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.'
हरेः प्रणामं त्विति कर्तव्यशून्यं व्यर्थं तमाहुर्ज्ञानिनस्तच्छृणु त्वम् । रमेश मध्वेश सरस्वतीशेत्येवं वदन्प्रणमेद्विष्णुदेवम् ॥ ३,२०.
The wise declare that offering empty, pointless salutations to Hari is fruitless; listen to this. One should bow to Vishnu, the Lord, uttering names such as Ramesha, Madhvesha, Sarasvatiesha.
यथा प्रसन्नो वन्दनाद्देवद्देव स्तथा न तुष्टः पूजनात्कर्मतश्च । यथा नामस्मरणाद्वन्दनाद्वा पापान्नियच्छेतु तथा न चान्यैः ॥ ३,२०.
Just as the deity is pleased by salutations, not by ritual worship or actions; only by remembrance of his name or by bowing are sins restrained, not by other means.
देहं तु ये पोषयन्त्येव तात हरेः प्रणामैः शून्यभूतं च पुष्टम् । तदेवमाहुर्व्यर्थमेवेति तात तत्पोषकाणां नरके दुः खमाहुः ॥ ३,२०.
Those who nourish their bodies, O dear one, with salutations to Hari that are empty and devoid of meaning, are said to act in vain; such nourishers are declared to suffer in hell.
यमोऽपि तं तत्र उलूखले तु निधाय पिष्टं सुखलैः करोति । यो वा परं न करोत्येव तात प्रदक्षिणं देवदेवस्य विष्णोः ॥ ३,२०.
Yama places such a person at the mortar and grinds him with pleasure, who does not perform circumambulation of Vishnu, the Lord of gods, O dear one.
तस्यैव पादौ तलयन्त्रे निधाय यमश्च नित्यं प्रकरोति पिष्टम् । एषां जिह्वा हरिकृष्णेति नाम न वक्ति नित्यं व्यर्थभूतां वदन्ति ॥ ३,२०.
Yama places their feet in a device and continually grinds them; those whose tongues do not always utter the name 'Hari' or 'Krishna' are declared to be fruitless.
तेषां जिह्वा यमलोके यमस्तु निष्कास्य पिष्टं प्रकरोति नित्यम् । काशीनिवासेन च किं प्रयोजनं किं वा प्रयागे मरणेन तात ॥ ३,२०.
In Yama's realm, Yama removes their tongues and continually grinds them; what is the use of residing in Kashi, or dying at Prayag, O dear one?
किं वारणाग्रे मरणेन सौख्यं किं वा मखादेः समनुष्ठितेन । समस्ततीर्थेष्वटनेन किं किमधीतशास्त्रेण सुतीक्ष्णबुद्ध्या ॥ ३,२०.
What happiness comes from dying at Varanasi's front? What benefit from performing sacrifices? What use is there in wandering all holy places, or in studying scriptures with sharp intellect?
येषां जिह्वाग्रे हरिनामैव नास्ति येषां गात्रैर्नमनं नापि विष्णोः । येषां पद्भ्यां नास्ति हरेः प्रदक्षिणं तेषां सर्वं व्यर्थमाहुर्महान्तः ॥ ३,२०.
Those whose tongue-tip lacks the name of Hari, whose bodies do not bow to Vishnu, whose feet do not circumambulate Hari—all their actions are declared fruitless by the great ones.
हर्यर्पणाद्रिहितं नाम कस्मात्प्रदक्षिणं नमनं चाहुरर्घ्यम् । अतो विष्णोर्नमनं कार्यमेव हरेर्नामस्मरणं तात कार्यम् ॥ ३,२०.
They say that offering, circumambulation, and bowing are all for Hari; therefore, one must bow to Vishnu and, O dear one, one must remember Hari's name.
जन्म ह्येतद्दुर्लभं नश्वरं तु यथा जलस्थं तत्तथैव । नो विस्वासं कुरु गात्रे त्वदीये जीवेष्वपि स्वः परश्चेति तात ॥ ३,२०.
This birth is rare and perishable, just like something in water; do not place trust in your body, nor in your own life or that of others, O dear one.
सद्यः कृतं नमनं न त्वदीयं सद्यः कृतं स्मरणं न त्वदीयम् । कदा प्राप्स्ये मरणं तन्न जाने न विश्वासं कुरु गात्रे महात्मन् ॥ ३,२०.
A bow made instantly is not yours, nor is instant remembrance yours; I do not know when death will come, so do not place trust in your body, O great soul.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा नलो वीन्द्र पुत्रीवाक्यं सुनिर्मलम् । नमस्कारं च कृतवान्यथाशक्त्या प्रदक्षिणम् ॥ ३,२०.
Hearing these pure words from Indra's son, Nala performed salutations and circumambulation to the best of his ability.
सापि प्रदक्षिणं चक्रे नमस्कारं सदा हरेः । एवं बहुदिनं कृत्वा ध्यात्वा नारायणं परम् ॥ ३,२०.
She too performed circumambulation and salutations to Hari; after doing so for many days, she meditated on the supreme Narayana.
कलेवरं च तत्याज मरणे हरिचिन्तया । मत्पितुर्वसुदेवस्य भगिन्या उदरे खग ॥ ३,२०.
At the time of death, she abandoned her body while thinking of Hari; in the womb of my father Vasudeva's sister, O bird.
कैकेयीति च नाम्ना सा त्वभवद्भद्रसंज्ञका । यस्माद्भद्रगुणैर्युक्ता भद्रा सा भद्रनामिका ॥ ३,२०.
She became known as Kaikeyi, called Bhadrasaṃjñakā; because she was endowed with auspicious qualities, she was called Bhadra, the auspicious one.
तस्यात्मजैश्च कैकेयैः पञ्चभिः खगसत्तम । प्रत्याहृतामिमां भद्रां प्राप्तवान् खगसत्तम ॥ ३,२०.
O best of birds, with her five sons born of Kaikeyi, she was brought back by them, O best of birds, and attained.
वक्ष्येहं मित्रविन्दायाः पाणिग्रहणकारणम् । सावधानमना भूत्वा शृणु पक्षीन्द्र सत्तम ॥ ३,२०.
I shall now speak of the reason for Mitravinda's marriage; listen attentively, O king of birds, O noble one.
मित्रविन्दोवाच । यान्पूर्वसर्गेप्यवृणोन्निकामतो ह्यग्नीषोमान्नामिका मित्रविन्दा । मित्रं हरिं प्राप्तुकामा सदैक तत्रोपायं चिन्तयामासदेवी ॥ ३,२०.
Mitravinda spoke: In the previous creation, I chose, out of desire, the name Agniṣomā, called Mitravinda; always wishing to attain Hari as my friend, the goddess pondered the means there.
हरिप्राप्तौ साधनाः संति तेषु मुख्यं कचिच्चिन्तयामास देवी । तेषां मध्ये श्रवणं श्रेष्ठमाहुः पुराणानां सात्त्विकानां सदापि ॥ ३,२०.
When seeking to attain Hari, there are many means; among them, the goddess considered which is foremost. Of these, hearing is said to be the best, especially of the sattvic Puranas.
विष्णोरुत्कर्षो वर्तते यत्र वायोस्तथोत्कर्षः सज्जनानां पुराणे । श्राद्धं सदा विष्णुबुद्ध्या सदैव नान्यच्छ्राव्यं साधनं तत्र चैव ॥ ३,२०.
Where the greatness of Vishnu is present, there too is the greatness of Vayu and of virtuous people in the Purana. One should always perform shraddha with the thought of Vishnu; nothing else should be heard as a means there.