Garuda Purana

मया सार्धं सद्गुरुं प्राप्य सम्यग्वैराग्यपूर्वं तत्त्वमात्रं विदित्वा । तेनैव मोक्षं प्राप्नुमो नार्जवैर्यत्तार्या विष्णोः संप्रसादाच्च लक्ष्म्याः ॥ ३,२८.

Having attained the true Guru together with me, and having understood the essence through proper detachment, by that alone we attain liberation—not by hypocrisy, but by the grace of noble Vishnu and Lakshmi.

इत्याशयं मनसा सन्निधाय तथा चोक्तं भक्तवर्यो मदीयः । अतो भक्तः प्रवहेत्येव संज्ञामवाप वीन्द्र प्रकृतं तं शृणु त्वम् ॥ ३,२८.

With this intention established in his mind, as spoken, my devotee became foremost among devotees. Therefore, he was known as Pravaha; now, O best of birds, listen to his story.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २९ प्रवहानन्तरान्वक्ष्ये शृणु पक्षीन्द्रसत्तम । यो धर्मो ब्रह्मणः पुत्रो ह्यादिसृष्टौ त्वगुद्भवः

I will now describe the successors of Pravaha; listen, O best of bird-kings. The Dharma who is the son of Brahma, born at the beginning of creation, emerged from his body.

सज्जनान्सौम्यरूपेण धारणाद्धर्मनामकः । स एव सूर्यपुत्रोभूद्यमसंज्ञामवाप सः । पापिनां शिक्षकत्त्वात्स यम इत्युच्यते बुधैः

By sustaining the virtuous in a gentle form, he was called Dharma. That same one became the son of the Sun and was named Yama. Because he disciplines the wicked, the wise call him Yama.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । प्रह्लादानन्तरं गङ्गा भार्या वै वरुणस्य च । प्रह्लादादधमा ज्ञेया महिम्ना वरुणाधिका

Śrī Krishna said: After Prahlāda comes Gaṅgā, who is also the wife of Varuṇa. Though lower than Prahlāda by birth, she surpasses Varuṇa in greatness.

स्वरूपादधमा ज्ञेया नात्र कार्या विचारणा । ज्ञानस्वरूपदं विष्णुं यमो जानाति सर्वदा

She is considered lower by nature—there is no need for further deliberation. Yama always knows Viṣṇu, who is the embodiment of knowledge.

अतो गङ्गेति सा ज्ञेया सर्वदा लोकपावनी । भक्त्या विष्णुपदीत्येव कीर्तिता नात्र संशयः

Therefore, she is always known as Gaṅgā, the purifier of the worlds. By devotion, she is called Viṣṇupadī—of this there is no doubt.

या पूर्वकाले यज्ञलिङ्गस्य विष्णोः साक्षाद्धरेर्विक्रमतः खगेन्द्र । वामस्य पादस्य नखाग्रतश्च निर्भिद्य चोर्ध्वाण्डकटाहखण्डम्

In ancient times, O king of birds, from the left foot of Viṣṇu, from the tip of his toenail, Gaṅgā burst forth, piercing the upper shell of the cosmic egg, as Viṣṇu strode forth in the form of the sacrificial emblem.

तदुदरमतिवेगात्सम्प्रविश्यावहन्तीं जगदघततिहन्तुः पादकिञ्जल्कशुद्धाम् । निखिलमलनिहन्त्रीं दर्शनात्स्पर्शनाच्च सकृदवगहनाद्वा भक्तिदां विष्णुपादे । शशिकरवरगौरां मीननेत्रां सुपूज्यां स्मरति हरिपदोत्थां मोक्षमेति क्रमेण

Entering with great speed through that opening, she carried away the multitude of worlds; purified by the dust of Viṣṇu’s foot, she destroys all impurities. By seeing, touching, or even bathing once in her, one attains devotion at Viṣṇu’s feet. Remembering her, who arose from Hari’s foot, who is bright as the best moon, with fish-like eyes and worthy of worship, one gradually attains liberation.

इन्द्रोपि वायुकरमर्दितवायुकूटबिन्दुं च प्राश्य शिरसि ह्यसहिष्णुमानः । भागीरथी हरिपदाङ्कमिति स्म नित्यं जानन्महापरमभागवतप्रधानः । भक्त्या च खिन्नहृदयः परमादरेण धृत्वा स्वमूर्ध्नि परमो ह्यशिवः शिवोऽभूत्

Even Indra, having tasted a drop of water struck by the wind on his head, became unable to bear it. Knowing Bhāgīrathī as marked by Hari’s foot, he, foremost among great devotees, with a heart moved by devotion and supreme reverence, bore her on his own head, and thus the most inauspicious became auspicious.

भागीरथ्याश्च चत्वारि रूपाण्यासन्खगेश्वर । महाभिषग्जनेन्द्रस्य भार्या तु ह्यभिषेचनी

O lord of birds, Bhāgīrathī has four forms: as Abhiṣecanī, she is the wife of the great king of physicians.

द्वितीयेनैव रूपेण गङ्गा भार्या च शन्तनोः । सुषेणा वै सुषेणस्य भार्या सा वानरी स्मृता

In her second form, Gaṅgā is the wife of Śantanu; as Suṣeṇā, she is known as the wife of Suṣeṇa, and is remembered as a vanara woman.

मण्डूकभार्या गङ्गा तु सैव मण्डूकिनी स्मृता । एवं चत्वारि रूपाणि गङ्गाया इति कीर्तितम्

As the wife of Maṇḍūka, Gaṅgā is known as Maṇḍūkinī. Thus, four forms of Gaṅgā are described.

आदित्याच्चैव गङ्गातः पर्जन्यः समुदाहृतः । प्रवर्षति सुवैराग्यं ह्यतः पर्जन्यनामकम्

From the Sun and Gaṅgā arises Parjanya, who is so called because he pours forth supreme detachment.

शरंवराय पञ्चजन्याच्च पञ्च हित्वा जग्ध्वा गर्वकं षट्क्रमेण । स्वबाणस्य स्वहृदि संस्थितस्य भजेत्सदा नैव भक्तिं विषं च

For Śaraṃvara, after giving up five and consuming pride in six stages from Pañcajanya, one should always worship the arrow that abides in one’s own heart, not devotion or poison.

लिङ्गं पुष्टं नैव कार्यं सदैव लिङ्गं पुष्टं कार्यमेवं सदापि । योनौ सक्तिर्नैव कार्या सदापि योनौ मुक्तेऽसंगतो याति मुक्तिम्

A strong liṅga is never to be made; yet always a strong liṅga should be made. Attachment to the yoni is never to be practiced; even so, one who is unattached attains liberation.

वैराग्यमेवं प्रकारोत्येव नित्यमतः पर्जन्यस्त्वन्तकः पक्षिवर्य । एतावता शरभाख्यो महात्मा स चान्तरो स तु पर्जन्य एव

Thus is the nature of detachment, O best of birds; therefore, Parjanya is called Antaka. In this way, the great soul known as Śarabha is also Parjanya.

शश्वत्केशा यस्य गात्रे खगेन्द्र प्रभास्यन्ते शरभाख्यो पयोतः । यमस्य भार्या श्यामला या खगेन्द्र यस्मात्सदा कलिभार्यापिया च

O King of Birds, the one whose body is always adorned with hair, who is called Sharabha, is the consort of Yama; she is dark-complexioned, and because she always drinks what is dear to Kali, she is known as Kali's wife.

मत्वा सम्यक्मानसं या करोति ह्यतश्च सा श्यामलासंज्ञकाभूत् । मलं वक्ष्ये हरिभक्तेर्विरोधी सुलोहपात्रे सन्निधानं च तस्य

Thinking rightly in her mind, she acts accordingly, and thus she became known as Shyamala; I will now speak of the impurity that opposes devotion to Hari, and its presence in vessels made of inferior metals.

तद्वैष्णवैस्त्याज्यमेवं सदैव वस्त्रं दग्धं सन्धिजं चैव जन्यम्

Therefore, among Vaishnavas, one must always avoid garments that are burnt, stitched, or produced from impure sources.

नोच्चाश्च ते हरिभक्तेर्विहीनास्तेषां संगो नैव कार्यः सदापि । पुराणसंपर्कविसर्जिनं च पुराणतालं च पुराणवस्त्रम्

Those who lack devotion to Hari should never be associated with; always avoid those who abandon contact with the Purana, as well as old scales and old garments.

सुजीर्णकन्थाजिनमेखलं च यज्ञोपवीतं च कलिप्रियं च । प्रियं गृहं चोर्णवितानकं च समित्कुशैः पूरितं कुत्सितं च

Worn-out cloth, animal skins, belts, sacred threads, and things dear to Kali; beloved homes, powdered canopies, and fuel sticks filled with kusha grass—all these are considered contemptible.

सर्वं चेत्कलिभार्याप्रियं च नैव प्रियं शार्ङ्गपाणेः कदाचित् । कांस्ये सुपक्वं यावनालस्य चान्नं तुषः पिण्याकं तुम्बबिल्वे पलाण्डुः

Everything that is dear to Kali's wife is never pleasing to the wielder of the Sharnga bow; food cooked well in bronze, barley, husk, oil-cake, gourd, onion—

दीर्घं तक्रं स्वादुहीनं कटूष्णमेते सर्वे कलिभार्याप्रियाश्च । सुदुर्मुखं निन्दनं चार्यजानां सतोवमत्यात्मजानां प्रसह्य

Long-fermented buttermilk, tasteless, pungent, and hot—all these are dear to Kali's wife; extremely foul, blameworthy, and despised by noble people, and forcibly rejected by one's own children.

सुपीडनं सर्वदा भर्तृवर्गे गृहस्थितव्रीहिवस्त्रादिचौर्यात् । प्रकीर्णभूतान्मूर्धजान्संदधानं करैर्युतं देवकलिप्रियं च

Always causing distress among husbands, theft of rice, cloth, and household items; mixing scattered hair with hands, and all things dear to the gods and to Kali.

इत्यादि सर्वं कलिभार्याप्रियञ्च सुनिर्मलं प्रकरोत्येव सर्वम् । अतश्च सा श्यामलेति स्वसंज्ञामवाप सा देवकी संबभूव

All such things, dear to Kali's wife, are always made completely pure; thus she acquired the name Shyamala, and became known as Devaki.

युधिष्ठिरस्यैव बभूव पत्नीसंभाविता तत्र च देवकी सा । चन्द्रस्य भार्या रोहिणी वै तदेयमश्विन्यादिभ्योऽह्यधिका सर्वदैव

She became the esteemed wife of Yudhishthira, and there Devaki was present; Rohini is the wife of the Moon, and she is always superior to the Ashvini and others.

रोणीं धृत्वा रोहति योग्यस्थानं तस्माच्च सा रोहिणीति प्रसिद्धा । आदित्यभार्या नाम संज्ञा खगेन्द्र ज्ञेया सा नारायणस्य स्वरूपा

Bearing the womb, she rises to the proper place, and thus she is famously called Rohini; O King of Birds, the wife of the Sun is known as Samjna, and she is the very form of Narayana.

संजानातीत्येव संज्ञामवाप संज्ञेति लोके सूर्य भार्या खगेन्द्र । ब्रह्माण्डस्य ह्यभिमानी तु देवो विराडिति ह्यभिधामाप तेन

Because she recognizes, she acquired the name Samjna; thus, in the world, the wife of the Sun is called Samjna, O King of Birds; the deity who presides over the universe is called Virat.