Garuda Purana

उदकेनाप्यभावेन द्रव्याणामर्चितः प्रभुः । यो ददाति स्वकं लोकं स त्वया किं न चार्चितः ॥ १,२२९.

Even if only with water or in the absence of other offerings, the Lord is worshipped; he who gives his own world—why did you not worship him?

न तत्करोति सा माता न पिता नापि बान्धवः । यत्करोति हृषीकेशः सन्तुष्टः श्रद्धयार्चितः ॥ १,२२९.

Neither mother, nor father, nor relatives do what Hrishikesha does when he is pleased and worshipped with faith.

वर्णाश्रमाचारवता पुरुषेण परः पुमान् । विष्णुराराध्यते पन्था नान्यस्तत्तोषकारकः ॥ १,२२९.

The supreme person, Vishnu, is worshipped by a man who follows the duties of his caste and stage of life; there is no other path that brings satisfaction.

न दानैर्विविधैर्दत्तैर्न पुष्पैर्नानुलेपनैः । तोषमेति महात्मासौ यथा भक्त्या जनार्दनः ॥ १,२२९.

That great soul, Janārdana, is not satisfied by various gifts, offerings of flowers, or unguents, as he is by devotion.

सम्पदैश्वर्यमाहात्म्यैः सन्तत्या न च कर्मणा । विमुक्तैश्चैकता लभ्या मूलमाराधनं हरेः ॥ १,२२९.

Neither wealth, power, greatness, progeny, nor actions, nor even liberation, can grant the unity whose root is the worship of Hari.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २३० सूत उवाच । आलोक्य सर्वशास्त्राणि विचार्य च पुनः पुनः । इदमेकं सुनिष्पन्नं ध्येयो नारायणः सदा ॥ १,२३०.

Sūta said: Having examined all the scriptures and reflected again and again, this one conclusion is established: Nārāyaṇa alone should always be meditated upon.

किं तस्य दानैः किन्तीर्थैः किं तपोभिः किमध्वरैः । यो नित्यं ध्यायते देवं नारायणमनन्यधीः ॥ १,२३०.

What need has he for gifts, for sacred waters, for austerities, or for sacrifices, who always meditates on the Lord Nārāyaṇa with undivided mind?

षष्टिस्तीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टिस्तीर्थशतानि च । नारायणप्रणामस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम् ॥ १,२३०.

Sixty thousand sacred waters and sixty hundred more do not equal even a sixteenth part of the merit of saluting Nārāyaṇa.

प्रयश्चित्तान्यशेषाणि तपः कर्माणि यानि वै । विद्धि तेषामशेषाणां कृष्णानुस्मरणं परम् ॥ १,२३०.

All acts of atonement, austerities, and deeds—know that, among them all, remembrance of Kṛṣṇa is supreme.

कृतपापेऽनुरक्तिश्च यस्य पुंसः प्रजायते । प्रायश्चित्तन्तु तस्यैकं हरेः संस्मरणं परम् ॥ १,२३०.

For a man whose mind turns with attachment to sin, the one supreme atonement for him is remembrance of Hari.

मुहूर्तमपि यो ध्यायेन्नारायणमतन्द्रितः । सोऽपि स्वर्गतिमाप्नोति किं पुनस्तत्परायणः ॥ १,२३०.

Even one who meditates on Nārāyaṇa for a moment, without distraction, attains heaven—how much more so one who is devoted to him.

जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तेषु योगस्थस्य च योगिनः । या काचिन्मनसो वृत्तिः सा भवत्यच्युताश्रयात् ॥ १,२३०.

For the yogin established in yoga, in waking, dreaming, or deep sleep, whatever movement of the mind occurs, that becomes established in the support of Acyuta.

उत्तिष्ठन्निपतन्विष्णुं प्रलपन्विविशंस्तथा । भुञ्जञ्जाग्रच्च गोविन्दं माधवं यश्च संस्मरेत् ॥ १,२३०.

Whether rising, lying down, speaking, entering, eating, or waking, whoever remembers Govinda or Mādhava thus—

स्वेस्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः कुर्याच्चित्तं जनार्दने । एषा शास्त्रानुसारोक्तिः किमन्यैर्बहुभाषितैः ॥ १,२३०.

One who is devoted to his own duties should direct his mind to Janārdana; this is the teaching of the scriptures—what need is there for many other words?

ध्यानमेव परो धर्मो ध्यानमेव परं तपः । ध्यानमेव परं शौचं तस्माद्ध्यानपरो भवेत् ॥ १,२३०.

Meditation alone is the highest dharma, meditation alone is the highest austerity, meditation alone is the highest purity; therefore, one should be devoted to meditation.

नास्ति विष्णोः परं ध्थेयं तपो नानशनात्परम् । तस्मात्प्रधानमत्रोक्तं वासुदेवस्य चिन्तनम् ॥ १,२३०.

There is no object of meditation higher than Viṣṇu, no austerity greater than fasting; therefore, the principal teaching here is contemplation of Vāsudeva.

यद्दुर्लभं परं प्राप्यं मनसो यन्न गोचरम् । तदप्यप्रार्थितं ध्यातो ददाति मधुसूदनः ॥ १,२३०.

That which is rare, supreme, and beyond the reach of the mind—even that, unasked, Madhusūdana gives to one who meditates on him.

प्रमादात्कुर्वतां कर्म प्रच्यवेताध्वरेषु यत् । स्मरणादेव तद्विष्णोः संपूर्णं स्यादिति श्रुतिः ॥ १,२३०.

If, through negligence, one errs in ritual acts or sacrifices, the śruti declares that by remembrance of Viṣṇu alone, that is fully accomplished.

ध्यानेन सदृशो नास्ति शोधनं पापकर्मणाम् । आगामिदेहहेतूनां दाहको योगपावकः ॥ १,२३०.

There is no purifier equal to meditation for sinful deeds; the fire of yoga burns up the causes of future bodies.

विनिष्पन्नसमाधिस्तु मुक्तिमत्रैव जन्मनि । प्राप्नोति योगी योगाग्निदग्धकर्मा च योऽचिरात् ॥ १,२३०.

The yogin who has attained perfect samādhi, whose actions are burned by the fire of yoga, attains liberation in this very life, and quickly so.

यथाग्निरुद्यतशिखः कक्षं दहति वानिलः । तथा चित्तस्थिते विष्णौ योगिना सर्वकिल्बिषम् ॥ १,२३०.

Just as fire with upraised flames burns a forest, so, when Viṣṇu is established in the mind, the yogin burns up all sin.

यथाग्नियोगात्कनकममलं संप्रजायते । संप्लुष्टो वासुदेवेन मनुष्याणां सदा मलः ॥ १,२३०.

Just as pure gold is produced by the application of fire, so too is the impurity of humans always burned away by Vāsudeva.

गङ्गास्नानसहस्रेषु पुष्करस्नानकोटिषु । यत्पापं निलययाति स्मृते नश्यति तद्धरौ ॥ १,२३०.

The sin that does not depart even after a thousand baths in the Gaṅgā or ten million baths at Puṣkara is destroyed when Hari is remembered.

प्राणायामसहस्नैस्तु यत्पापं नश्यति ध्रुवम् । क्षणमात्रेण तत्पापं हरेर्ध्यानात्प्रणश्यति ॥ १,२३०.

The sin that is certainly destroyed by a thousand prāṇāyāmas is destroyed in a single moment by meditation on Hari.

कलिप्रभावाद्दुष्टोक्तिः पाषण्डानां तथोक्तयः । न क्रामेन्मानसं तस्य यस्य चेतसि केशवः ॥ १,२३०.

Because of the influence of the Kali age, the corrupt words of heretics and their teachings do not affect the mind of one in whose heart Keśava dwells.

सा तिथिस्तदहोरात्रं स योगः स च चन्द्रमाः । लग्नं तदेव विख्यातं यत्र संस्मर्यते हरिः ॥ १,२३०.

That is the sacred day, that is the auspicious night, that is the true conjunction, that is the moon, and that is the renowned ascendant in which Hari is remembered.

सा हानिस्तन्महच्छिद्रं सा चार्थजडमूकता । चन्मुहूर्तं क्षणो वापि वासुदेवो न चिन्त्यते ॥ १,२३०.

That is loss, that is a great defect, that is dullness and muteness regarding wealth, when even for a moment or an instant Vāsudeva is not contemplated.

कलौ कृत युगं तस्य कलिस्तस्य कृते युगे । हृदि नो यस्य गोविन्दो यस्य चेतसि नाच्युतः ॥ १,२३०.

For him, Kali becomes the Kṛta age, and for him, Kṛta becomes Kali, who does not have Govinda in his heart or Acyuta in his mind.

यस्याग्रतस्तथा पृष्ठे गच्छतस्तिष्ठतोऽपि वा । गोविन्दे नियतं चेतः कृतकृत्यः सदैव सः ॥ १,२३०.

Whether going ahead, behind, walking, or standing, one whose mind is always fixed on Govinda has accomplished all duties.