Garuda Purana

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.

विष्णुपत्नी कीर्तिता च श्रीदेवी सत्त्वमानिनी । तमोभिमानिनी दुर्गा कन्यकेति प्रकीर्तिता ॥ ३,१६.

The consort of Vishnu is known as Shri Devi, identified with Sattva; Durga, identified with Tamas, is called Kanyaka.

कृष्णावतारे कन्येव नन्दपुत्रानुजा हि सा । रजोभिमानिभूदेवी भार्या सा सूकरस्य च ॥ ३,१६.

In the Krishna incarnation, she is indeed Kanya, the younger sister of Nanda's son; the goddess identified with Rajas is also the wife of the Boar (Varaha).

वेदाभिमानिनी वीन्द्र अन्नपूर्णा प्रकीर्तिता । नारायणस्य भार्या तु लक्ष्मीरूपा त्वजा स्मृता ॥ ३,१६.

Identified with the Vedas, she is called Annapurna; the wife of Narayana is remembered as Lakshmi in the form of Aja.

यज्ञाख्यस्य हरेर्भार्या दक्षिणा संप्रकीर्तिता ॥ ३,१६.

The wife of Hari, known as Yajna, is proclaimed as Dakshina.

जयन्ती वृषभस्यैव पत्नी संपरिकीर्तिता । विदेहपुत्री सीता तु रामभार्या प्रकीर्तिता ॥ ३,१६.

Jayanti is renowned as the wife of Vrishabha; Sita, daughter of Videha, is proclaimed as the wife of Rama.

रुक्मिणीसत्यभामा च भार्ये कृष्णस्य कीर्तिते । इत्यादिका ह्यनन्ताश्चाप्यावताराः पृथग्विधाः ॥ ३,१६.

Rukmini and Satyabhama are known as the wives of Krishna; and thus, there are countless and various incarnations.

रमायाः संति विप्रेन्द्र भेदहीनाः परस्परम् । अनन्तानन्तगुणकाद्विष्णोर्न्यूनाः प्रकीर्तिताः ॥ ३,१६.

O best of Brahmins, the forms of Rama are mutually undivided; they are declared to be endless, possessing infinite qualities, yet lesser than Vishnu.

अथ ब्रह्मा च वायुश्च श्रियः कोटिगुणाधमौ । वक्ष्ये च ब्रह्मणो रूपं शृणु पक्षीन्द्रसत्तम ॥ ३,१६.

Now, Brahma and Vayu are each inferior to Shri by a crore-fold; I will also describe the form of Brahma—listen, O best of birds.

वासुदेवात्समुत्पन्नो मायायां च खगेश्वर । स एव पुरुषोनाम विरिञ्च इति कीर्तितः ॥ ३,१६.

From Vasudeva, in Māyā, arose he who is called the Person, and is known as Virincha, O lord of birds.

अनिरुद्धात्तु शान्तायां महत्तत्त्वतनुस्त्वभूत् । तदा महान्विरिञ्चेति संज्ञामाप खगेश्वर ॥ ३,१६.

From Aniruddha, in Shāntā, the great principle took form; then, O lord of birds, he obtained the name Mahān Virincha.

रजसात्र समुत्पन्नो मायायां वासुदेवतः । विधिसंज्ञो विरिञ्चः स ज्ञातव्यः पक्षिसत्तम ॥ ३,१६.

Here, from Rajas, in Māyā, arose from Vasudeva the one known as Vidhi, Virincha; he is to be understood thus, O best of birds.

ब्रह्माण्डान्तः पद्मनाभो यो जातः कमलासनः । स चर्तुमुखसंज्ञां चाप्यवाप खगसत्तम ॥ ३,१६.

Within the cosmic egg, the lotus-naveled one who was born, seated on the lotus, also obtained the designation of Four-Faced, O best of birds.

एवं चत्वारिरूपाणि ब्रह्मणः कीर्तितानि च । वायोर्नामानि वक्ष्येहं शृणु पक्षीन्द्रसत्तम ॥ ३,१६.

Thus, the four forms of Brahman have been described; now I will tell you the names of Vāyu—listen, O best of birds.

संकर्षणाच्च गरुड जयायां यो वभूव ह । स वायुः प्रथमो ज्ञेयो प्रधान इति कीर्तितः ॥ ३,१६.

From Saṅkarṣaṇa, Garuḍa, was born one in Jayā—he is known as the first Vāyu, called Pradhāna.

लोकचेष्टाप्रदत्वात्स सूत्रनाम्नापि कीर्तितः । बदरीस्थस्य विष्णोश्च धैर्येण स्तवनाय सः ॥ ३,१६.

Because he grants movement to the worlds, he is also called by the name Sūtra; and, by the steadfastness of Viṣṇu who dwells in Badarī, he is praised.

धृतिरूपं ययौ वायुस्तस्माद्धृतिरिति स्मृतः । योग्यानां हरिभक्तानां धृतिरूपेण संस्थितः ॥ ३,१६.

Vāyu assumed the form of steadfastness, therefore he is remembered as Dhṛti; among those fit for it, the devotees of Hari, he abides as steadfastness.

यतो हृदि स्थितो वायुस्ततो वै धृतिसंज्ञकः । सर्वेषां च हृदि स्थित्वा स्मरते सर्वदा हरिम् ॥ ३,१६.

Because Vāyu dwells in the heart, he is thus called by the name Dhṛti; abiding in the hearts of all, he always remembers Hari.

अतो वायुःस्थितिर्नाम बभूव खगसत्तम । अथवा वायुरेवैकः श्वेतद्वीपगतं हरिम् ॥ ३,१६.

Therefore, O best of birds, Vāyu became known as Sthiti; or, Vāyu alone always remembers Hari who dwells in Śvetadvīpa.

सदा स्मरति वै वीन्द्र अतोसौ स्मृतिसंज्ञकः । सर्वेषां च हृदिस्थित्वा ज्ञातो विष्णोरुदीरणात् ॥ ३,१६.

He always remembers, O king of birds, and so he is called Smṛti; abiding in the hearts of all, he is known by the utterance of Viṣṇu.

अतो मे मुक्तिनामाभूद्वायुरेव न संशयः । ज्ञानद्वारेण भक्तानां मुक्तिदो मदनुज्ञया ॥ ३,१६.

Therefore, Vāyu alone became known as Mukti—there is no doubt; by the gateway of knowledge, he grants liberation to devotees by my permission.