि च अज्ञातवद्दृश्यते विष्णुना च ॥ ३,१२.

In the true nature of Hari, and likewise in the world, knowledge exists in its own form; yet, just as a servant always serves, so too does Viṣṇu appear as if unknown.

हरेः प्रीत्यर्थं कुरुतेऽसौ कदाच्चित्तत्रापि कश्चिद्विशेषोऽस्ति वीन्द्र । शृणुष्व सम्यङ्निगृहीतचित्तो यथा प्रोवाच स विजानाति देवः ॥ ३,१२.

For the sake of pleasing Hari, he acts; sometimes, O best of birds, there is some distinction there. Listen attentively, with your mind well restrained, to how that god spoke and understood.

सदा त्वदोषं प्रविशेषैश्च मुक्तवेदास्तथा वा पविजानन्ति नित्यम् । तस्य स्वरूपं न तथा हरिं च स्वयोग्यतामनतिक्रम्य वेधाः ॥ ३,१२.

The liberated Vedas, always free from error and endowed with distinctions, do not fully know his true nature or that of Hari, never exceeding their own capacity.

हरेः स्वरूपं न विजानाति सर्वं स्वयोग्यरूपं सर्वदा वेत्ति विष्णोः । तत्राज्ञानं नास्ति किञ्चिद्द्विजेन्द्र यावत्स्वरूपं च तथैव लक्ष्म्याः ॥ ३,१२.

He does not know the entire true nature of Hari; he always knows only according to his own capacity, O best of twice-born. There is no ignorance there, just as with the true nature of Lakṣmī.

वेधा न जानाति कुतस्तदन्ये तयोः स्वरूपं न विजानाति सर्वम् । तथापि वेदानेकदेशेन वेद जानाति लक्ष्मीर्हरिरूपं च यावत् ॥ ३,१२.

Brahmā does not know—how then could others? They do not know the full nature of those two. Still, the Vedas know, in part, as much as Lakṣmī and Hari reveal.