Garuda Purana

नासिकासु स एवोक्तो भौतिकस्तुल्य एव च । अतिवाहः स एवोक्तः यतो गम्यो मुमुक्षुभिः ॥ ३,२८.

He is said to reside in the nostrils, and is of a material nature, being the same as the Ativaha; he is called so because he is the path by which seekers of liberation travel.

दक्षादिभ्यः पञ्चगुणादधमः संप्रकीर्तितः । गरुड उवाच । प्रवहश्चेति संज्ञां स किमर्थं प्राप तद्वद ॥ ३,२८.

He is described as inferior to the fivefold qualities beginning with Daksha. Garuda said: Tell me, for what reason did he receive the name Pravaha?

अर्थः कश्चास्ति तन्नाम्नः प्रतीतस्तं वदस्व मे । गरुडेनैवमुक्तस्तु भगवान्देवकीसुतः । उवाच परमप्रीतः संस्तूय गरुडं हरिः ॥ ३,२८.

Is there any meaning associated with that name? Please explain it to me. Thus addressed by Garuda, the blessed son of Devaki, being greatly pleased and having praised Garuda, spoke.

कृष्ण उवाच । प्रहर्षेण हरेस्तुल्यान्सर्वदा वहते यतः । अतः प्रवहनामासौ कीर्तितः पक्षिसत्तम ॥ ३,२८.

Krishna said: Because he always carries those equal in joy to Hari, O best of birds, he is therefore called by the name Pravaha.

सर्वोत्तमो विष्णुरेवास्ति नाम्ना ब्रह्मादयस्तदधीनाः सदापि । मयोक्तमेतत्तु सत्यं न मिथ्या गृह्णामि हस्तेनोरगं कोपयुक्तम् ॥ ३,२८.

Only Vishnu is the highest; by name, Brahma and the others are always subordinate to him. What I have said is true, not false; I take the serpent in my hand, filled with anger.

सर्वं नु सत्यं यदि मिथ्या भवेत्तु तदा त्वसौ मां दशतुह्यहीन्द्रः । एवं ब्रुवन्नुरगं कोपयुक्तं समग्रहीन्नादशत्सोप्युरङ्गः ॥ ३,२८.

If all this is true, but if it should turn out to be false, then let this king of serpents bite me. Thus speaking, he seized the angry serpent, but the serpent did not bite him.

एतस्य संधारणादेव वीन्द्र स वायुपुत्रः प्रवहेत्याप संज्ञाम् । यो वा लोके विष्णुमूर्तिं विहाय दैत्यस्वरूपा रेणुकाद्याः कुदेवाः ॥ ३,२८.

Because he alone sustains this, O Indra among birds, the son of Vayu is called Pravaha. Whoever in the world abandons the form of Vishnu and worships false gods like Renuka and others, who are of demonic nature—

तेषां तथा मत्पितॄणां च पूजा व्यर्था सत्यं सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि । एतत्सर्वं यदि मिथ्या भवेत्तु तदा त्वसौ मां दशतु ह्यहीन्द्रः ॥ ३,२८.

—for them, and likewise for those who worship their ancestors in this way, the worship is fruitless. This is the truth, I say it truly; if all this is false, then let this king of serpents bite me.

पित्र्यं नयामि प्रविहायैव ये तु पित्रुद्देशात्केवलं यः करोति । स पापात्मा नरकान्वै प्रयातीत्येतद्वाक्यं सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ॥ ३,२८.

Whoever abandons the ancestral rites and performs them only for the sake of the ancestors, such a sinful soul surely goes to hell; this statement is true, I declare it.

न श्रीः स्वतन्त्रा नापि विधिः स्वतन्त्रो न वायुदेवो नापि शिवः स्वतन्त्रः । तदन्ये नो गौरिपुलोमजाद्याः किं वक्तव्यं नात्र लोके स्वतन्त्रः ॥ ३,२८.

Lakshmi is not independent, nor is Brahma independent, nor is the god of wind, nor is Shiva independent. What need is there to speak of others like Gauri or Pulomaja? No one in this world is independent.

ब्रवीमि सत्यं पुरुषो विष्णुरेव सत्यं सत्यं भुजमुद्धृत्य सत्यम् । एतत्सर्वं यदि मिथ्या भवेत्तु तदा त्वसौ मां दशतु ह्यहीन्द्र ॥ ३,२८.

I speak the truth: the Supreme Person is only Vishnu—truth, truth, I swear with my arm raised. If all this is false, then let this king of serpents bite me.

जीवश्च सत्यः परमात्मा च सत्यस्तयोर्भेदः सत्ये एतत्सदापि । जडश्चसत्यो जीवजडयोश्च भेदो भेदः सत्यः किं च जडैशयोर्भिदा ॥ ३,२८.

The individual soul is real, and the Supreme Self is real; the distinction between them is also real, and this is always so. Matter is real, and the difference between the soul and matter is real; what then of the distinction between matter and the Lord of matter?

भेदः सत्यः सर्वजीवेषु नित्यं सत्या जडानां च भेदा सदापि । एतत्सर्वं यदि मिथ्या भवेत्तु तदा त्वसौ दशतु मां ह्यहीन्द्रः ॥ ३,२८.

Difference is always real among all living beings, and the distinctions among inert things are always real as well. If all this is false, then let this king of serpents bite me.

एवं ब्रुवन्नुरगं कोपयुक्तं समग्रहीन्नादशत्सोप्युरङ्गः । एतस्य संधारणादेववीद्रे सा वायुपुत्रः प्रवहेत्याप संज्ञाम् ॥ ३,२८.

Thus speaking, he seized the angry serpent, but the serpent did not bite him. Because he alone sustains this, O Indra among birds, the son of Vayu is called Pravaha.

द्वयं स्वरूपं प्रविदित्वैव पूर्वं त्वं स्वीकुरुष्व द्वयमेव नित्यम् । स्नानादिकं च प्रकरोति नित्यं पापी स आत्मा नैव मोक्षं प्रयाति ॥ ३,२८.

Having understood the twofold nature from the beginning, you should always accept both. Even if one regularly performs bathing and other rites, if he is sinful, that soul does not attain liberation.

तस्माद्द्वयं प्रविचार्यैव नित्यं सुखी भवेन्नात्र विचार्यमस्ति । एतत्सर्वं यदि मिथ्या भवेत्तु तदा त्वसौ मां दशतु ह्यहीन्द्रः ॥ ३,२८.

Therefore, by always discerning the twofold nature, one becomes happy—there is no doubt about this. If all this is false, then let this king of serpents bite me.

गरुड उवाच । किं तद्द्वयं देवदेवेश किं वा तत्कारणं कीदृशं मे वदस्व । द्वयोस्त्यागं कीदृशं मे वदस्व त्यागात्सुखं कीदृशं मे वदस्व ॥ ३,२८.

Garuda said: What is that twofold nature, O Lord of gods? What is its cause, and what is it like? Tell me. Tell me also about the abandonment of the twofold nature, and what kind of happiness arises from such abandonment.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । द्वयं चाहुस्त्विन्द्रिये द्वे बलिष्ठे देहे ह्यस्मिञ्श्रोत्रनेत्रे सुसृष्टे । अवान्तरे श्रोत्रनेत्रे खगेन्द्र द्वयं चाहुस्तत्स्वरूपं च वक्ष्ये ॥ ३,२८.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Two senses are said to be the strongest in this body—well-formed are the ear and the eye. O king of birds, within the ear and the eye, there are said to be two aspects; I shall now explain their nature.

श्रोत्रस्वभावो लोक वार्ताश्रुतौ च ह्यतीव मोदस्त्वादरास्वादनेन । हरेर्वार्ताश्रवणे दुःखजालं श्रोत्रस्वभावो जडता दमश्च ॥ ३,२८.

The nature of the ear is to delight greatly in hearing worldly news, savoring it with affection; but in hearing the news of Hari, it feels a web of sorrow—the nature of the ear is dullness and restraint.

नेत्रस्वभावो दर्शने स्त्रीनराणां ह्यत्यादरान्नास्ति निद्रादिकं च । हरेर्भक्तानां दर्शने दुःखरूपो विष्णोः पूजादर्शने दुःखजालम् ॥ ३,२८.

The nature of the eye is to take pleasure in seeing men and women, so much so that sleep and the like do not arise; but in seeing devotees of Hari, it feels distress, and in seeing the worship of Viṣṇu, it is enveloped in sorrow.

तयोः स्वरूपं प्रविदित्वैव पूर्वं पुनः पुनः स्वीकरोत्येव मूढः । शिश्नं मौर्ख्याच्चैव कुत्रापि योनौ प्रवेशयेत्सर्वदा ह्यादरेण ॥ ३,२८.

Having understood the true nature of these two, yet the fool repeatedly takes them up again; out of ignorance, he always inserts the organ of generation into some womb, with great eagerness.

भयं च लज्जा नैव चास्ते वधूनां तथा नृणां वनितानां यतीनाम् । स्वसारं ते ह्यविदित्वा दिनेपि सुवाम यज्ञेन स्वाभावश्च वीन्द्र ॥ ३,२८.

There is neither fear nor shame in women, nor in men, nor in ascetics, regarding women; not knowing their own sisters, they, even by day, unite with them as if by sacrifice—such is their innate nature, O lord of birds.

रसास्वभावो भक्षणे सर्वदापि ह्यनर्पितस्यान्नभक्ष्यस्य विष्णोः । तथोपहारस्य च तत्स्वभावः अभक्ष्याणां भक्षणे तत्स्वभावः ॥ ३,२८.

The nature of taste is always to eat food that has not been offered to Viṣṇu, as well as to consume offerings in the same way; and in eating what should not be eaten, that is its nature.

अलेह्यलेहस्य च तत्स्वभावः पातुं त्वपेयस्य च तत्स्वभावः । द्वयोः स्वरूपं च विहाय मूढः पुनः पुनः स्वीकरोत्येव नित्यम् ॥ ३,२८.

So too, in tasting what should not be tasted, and in drinking what should not be drunk, that is its nature; abandoning the true nature of both, the fool repeatedly takes them up again, always.

तस्य स्नानं व्यर्थमाहुश्च यस्मात्तस्मात्त्याज्यं न द्वयोः कार्यमेव । अभिप्रायं ह्येतमेवं खगेन्द्र जानीहि त्वं प्रहस्यैव नित्यम् ॥ ३,२८.

Bathing for such a one is said to be useless, and therefore, one should not act in accordance with either; know this intention of mine, O king of birds, and always laugh at it.

भार्याद्वयं ह्यविदित्वा स्वरूपं स्वीकृत्य चैकां प्रविहायैव चैकाम् । स्नानादिकं कुरुते मूढबूद्धिः व्यर्थं चाहुर्मोक्षभोगौ च नैव । एतत्सर्वं यदि मिथ्या भवेत्तु तदा त्वसौ मां दशतु ह्यहीन्द्रः ॥ ३,२८.

Not knowing the true nature of the two wives, taking one and abandoning the other, the fool performs bathing and the like, which is said to be useless; neither liberation nor enjoyment is attained. If all this should be false, then let the lord of serpents bite me.

गरुड उवाच । भार्याद्वयं किं वद त्वं ममापि तयोः स्वरूपं किं वद त्वं मुरारे । तयोर्मध्ये ग्राह्यभार्यां वद त्वमग्राह्यभार्यां चापि सम्यग्वद त्वम् ॥ ३,२८.

Garuḍa said: Tell me, what are these two wives? Tell me also their true nature, O slayer of Mura. Among them, tell me truly which is the wife to be accepted, and which is not to be accepted.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । बुद्धिः पत्नी सा द्विरूपा खगेन्द्र दुष्टा चैका त्वपरा सुष्ठुरूपा । तयोर्मध्ये दुष्टरूपा कनिष्ठा ज्येष्ठा तु या सुष्ठुबुद्धिस्वरूपा ॥ ३,२८.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Intellect is the wife, O king of birds, and she is twofold—one is wicked, the other is of good nature. Of the two, the wicked one is the younger, and the elder is of the nature of good intellect.

कनिष्ठया नष्टतां याति जीवः सुतिष्ठन्त्या याति योग्यां प्रतिष्ठाम् । कनिष्ठायाः शृणु वक्ष्ये स्वरूपं श्रुत्वा तस्यास्त्यागबुद्धिं कुरुष्व ॥ ३,२८.

By the younger, the soul is led to ruin; by the steadfast one, it attains a worthy state. Hear now the nature of the younger; having heard, develop the resolve to abandon her.