Garuda Purana

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.

तावन्न जानाति विधिः खगेन्द्र ज्ञाने विधातुश्च स्वयोग्यभूते । अतो विरिञ्चस्य न चिन्तनीयो ह्यज्ञानलेशः क्वापि देशे च काले ॥ ३,१२.

O King of Birds, until that time, even the Creator does not know, when the knowledge appropriate to the Creator is not present; therefore, not even the slightest trace of ignorance should be imagined in Brahmā, at any place or time.

नाडीं समाविश्य तदा विरिञ्चो न वेद नारायणमेकवच्च । तदाऽशृणोत्तं कमलासनं प्रभुस्तपस्तप द्व्यक्षरं सादरेण ॥ ३,१२.

At that time, having entered the nāḍī, Brahmā did not know Nārāyaṇa as the One; then, the Lord, seated on the lotus, heard with reverence the two-syllabled word 'tapa, tapa' (austerity, austerity).

अभिप्रायं तस्य सम्यग्विदित्त्वा तपः कुरु त्वं हरितुष्ट्यर्थमेव । तपोऽकरोद्धरिपादैक निष्ठो हरेः प्रीत्यर्थं दिव्यसहस्रवर्षम् ॥ ३,१२.

Having fully understood his intention, he said, 'Perform austerity for the sake of pleasing Hari alone'; thus, devoted solely to the feet of Hari, he performed austerity for a divine thousand years for the sake of Hari's pleasure.

ततो हरिः प्रादुरासीत्खगेन्द्र वरं दातुं भक्तवरस्य दिव्यम् । सदा विष्णुं देवदेवो ददर्श चतुर्भुजं तं जलजायताक्षम् ॥ ३,१२.

Then Hari appeared, O King of Birds, to grant a boon to his devoted servant; Brahmā always beheld Viṣṇu, the God of gods, four-armed, with eyes like lotus petals.

श्रीवत्सलक्ष्मं गलशोभिकौस्तुभं संपश्यन्तं सुप्रसन्नार्द्रदृष्ट्या । दृष्ट्वा हरिं ब्रह्म नारायणं च पुरः स्थितं भक्तवश्यं दयालुम् ॥ ३,१२.

He saw the mark of Śrīvatsa, the radiant Kaustubha gem at his throat, beholding him with a gaze full of serene compassion; seeing Hari, Nārāyaṇa, standing before him, subject to his devotee and full of mercy.

समर्चयामास महाविभूत्या भक्त्या हरेः पादतीर्थं दधार । अस्तौन्महाभागवतप्रधानो हरिं गुरुं भक्तिविवर्धितात्मा ॥ ३,१२.

With great devotion and supreme opulence, he worshipped the sacred water from Hari's feet; the foremost among great devotees, his heart expanded by devotion, he praised Hari, the Guru.

ब्रह्मोवाच । रमेश लोकेश जगन्निवास तव स्वरूपं न विजानाति देवी । तव प्रसादात्सुविजानाति देवी गुणान्वेदोक्तान्सर्वदा वीन्द्र सर्वान् ॥ ३,१२.

Brahmā said: O Lord of Lakṣmī, Lord of the worlds, abode of the universe, even the Goddess does not know your true nature; but by your grace, O Indra of the gods, she always knows the qualities described in the Vedas, all of them.

तथापि सा न विजानाति देवी साकल्येनाशेषितः सद्गुणांश्च । यद्यप्यनुक्तं पञ्चभिर्नास्ति वेदैस्तथापि देवेऽत्र विशेष आस्ते ॥ ३,१२.

Yet, even so, the Goddess does not know you completely, nor all your excellent qualities in their entirety; even though the five Vedas do not state it, still, O Lord, there is a distinction here.

तत्त्वेच्छवः प्रविजानन्ति नित्यं वेदे सूक्तान्क्वाप्यनुक्तांश्च सर्वान् । आदौ जानन्त्यत्र वेदा मुरारे ऋगादयः सुष्ठु चत्वार एव ॥ ३,१२.

Those who desire the truth always know, from the Veda, all the hymns, even those not explicitly stated; at first, the four Vedas—Ṛg and the others—know you well, O Murāri.

वेदा ह्येते वेदयन्तीति देव तथा पुराणं भारतं पञ्चरात्रम् । क्रमादितो विचिन्त्य सा विष्णुगुणान्स्वयोग्यान्सदा विजानाति रमापि देवी ॥ ३,१२.

Indeed, these are called Vedas, O Lord: likewise the Purāṇa, the Mahābhārata, and the Pañcarātra; by reflecting in order, even Lakṣmī always knows Viṣṇu's qualities appropriate to her.