Garuda Purana

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.

स्वभोगभार्यासत्यलोकादिभोगः स्वयोग्यभोगो वस्त्रमाल्यादिभोगः । एते हि सर्वे बहिरर्थसंज्ञकाः नैसर्गकामाः सर्वदा मे हि विष्णो ॥ ३,१२.

Enjoyment with one's own spouse, pleasures of the heavenly realms, and enjoyment of garments and garlands—these all are called external objects, and are always natural desires for me, O Viṣṇu.

तथाप्यहं कामहीनो हि नित्यं रुद्रादयः कामवन्तो यतोतः । शरीरिणस्ते बहिरर्थभावा अज्ञानवन्तोऽपि च संस्मृताः खग ॥ ३,१२.

Yet I am always without desire, while Rudra and others possess desires; because they are embodied, they have attachment to external things, and are also considered to be ignorant, O bird.

स्वदारभोगे केवलां प्रीतिमेवं हरेरेवं सर्वदाहं करोति । स्तम्बास्त्रादीन्धारियिष्ये सदैव विष्णोः प्रीत्यर्थं नैव गात्रार्थमेव ॥ ३,१२.

In the enjoyment with my own wife, I always act only for the sake of pleasing Hari; I will bear even pillars and the like always for Viṣṇu's pleasure, never for the sake of my own body.

नित्यानन्दादन्यकामो न मेस्ति अतः सदा बहिरर्थैश्च शून्यः । ममापि भार्या बहिरर्थशून्या अमूढभावा मूढवतीव दृश्यते ॥ ३,१२.

Other than eternal bliss, I have no desire; therefore, I am always devoid of external objects. Even my wife is free from external attachment, possessing unclouded understanding, though she appears as if deluded.

अमूढभूता ज्ञानिनां सर्वदैव तथाज्ञानां ज्ञानहीनेति भाति । यावज्ज्ञानं चास्ति मे वास्तुदेव तावज्ज्ञानं वासुदेवस्य चास्ति ॥ ३,१२.

She is always seen as wise among the knowledgeable, and as lacking knowledge among the ignorant; as long as I have true knowledge, so long does Vāsudeva have knowledge.

यावज्ज्ञानं वासुदेवस्य चास्ति तावज्ज्ञानं ज्ञानवतामृजूनाम् । क्रमेणैवाज्ञानिनां वानृजूनामस्पष्टरूपो ज्ञानगतो विशेषः ॥ ३,१२.

As long as Vāsudeva has knowledge, so long do the upright possess knowledge; but among the ignorant and the unrighteous, the distinction of knowledge appears indistinct, gradually.

सौरिप्रकाशे च यथैव दर्शनं तथा मम ज्ञानगतो विशेषः । दीपप्रकाशे च यथैव दर्शनं तथा ज्ञानं वासुदेवस्य चास्ति ॥ ३,१२.

Just as vision occurs in sunlight, so is the distinction of my knowledge; and just as vision occurs in lamplight, so is the knowledge of Vāsudeva.

अस्पष्टपरूपा न्यूनता ह्यस्ति वायौ तथा ज्ञानं नैव संचिन्तनीयम् । एतादृशी ज्ञानशक्तिर्मुरारेर्वाय्वादीनां मोक्षपर्यन्तमस्ति ॥ ३,१२.

There is a lack of clarity and a deficiency in the wind, and so knowledge should not be conceived in that way; such is the power of knowledge of Murāri, extending up to liberation for the winds and others.

ज्ञानं त्वृजूनां मोक्षकालेपि पञ्चवाय्वादीनां प्रलयेनाद्रादीर्न । वायोर्मम प्रलये सृष्टिकाले तथा गायत्र्या नास्तिनास्त्येव मोहः ॥ ३,१२.

Even at the time of liberation, the knowledge of the upright does not perish, nor does that of the five winds and others at dissolution; at the dissolution of the wind and at the time of creation, there is never any delusion for me or for Gāyatrī.

गायत्रीवद्भारत्या देवदेव ज्ञातव्यमेवं हरितत्त्ववेदिभिः । ममाज्ञानं दृश्यते यत्र कुत्र दैत्यादीनां मोहनार्थ सदैव ॥ ३,१२.

O Lord of gods, just as with Gāyatrī and Bhāratī, so too should this be understood by those who know the truth of Hari; wherever my ignorance is seen, it is always for the purpose of deluding demons and others.