Garuda Purana

तस्या उत्तरदिग्भागे क्रोशयुग्मे महातले । गर्तभूते च एकान्ते चचार तप उत्तमम् ॥ ३,१९.

On the northern side, two krosha distances away, in a great area, in a secluded pit, she performed supreme austerity.

ध्यात्वा नारायणं देवं तत्रासीच्च कुमारिका । दिव्यवर्षसहस्रान्ते स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे ॥ ३,१९.

Meditating on the god Narayana, the maiden remained there; at the end of a thousand divine years, she began to praise him.

कुमार्युवाच । त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव भर्ता च सखात्वमेव । त्वमेव पुत्रश्च गुरुर्गरीयान्मित्रं स्वसा त्वं मम वल्लभश्च ॥ ३,१९.

The maiden spoke: You alone are my mother, you alone are my father, you alone are my husband and friend; you alone are my son, my greater teacher, my companion, my sister, and my beloved.

अनाद्यनन्तेष्वपि जन्मसु प्रभो विचार्यमाणा न विजानेप्यहं च । एतै हि सर्वे च निमित्तमात्रतः पित्रादयस्त्वं ह्यनिमित्तमात्रतः ॥ ३,१९.

O Lord, even when considering countless births without beginning or end, I do not know; for all these—father and others—are merely causes, but you are the cause without cause.

अतो मुरारेश्च तवैव भार्या भूयासमित्येव तदा व्रतं मे । दुः संगमात्रादिसमागमं न संसिद्धिरित्येव वदान्यमूर्ते ॥ ३,१९.

Therefore, O slayer of Mura, may I become your wife alone—this is my vow; union with others does not bring fulfillment, O gracious one.

त्वद्दूषकाणां तव दासवर्य विदूषकाणां दर्शनं छिन्धि देव । गुरुद्रुहां दर्शनं छिन्धि विष्णो भक्तद्रुहां मित्रतां छिन्धि कृष्ण ॥ ३,१९.

O Lord, sever the sight of those who revile you, and of those who revile your best servants; sever the sight of those who betray their teachers, O Vishnu, and sever the friendship of those who betray your devotees, O Krishna.

तव ध्रुग्भिर्भाषणं छिन्धि देव त्वं संगमं देहि पदारविन्दे । श्रीशैलवासाय नमोनमस्ते नमोनमः श्रीनिवासाय तुभ्यम् ॥ ३,१९.

Sever the speech of those who speak falsely against you, O Lord; grant me union at your lotus feet. Salutations to the dweller of Shri Hill, salutations to you, O Srinivasa.

स्वामिन् परावर रमेश निदानमूर्ते कालो महानपि गतश्च निदर्शनन्ते । अनन्तजन्मार्जितसाधनैश्च त्वद्दर्शनं स्याच्च चतुर्भुजस्य ॥ ३,१९.

O master, O source of all, O lord of Lakshmi, the great time has passed at the end of the demonstration; through merits accumulated over countless births, may I attain the vision of your four-armed form.

कथं मम स्यात्तव दर्शनं प्रभो सर्वैश्च दोषैश्च सुसंगतायाः । दास्यास्पदायास्तव दासदास्याः प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास ॥ ३,१९.

How shall I obtain your vision, O Lord, when I am beset by all faults? Grant me the position of your servant, the service of your servants; be gracious, O lord of gods, O abode of the world.

एवं स्तुतस्तथा विष्णुः श्रीनिवासो दयानिधिः । प्रादुरासीद्वरदराट्भक्त्या तस्या जनार्दनः ॥ ३,१९.

Thus praised, Vishnu, Srinivasa, the ocean of compassion, appeared before her as Varadaraja, Janardana, through her devotion.

वरं वरय भद्रं ते वरदोहमिहागतः । हरिणोदीरितं वाक्यं श्रुत्वा प्राह स्मितानना ॥ ३,१९.

Choose your boon, auspicious one; I have come here as the grantor of boons. Hearing the words spoken by Hari, she replied with a smiling face.

उवाच परया भक्त्या श्रीनिवासं जगत्प्रभुम् । अहं हि भार्या भूयासं तव माधव सुंदर ॥ ३,१९.

With supreme devotion, she spoke to Śrīnivāsa, the Lord of the universe: 'O beautiful Mādhava, may I become your wife.'

इति तस्या वचः श्रुत्वा श्रीनिवासोऽब्रवीद्वचः । श्रीभगवानुवाच । अहं कुमारि सुभगे कृष्णजन्मनि भूतले ॥ ३,१९.

Hearing her words, Śrīnivāsa replied: The Blessed Lord said: 'O fortunate maiden, in the earthly birth as Kṛṣṇa—'

भवामि तव भर्ताहं नात्र कार्या विचारणा । एवमुक्ता सुता कन्या पुरण्यराशिं हरिं परम् ॥ ३,१९.

'I shall be your husband; there is no need for further deliberation.' Thus addressed, the maiden, daughter of Puraṇya, beheld Hari, the Supreme One.

उवाच परमप्रीता हर्षगद्गदया गिरा । कन्योवाच । कृष्णजन्मन्यहं पत्नी भूयासं प्रथमेहनि ॥ ३,१९.

Overwhelmed with joy, she spoke with a voice choked with happiness: The maiden said: 'In Kṛṣṇa’s birth, may I become your wife on the very first day.'

संस्कारात्प्रथमं चाहमं गनाभ्यः समावृणे । ओमित्युक्तः पुनर्वाक्यमुवाच मधुसूदनः ॥ ३,१९.

'From the very first rite, I choose you above all others.' When she had spoken thus, saying 'Om,' Madhusūdana spoke again.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । कुमार्या विधृतत्वाच्च मत्प्रदानाच्च भामिनि । तेषां मनोभीष्टसिद्धिर्भविष्यति न संशयः ॥ ३,१९.

The Blessed Lord said: 'Because the maiden has chosen and been given by me, O beautiful one, their heart’s desires will surely be fulfilled—there is no doubt.'

इति तस्यै वरं दत्त्वा तत्रैवान्तरधीयत । देहं तत्रैव संत्यज्य कुमारी चैव पुत्रिका ॥ ३,१९.

Having granted her this boon, he vanished there itself. There, the maiden left her body and became a daughter.

कुम्भ कस्य गृहे जाता नीला नाम्ना तु सा स्मृता । कुंभकस्तु महाभाग नन्दशोभस्य शालकः ॥ ३,१९.

She was born in the house of Kumbhaka and became known by the name Nīlā. Kumbhaka, O most fortunate one, was the son of Nandaśobha.

कल्पवाहः स विज्ञेयः पितॄणां प्रथमः स्मृतः । तस्य गत्वा गृहमहं वृषभाचलवासिनः । शिवस्य वरतश्चैव त्वजेयः खगसत्तम ॥ ३,१९.

He is to be known as Kalpavāha, remembered as the foremost among the ancestors. I went to the house of that resident of Vṛṣabhācala, by the boon of Śiva, O best of birds, unconquered.

दितिजान्विनिहत्यैव नीला प्राप्ता खगेश्वर । ततो नाग्निजितो राज्ञो गृहे जाता कुमारिका ॥ ३,१९.

Having slain the offspring of Diti, Nīlā attained the Lord of birds. Then, she was born as a maiden in the house of King Nāgnijit.

नाग्निजित्कव्यवाहोभूत्कन्या नीलाह्वयाभवत् । तस्याः स्वयंवरे चाहं गोवृषान्सप्तसंख्यकान् ॥ ३,१९.

By the marriage arrangement of Nāgnijit, the maiden was called Nīlā. At her svayaṃvara, I subdued seven bulls.

शिवस्य वरतश्चैवाप्यवध्यान्देवमानुषैः । बद्ध्वा वृषान्नृपाञ्जित्वा प्राप्ता नीला महाखग ॥ ३,१९.

By the boon of Śiva, the bulls could not be overcome by gods or men. Binding the bulls and defeating the kings, Nīlā was won, O great bird.

कुंभकस्य सुता नीला देहस्थाः प्राविशन् भृशम् । एकावयवतो यस्मात्तस्मात्तत्रैव साविशत् ॥ ३,१९.

Nīlā, daughter of Kumbhaka, entered her body with great force. Since she was of one body, she entered there itself.

भूमौ द्विधा संप्रजाता कुमार्येव न संशयः । भद्राजन्म प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु पक्षीन्द्रसत्तम ॥ ३,१९.

On earth, she was born as two maidens—there is no doubt. I will now tell you of Bhadrā’s birth; listen, O best of bird-kings.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २० श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । या पूर्वसर्गे नलसंज्ञस्य वीन्द्र पुत्री भूत्वा विष्णुपत्नी सकामा । प्रदक्षिणं भ्रमणं वै चकार गुणेन भद्रा भद्रसंज्ञा बभूव ॥ ३,२०.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: In a previous creation, Bhadrā, daughter of Nala, became the wife of Viṣṇu by her own wish. By her virtue, she performed circumambulation and became known as Bhadrā.

कन्याभावे संस्थितां भद्रसंज्ञां पिता नलस्त्वब्रवीत्तां स पश्यन् । भद्रे किमर्थं गात्रपीडां करोषि फलं हि तन्नन्दिनि मे वदस्व ॥ ३,२०.

While Bhadrā remained in maidenhood, her father Nala, seeing her, spoke: 'Bhadrā, why do you inflict pain upon your body? Tell me, dear one, what fruit you seek.'

भद्रोवाच । शृणुत्वं मे तात नमस्क्रियादेः फलं वक्तुं का समर्था भवेच्च ॥ ३,२०.

Bhadrā said: 'Listen, father, who is truly able to describe the fruit of salutation and worship?'

तथाप्यहं तव वक्ष्यामि तात यथाशक्त्या शृणु सम्यग्घिताय । सदा हरिमर्म नाथो दयालुरहं हरेस्तव दासानुदासी । मां पाहि विष्णोस्तव वन्दे पदे इत्युक्त्वा प्रणामं चाकरोद्दण्डरूपम् ॥ ३,२०.

‘Still, I will tell you as best I can, father; listen well for your benefit. Always, Hari is my Lord, compassionate; I am a servant of the servants of Hari. I say, “Protect me, O Viṣṇu; I bow at your feet,” and thus performed a full prostration.'