Garuda Purana

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.

विशेषतो ह्युक्तगुणा नृगादिषु स्वयोग्यभूतान्संविजानाति देवी । सामान्यतः प्रविजानाति देवी हरेर्गुणान्न विशेषाच्च नित्यम् ॥ ३,१२.

Especially, the Goddess knows the qualities stated in the hymns of the Vedas, those appropriate to herself; in general, she knows Hari's qualities, but not always in particular detail.

अहं विजानामि रमाप्रसादात्तव प्रसादाच्च गुणान्सदैव । स्वयोग्यभूताञ्छ्रुतिषूक्तान् गुणांश्च कांश्चिद्विजानाति हरेर्न कश्चित् ॥ ३,१२.

By the grace of Lakṣmī and by your grace, I always know your qualities; but no one knows all of Hari's qualities, even those stated in the Vedas as appropriate to themselves.

तव प्रसादाच्च मम प्रसादात्कालान्तरे तांश्च जानाति शेषः । दुष्कर्मलेशान्न तिरोहितान् गुणान्यानेव पूर्वं विदितान् स्वयोग्यान् ॥ ३,१२.

By your grace and mine, at another time, Śeṣa also knows them; but not those qualities concealed by even a trace of bad karma, only those previously known and appropriate to himself.

तानेव ज्ञात्वा पुनरेव शेषस्तिरो हितांल्लब्धगुणस्ततः स्मृतः । सदा स्वयोग्यांश्च हरेर्गुणांश्च उमापतिश्चापि तव प्रसादात् ॥ ३,१२.

Having known those, again Śeṣa attains the concealed qualities and is then remembered as possessing them; and always, by your grace, Umāpati too knows Hari's qualities appropriate to himself.

यदा विजानाति हरे मुरारे अप्राप्तलब्धेति तदोच्यते हरः । ममापि लोकं च यदा मुरारे तदा विजानाति तव स्वरूपम् ॥ ३,१२.

When Hara knows, O Murāri, that which was previously unattained, then he is said to have attained it; and when he knows my world, O Murāri, then he knows your true nature.

गोविन्द नित्याव्यय चित्सुपूर्ण तव प्रसादान्नास्ति शतेषु तन्मम। येये हि देवाश्च शरीरधारिणस्ते ज्ञानहीना विषयेषु निष्ठाः ॥ ३,१२.

Govinda, eternal, imperishable, full of consciousness, by your grace, I do not possess that (knowledge) even in hundreds (of lives); and those gods who possess bodies are lacking in knowledge, established in sense objects.

येये देवा विषयेषु निष्ठास्तेते देवा बहिरर्थभावाः । येये देवा बहिरर्थभावा मोक्षादन्ये प्रलपन्तः सदैव ॥ ३,१२.

Those gods who are established in sense objects are gods whose nature is external; and those gods whose nature is external, always speak incoherently, being other than liberation.

तव स्वरूपे च जगत्स्वरूपे तवासमानं नास्ति विष्णो सदैव । यतस्तव प्राकृतो नास्ति देहो यतो ज्ञानं नास्ति नास्त्येव नित्यम् ॥ ३,१२.

In your true nature and in the nature of the world, O Viṣṇu, there is never anything unequal to you; for you do not have a material body, nor is there ignorance—there is never any, ever.

पूर्णानन्दज्ञानदेहोऽपि नित्यं सदा शरीरी भाष्यते भक्तिमद्भिः । यतस्तव प्राकृतो नास्ति देहो ह्यतोपि नित्यमशरीरीति च स्मृतः ॥ ३,१२.

Even though your form is of complete bliss and knowledge, you are always described as embodied by your devotees; for you do not have a material body, and thus you are also remembered as eternally bodiless.

नतोऽहं सर्वदास्मिञ्शरीरेऽहंममेत्यभिमानेन शून्यः । अत्तोऽप्यहं त्वशरीरी सदैव तथैव नित्यं बहिरर्थैश्च शून्यः ॥ ३,१२.

I am always bowed, yet in this body I am devoid of the sense of 'I' and 'mine'; therefore, I too am ever bodiless, and always free from attachment to external objects.