Garuda Purana

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.

केशवाद्याश्चतुर्विंशतिर्वै संकर्षणादयः । विश्वादय सहस्रं च पराद्या अमिताः स्मृताः ॥ ३,१५.

Keśava and others, twenty-four in number, including Saṃkarṣaṇa, and Viṣva and others numbering a thousand, along with Para and others, are remembered as countless.

अवतारा ह्यसंख्याता विष्णोर्नारायणस्य च । स्वयं नारायणास्ते ते नाणुमात्रं विभिद्यते ॥ ३,१५.

The incarnations of Viṣṇu and Nārāyaṇa are indeed innumerable; those who are themselves Nārāyaṇa are not divided even by the smallest measure.

बलतोरूपतश्चापि गुणतश्च कथञ्चन । अनन्तोनन्तगुणतः पूर्णो विष्णुर्न चान्यथा ॥ ३,१५.

By strength, by form, and by qualities in every way, Viṣṇu is infinite and full of endless attributes, and never otherwise.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् १६ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । महालक्ष्म्याः स्वरूपं च अवतारान्खगेश्वर । शृणु सम्यङ्महाभाग तज्ज्ञानस्य विनिर्णयम् ॥ ३,१६.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O king of birds, listen carefully, O greatly fortunate one, to the true nature of Mahālakṣmī and her incarnations, and the determination of that knowledge.

ईशादन्यस्य जगतो ह्यात्मो लोचन एव तु । विषयीकुरुते तत्स्याज्ज्ञानं लक्ष्म्याः प्रकीर्तितम् ॥ ३,१६.

The soul of the world, apart from the Lord, is only the eye; it is that which makes objects known—this is declared to be the knowledge of Lakshmi.

नित्यावियोगिनी देवी हरिपादैकसंश्रया । नित्यमुक्ता नित्यबुद्धा महालक्ष्मीः प्रकीर्तिता ॥ ३,१६.

The goddess who is eternally inseparable, who takes sole refuge at the feet of Hari, who is ever-liberated and ever-wise, is called Mahalakshmi.

मूलस्य च हरेर्भार्या लक्ष्मीः संप्रकीर्तिता । पुंसो हि भार्या प्रकृतिः प्रकृतेश्चाभिमानिनी ॥ ३,१६.

Lakshmi is proclaimed as the consort of Hari, the root; for a man, the wife is nature, and she is the one who identifies with nature.

सृष्टिं कर्तुं गुणान्वीन्द्र पुरुषेण सह प्रभो । तमः पानं तथा कर्तुं प्रकृत्याख्या तदाभवत् ॥ ३,१६.

In order to create the world, O lord, the qualities entered together with the person; and to accomplish the drinking of darkness, she then became known as Prakriti.

वासुदेवस्य भार्या तु माया नाम्नी प्रकीर्तिता । संकर्षणस्य भार्या तु जयेति परिकीर्तिता ॥ ३,१६.

The wife of Vasudeva is called Māyā by name; the wife of Sankarshana is renowned as Jaya.

अनिरुद्धस्य भार्या तु शान्ता नाम्नीति कीर्तिता । कृतिः प्रद्युम्नभार्यापिं सृष्टिं कर्तुं बभूव ह ॥ ३,१६.

The wife of Aniruddha is said to be named Shāntā; and Kṛti became the wife of Pradyumna, to accomplish creation.