Garuda Purana

अज्ञातत्वे चान्नपानादिकं च दत्तं संतो व्यर्थमेवं वदन्ति । हरिं वक्ष्ये तत्रतत्र स्थितं चं तं वै शृणु त्वादरेणाद्य नित्यम्

If the recipient is unaware, then food and drink and such given are said by the wise to be in vain; I will speak of Hari, who is present everywhere—listen to him now with devotion.

बालो हरिर्बालरूपेण कृष्णः क्षीरादिकं नवनीतं घृतं च । गृह्णाति नित्यं भूषणं वस्त्रजातमेवं दद्यात्सर्वदा विष्णुतुष्ट्यै

Hari as a child, in the form of a boy, Krishna, always takes milk, butter, and ghee; one should always offer ornaments and garments in this way for the satisfaction of Vishnu.

मित्रैर्हरिः केशवाख्यो मुकुन्दो भुङ्क्ते दत्तं त्वन्नप्रानादिकं च । पूर्वं दद्यात्सर्वदा वै गृहस्थो धन्यो भवेदन्यथा व्यर्थमेव

Hari, called Keshava and Mukunda among friends, partakes of the food and drink given by you; a householder should always give first—thus he becomes blessed, otherwise it is in vain.

गृह्णाति नित्यं माधवाख्यो हरिश्चेत्येवं ज्ञात्वा देयमन्नादिकं च । एवं ज्ञात्वा दीयमानेन नित्यं प्रीणाति विष्णुर्नान्यथा व्यर्थमेव

Knowing that Hari, called Madhava, always accepts, one should give food and drink accordingly; knowing thus, whatever is given always pleases Vishnu—otherwise, it is in vain.

गृहे नित्यं वासुदेवो हरिस्तु प्रीणाति नित्यं तत्र तिष्ठन्सुपर्ण । एवं ज्ञात्वा स्वगृहं सर्वदैव अलङ्कुर्याद्धातुरूपैः सदैव

Vasudeva, Hari, always dwells in the house and is always pleased there, O Suparna; knowing this, one should always adorn one's own house with divine forms.

गोविन्दाख्यस्तिष्ठति वैष्णवानां पुत्रैर्युतस्तिष्ठति वासुदेवः । मित्रे मुकुन्दः शालके चानिरूद्धो नारायणो द्विजवर्ये सदास्ति

Govinda is present among the sons of the Vaishnavas; Vasudeva is present among the sons; among friends, Mukunda; in the Shalaka, Aniruddha; and Narayana is always present among the best of twice-born.

गोष्ठे च नित्यं विष्णुरूपी हरिस्तु अश्वे सदा तिष्ठति वामनाख्यः । संकर्षणः शूद्रवर्णे सदास्ति वैश्ये प्रद्युम्नस्तिष्ठति सर्वदैव

In the cowshed, Vishnu in the form of Hari is always present; among horses, Vamana is always present; Sankarshana is always among the Shudras, and Pradyumna is always among the Vaishyas.

जनार्दनः क्षत्त्रजातौ सदास्ति दाशेषु नित्यं महिदासो हरिस्तु । मह्यां नित्यं तिष्ठति सर्वदैव ह्युपेन्द्राख्यो हरिरेकः सुपर्ण

Janardana is always among the Kshatriyas; among servants, Hari is always called Mahidasa; on the earth, Upendra, the one Hari, always dwells, O Suparna.

गजे सदा तिष्ठति चक्रपाणिः सदान्तरे तिष्ठति विश्वरूपः । नित्यं शुनि तिष्ठति भूतभावनः पिपीलकायामपि सर्वदैव

Chakrapani is always present in the elephant; Vishvarupa always dwells within; Bhutabhaavana is always present in the dog, and even in the ant at all times.

त्रिविक्रमो हरिरूप्यन्तरिक्षे सर्वजातावनन्तरूपी हरिश्च । हरेर्न वर्णोस्ति न गोत्रमस्ति न जातिरीशे सर्वरूपे विचित्रे

Trivikrama, Hari, is present in the sky in another form; in all beings, Hari appears in various forms; Hari has neither caste nor lineage nor birth—he is the Lord, of all forms, wondrous.

एवं ज्ञात्वा सर्वदा लक्ष्मणा तु हरिं सदा प्रीणयामास देवी । सपर्यया वै क्रियमाणया हरिः पतिर्मम स्यादिति चिन्तयाना

Knowing thus, Lakshmana always sought to please Hari, the goddess, through worship, thinking, 'May Hari become my husband.'

तत्याज देहं विष्णुपतित्वकामा मद्रेषु वै वीन्द्र पुत्री प्रजाता । स्वयंवरे लक्ष्मणाया अहं च भित्त्वा लक्ष्यं भूपतीन्द्रावयित्वा

Desiring to become the consort of Viṣṇu, the daughter of King Vindra abandoned her body among my people; at the svayaṃvara of Lakṣmaṇā, I pierced the target and defeated the assembled kings.

पाणिग्रहं लक्ष्मणायाश्च कृत्वा गत्वा पुरीं रमयामास देवी । तथैवाहं जांबवत्या विवाहं मत्पत्नीत्वे कारणं त्वां ब्रवीमि

Having taken Lakṣmaṇā's hand in marriage, I brought her to my city and delighted the queen; in the same way, I married Jāmbavatī—now I tell you the reason she became my wife.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २३ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । सोमस्य पुत्री पूर्वसर्गे बभूव भार्या मदीया जाम्बवती मम प्रिया । तासां मध्ये ह्यधिका वीन्द्र किञ्चिद्रुद्रादिभ्यः पञ्चगुणैर्विहीना ॥ ३,२३.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: In a previous creation, Jāmbavatī, my beloved, was the daughter of Soma and became my wife; among them, O Vindra, she was somewhat superior, though lacking five qualities found in Rudra and others.

यदावेशो बलवान्स्याद्रमायां तदानास प्रियते केशवोलम् । यदावेशाद्ध्रासमुपैति काले तदा तासां साम्यमाहुर्महान्तः ॥ ३,२३.

When a powerful possession arises, O mighty one, then Keśava is especially pleased; but when that possession wanes with time, the great ones say there is equality among them.

लक्ष्म्यावेशः किञ्चिदस्त्येव नित्यमतस्ताभ्यः किञ्चिदाधिक्यमस्ति ॥ ३,२३.

There is always a certain measure of Lakṣmī's presence, and thus she has a slight superiority over the others.

गरुड उवाच । तासां मध्ये जाम्बवन्ती तु कृष्ण आराधनं कीदृशं सा चकार । तन्मे ब्रूहि कृपया विश्वमूर्ते आधिक्ये वै कारणं ताभ्य एव ॥ ३,२३.

Garuḍa said: Among them, what kind of worship did Jāmbavatī perform for Kṛṣṇa? Please tell me this, O Lord of the universe, and the reason for her superiority over the others.

गरुडेनैवमुक्तस्तु भगवान् देवकीसुतः । मेघगंभीरया वाचा उवाच विनतासुतम् ॥ ३,२३.

Addressed thus by Garuḍa, the blessed son of Devakī spoke to the son of Vinatā with a voice deep as a cloud.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । या पूर्वसर्गे सोमपुत्री बभूव पितुर्गृहे वर्तमानापि साध्वी । जन्म स्वकीयं सार्थकं वै चकार पित्रा साकं विष्णुशुश्रूषणे न च ॥ ३,२३.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: In a previous creation, she was the daughter of Soma, dwelling in her father's house, virtuous; she made her birth meaningful by serving Viṣṇu together with her father.

शुश्राव नित्यं सत्पुराणानि चैवं चक्रे सदा विष्णुपादप्रणामम् । चक्रे सदा तारकस्यापि विष्णोः प्रदक्षिणं स्मरणं कुर्वती सा ॥ ३,२३.

She always listened to the true Purāṇas, and constantly bowed at Viṣṇu's feet; she regularly circled Viṣṇu's image and remembered him, as well as Tāraka.

पित्रा साकं सा तु कन्या खगेन्द्र वैराग्ययुक्ता श्रवणात्संबभूव । केशं च मित्रं द्विरदादिकं च अनर्घ्यरत्नानि गृहादिकं च ॥ ३,२३.

With her father, that maiden, O king of birds, became detached through hearing; she regarded hair, friends, elephants, priceless jewels, houses, and such things—

सर्वं ह्येतन्नश्वरं चैव मेने ममाधीनं हरिणा वै कृतं च । येनैव दत्तं पुत्रमित्रादिकं च तेना हृतं वेदनां नैव चक्रे ॥ ३,२३.

She considered all these as perishable, belonging to me, and given by Hari; whatever was given—sons, friends, and so on—was also taken by him, and she did not grieve.

अद्यैव विष्णुः परमो दयालुः दयां मयि कृतवांस्तेन सुष्ठु । पित्रा साकं कन्यका सा तु वीन्द्र सदात्मनि ह्यमले वासुदेवे ॥ ३,२३.

Even today, Viṣṇu, the supremely compassionate, has shown me great mercy; together with her father, that maiden, O Vindra, always dwelt in the pure soul, Vāsudeva.

एकान्तत्वं सुष्ठु भक्त्या गता सा यदृच्छया सोपपन्नेन देवी । अकल्पयन्त्यात्मनो वीन्द्र वृत्तिं चकार यत्सावधिराधं प्रथैव ॥ ३,२३.

She attained complete devotion through true single-mindedness, O Vindra, and by her own will, the goddess established her conduct, which became the foremost example.

सा वै वित्तं विष्णुपादारविन्दे दुः खार्णवात्तराके संचकार । वागीन्द्रिद्रियं खग सम्यक्चकार हरेर्गुणानां वर्णने वा सदैव ॥ ३,२३.

She dedicated her wealth at Viṣṇu's lotus feet, as a raft to cross the ocean of suffering; O king of birds, she used her speech and senses always to describe the virtues of Hari.

हस्तौ च विष्णोर्गृहसंमार्जनादौ चकार देवी गात्रमलापहारम् । श्रोत्रं च चक्रे हरिसत्कथोदये मोक्षादिमार्गे ह्यमृतोपमे च ॥ ३,२३.

She used her hands for cleaning Viṣṇu's house and removing impurities from his body; her ears she devoted to hearing the rise of Hari's sacred stories, and to the path of liberation, which is like nectar.

नेत्रं च चक्रे प्रतिमादिदर्शने अनादिकालीनमलापहरिणी । सद्वैष्णवानां स्पर्शने चैव संगे निर्माल्यगन्धानुविलेपने त्वक् ॥ ३,२३.

She used her eyes for seeing images and forms of Viṣṇu, which remove ancient impurities; her skin for touching and associating with true Vaiṣṇavas, and for anointing herself with the fragrance of their offered garlands.

घ्रार्णेद्रियं सा हरिपादसारे चकार संसारविमुक्तिदे च । जिह्वेन्द्रियं हरिनैवेद्यशेषे श्रीमत्तुलस्यादिविमिश्रिते च ॥ ३,२३.

She used her sense of smell for the fragrance of Hari's feet, which grant liberation from worldly existence; her tongue for tasting Hari's remnants, mixed with sacred tulasī and the like.

पादौ हरेः क्षेत्रपथानुसर्पणे शिरो हृषीकेशपदाभिवन्दने । कामं हृदास्ये तु हरिदास्यकाम्या तथोत्तमश्लोकजनाश्चरन्ति ॥ ३,२३.

She used her feet to walk the paths to Hari's shrines, her head to bow at Hṛṣīkeśa's feet; her heart and mouth she devoted to the desire for service to Hari, as do the best among the devotees.