Garuda Purana

अमुख्यभोजिनो जीवाः कुन्त्याद्या मुख्यभोजिनः । शुभानि च पिबेद्विष्णुरशुभं नो पिबेद्विभुः ॥ ३,१४.

Living beings who are not principal eaters, such as Kunti and others who are principal eaters; Vishnu drinks what is auspicious, but the Lord does not drink what is inauspicious.

को वदेत्तस्य चेष्टां तु पूर्णानन्दो हरिः स्वयम् । न तेन सदृशः कोपि देशे काले च विद्यते । तस्यावतारान्वक्ष्यहं शृणु पक्षीन्द्रसत्तम ॥ ३,१४.

Who can speak of His actions? Hari Himself is complete bliss; none is equal to Him in any place or time. I will now describe His incarnations—listen, O best among winged beings.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् १५ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अथावता रान्पुरुषाख्यो हरिश्च गतो ध्यानं कर्तुमीशो महात्मा । प्रादुर्बभूवाखिलसद्गुणार्णवः स एव विष्णुः स च बीजभूतः ॥ ३,१५.

Sri Krishna said: Then, the incarnation called Purusha, Hari, went to meditate, the great soul. He appeared, the ocean of all virtues, that very Vishnu, the seed-source.

यो बीजभूतः पुरुषाख्य विष्णुः स एवाभूद्वासुदेवो महात्मा । सृष्टिं कर्तुं पुरुषाख्यस्य वायोर्मायाख्यायां मूलरूपो यथाऽस ॥ ३,१५.

That Vishnu, known as Purusha and the seed-source, became Vasudeva, the great soul, to create. As the root form in the Maya called Purusha, He acted as the source.

यो वासुदेवस्तु स एव जातः संकर्षणाख्यो खिलसद्गुणात्मा । सृष्टिं कर्तुं सूत्रभूतस्य वायोर्जयाख्यायं पूर्णसंवित्परात्मा ॥ ३,१५.

That Vasudeva Himself became Sankarshana, possessed of all virtues, to create. As the thread-source in the wind called Jaya, He was the supreme consciousness, the highest self.

स एवं संकर्षणनामधेयः प्रद्युम्ननामा च स एव विश्रुतः । सरस्वतीभारतीसर्जनार्थं स एव देव्या मूलरूपो बभूव ॥ ३,१५.

That same Sankarshana, so named, is also known as Pradyumna. For the creation of Sarasvati and Bharati, He became the root form of the goddess.

सृष्ट्वा युक्तं षोडशभिः कलाभिर्महत्तत्त्वं सूक्ष्मरूपं स एव । साहङ्कारं क्रीडयामास देवः शृणु त्वं वै षोडशाख्याः कलाश्च ॥ ३,१५.

Having created the great principle, subtle in form, endowed with sixteen aspects, He, the god, played with the sense of ego. Listen now to the sixteen aspects.

भूतानि कर्मेन्द्रियपञ्चकानि ज्ञानेन्द्रियाणीह तथा मनश्च । ततो बभूव ह्यनिरुद्धसंज्ञको जीवांश्च संगृह्य सुपूर्णशक्तिः ॥ ३,१५.

The elements, the five organs of action, the five organs of knowledge, and the mind—then arose Aniruddha, named so, gathering living beings, endowed with perfect power.

सोयं विरिञ्च्यादिसमस्तदेवान् स्थूलेन देहेन ससर्ज नाथः । तथा स विष्णुः पुरुषाभिधस्तु सनत्कुमारत्वमवाप वीन्द्र ॥ ३,१५.

He, the Lord, created all the gods beginning with Virinchi, with a gross body. Thus, Vishnu, called Purusha, assumed the form of Sanatkumara, O king of birds.

अनन्यसाध्यं ब्रह्मचर्यं च कर्तुं दशेन्द्रियाणां शोषणार्थं सदैव । सनन्दनादौ पठितः कुमारस्तस्मान्नान्यो नात्र विचार्यमस्ति ॥ ३,१५.

To accomplish the unattainable vow of celibacy, to dry up the ten senses, always, Kumara was recited among Sanandana and others; none else is to be considered here.

स एव विष्णुः सूकरत्वं ह्यवाप क्षोपणीमुद्धर्तुं दैत्यवपुर्निहन्तुम् । हिरण्याक्षं सज्जनानां खगेन्द्र तथा भूमेः स्थापनार्थं च देवः ॥ ३,१५.

That very Vishnu assumed the form of a boar to lift up the earth, to slay the demon Hiranyaksha, O king of birds, and to establish the earth for the virtuous.

ततो हरिर्मद्विदासत्वमापानृषेर्भार्यायां यामिन्यां यो महात्मा । तत्रावतारे पञ्चरात्रं समग्रमुपादेष्टुं नाप दानं स्वतन्त्रः ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari, the great soul, assumed the form of Madvidasa in the wife of the sage, Yami, to teach the complete Pancharatra doctrine in that incarnation, being independent.

स एव विष्णुः समभूद्ब्रदर्यां नारायणाख्यः शमलापहश्च । तपस्तप्तुं शिक्षयितुं त्वृषीणां तिरस्कर्तुं ह्यप्सरसां सहस्रम् ॥ ३,१५.

That same Vishnu became Narayana in Badari, remover of impurity, to perform austerity, to instruct the sages, and to drive away a thousand apsaras.

ततो हरिः कपिलत्वं ह्यवाप्य तिरोहितान्कालबलेन तत्त्वान् । चतुर्विशतिं संशयं चोद्धरिष्यन्नुपादिशच्चासुरये महात्मा ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari assumed the form of Kapila, hiding the principles by the force of time, to remove doubt about the twenty-four, and instructed the great Asuri.

स एव दतः समभूद्रमेशोनसूयायामत्रिरूपः परात्मा । आन्वीक्षिकिं नाम सुतर्कविद्यामलर्कनाम्ने प्रददात्तां महात्मा ॥ ३,१५.

That same Dattatreya became Ramesha, the supreme self, in the form of Atri, son of Anasuya, and gave the science of inquiry called Anvikshiki, to the one named Alarka, O great soul.

स एव वंशेप्यभवद्रवेश्च आकूत्यां यः सच्चिदानन्दरूपः । स्वायंभुवं यत्तु मन्वन्तरं च देवैः साकं पालयामास वीन्द्र ॥ ३,१५.

He alone became the progenitor in the lineage, and in Ākūti, who is of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss, he, O Indra among men, protected the Svāyaṃbhuva Manvantara together with the gods.

स एव विष्णुः स उरुक्रमोभूदाग्नीध्रपुत्र्यां मेरुदेव्यां च नाभेः । विद्यारतानां मानिनां सर्वदैवमत्याश्चर्यं दर्शयितुं च वीन्द्र ॥ ३,१५.

That same Viṣṇu, renowned for his mighty strides, was born to Nābhi from Merudevī, the daughter of Agnīdhra, O Indra among men, to reveal wondrous deeds to those proud of their learning and to all the gods.

ततो हरिर्जगृहे कूर्मरूपं सुरासुराणामुदधिं विमथ्नताम् । पृष्ठे धर्तुं मन्दरं पर्वतं च ब्रह्माण्डं वा धर्तुमीशो महात्मा ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari assumed the form of a tortoise to support the mountain Mandara on his back, as the gods and demons churned the ocean, and the great soul was able to bear even the cosmic egg.

ततो हरिः प्रादुरभून्महात्मा धन्वन्तरिर्नाम हरिन्मणिद्युतिः । अपथ्यदोषान्परिहर्तुमेव हस्ते गृहीत्वा पूर्णकुभं सुधाभिः ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari, the great soul, appeared as Dhanvantari, radiant like a jewel of Hari, holding a full vessel of nectar in his hand, to remove the harmful effects of unwholesome substances.

ततो हरिर्जगृहे श्रीवपुश्च यन्मोहिनीति प्रवदन्ति लोके । उद्वृत्तानां दितिजानां महात्मा सम्यक्तेषां वञ्चयितुं हरिर्बलम् ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari took on the form of Śrī, called Mohinī in the world, O Indra among men, to skillfully deceive the arrogant sons of Diti and to take away their strength.

ततो हरिः प्रादुरभून्महात्मा नृसिंहनामा भगवाननन्तः । दैत्यो हिरण्यकशिपुश्च तथोरुदेशे संस्थापितः करजैर्दारितश्च ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari, the great soul, appeared as Nṛsiṃha, the infinite Lord, and the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu was placed on his lap and torn apart by his claws.

ततो हरिर्भगवान्वामनोभूददित्यां वै कश्यपाद्दवदेवः । इन्द्रायेदं दातुकामः खगेन्द्र तदर्थं वै पावितुं सोवितुं च ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari, the blessed Lord, became Vāmana, born to Aditi from Kaśyapa, O king of birds, desiring to give this to Indra, for the purpose of purifying and restoring.

ततो हरिर्जमदग्नेः सुतोभूल्लोके सर्वे पर्शुरामं वदन्ति । ब्रह्मद्विषां क्षत्रियाणां च वीन्द्र भूमिं निः क्षत्रां कर्तुकामो महेशः ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari was born as the son of Jamadagni, whom all in the world call Paraśurāma, O Indra among men, the great Lord wishing to rid the earth of the warrior class who were enemies of Brahmins.

ततोभवद्व्यासरूपी स विष्णुश्चतुर्वारं राघवास्यापि पूर्णः । पराशरात्सत्यवत्यां बभूव पैलादिभिर्वेदभागांश्च कर्तुम् ॥ ३,१५.

Then Viṣṇu took the form of Vyāsa, four times in the house of Rāghava, and was born to Satyavatī from Parāśara, to divide the Vedas with Paila and others.

ततो हरी रघुवंशेवतीर्णः कौसल्यायां राघवः सूर्यवंशे । समुद्रादोर्विग्रहं कर्तुमीशो हं तुं भूम्यां रावणादींश्च वीन्द्र ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari, descended in the Raghu lineage, was born to Kausalyā in the solar dynasty, O Indra among men, to wage war against the ocean and to destroy Rāvaṇa and others on earth.

ततो हरिर्व्यासरूपी बभूव अष्टाविंशे द्वपरे ज्ञानरूपी । पराशरात्सत्यवत्यां महात्मा स्वयं वेदान् संविभक्तुं च देवः ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari took the form of Vyāsa in the twenty-eighth Dvāpara, embodying knowledge, the great soul born to Satyavatī from Parāśara, himself dividing the Vedas, O god.

ततो हरिः कृष्णरूपी बभूव देवक्यां वै वसुदेवात्स विष्णुः । कंसादीन्वै नितरां हन्तुकामः सम्यक्पातुं पाण्डवांश्चापि वीन्द्र ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari took the form of Kṛṣṇa, born to Devakī from Vasudeva, that Viṣṇu, desiring to utterly destroy Kaṃsa and others, and to fully protect the Pāṇḍavas, O Indra among men.

ततः कलौ संप्रवृत्ते हरिस्तु संमोहनार्थं चासुराणां खगेन्द्र । नाम्ना बुद्धो कीकटेषु प्रजातो वेदप्रमाणं निराकर्तुमेव ॥ ३,१५.

Then, when the Kali age began, Hari was born as Buddha among the Kīkaṭas, O king of birds, for the purpose of deluding the demons and to reject the authority of the Vedas.

ततो हरिः कल्किसंज्ञश्च वीन्द्र उत्पत्स्यते युगयोर्मध्यसंधौ । दस्युप्रायान्भूमिपान्वै निहन्तुं नाम्ना हरिर्विष्णुगुप्तस्य गेहे ॥ ३,१५.

Then Hari, known as Kalki, O Indra among men, will be born at the junction of the ages, to destroy kings who are mostly robbers, in the house of Viṣṇugupta.