Garuda Purana

भगवन्देवदेवेश शरणागतवत्सल । असारे घोरसंसारे सर्वदुः खमलीमसे ॥ २,४९.

O Lord, God of gods, protector of those who seek refuge, in this insubstantial and terrible world, we are afflicted by all kinds of suffering.

नानाविधशरीरस्था अनन्ता जीवराशयः । जायन्ते च म्रियन्ते च तेषामन्तो न विद्यते ॥ २,४९.

Countless living beings, taking on various bodies, are born and die, and for them there is no end.

सदा दुः खातुरा एव न सखी विद्यते क्कचित् । केनोपायेन मोक्षेश मुच्यन्ते वद मे प्रभो ॥ २,४९.

Always tormented by suffering, they find no happiness anywhere. By what means, O Lord of liberation, are they freed? Tell me, O Master.

श्रीभगवानुबाच । शृणु तार्क्ष्य प्रवक्ष्यामि यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण संसारान्मुच्यते नरः ॥ २,४९.

The Blessed Lord said: Listen, O Tārkṣya, I will tell you what you have asked me; by merely hearing this, a person is freed from the cycle of existence.

अस्ति देवः परब्रह्मस्वरूपो निष्कलः शिवः । सर्वज्ञः सर्वकर्ता च सर्वेशो निर्मलोऽद्वयः ॥ २,४९.

There is a God, the supreme Brahman, of the nature of pure consciousness, without parts, auspicious, all-knowing, the doer of all, the Lord of all, pure, and non-dual.

स्वयञ्ज्योतिरनाद्यन्तो निर्विकारः परात्परः । निर्गुणः सच्चिदानन्दस्तदंशा जीवसंज्ञकाः ॥ २,४९.

Self-luminous, without beginning or end, changeless, supreme beyond the supreme, without qualities, existence-consciousness-bliss; fragments of that are known as living beings.

अनाद्यविद्योपहता यथाग्नौ विस्फुलिङ्गकाः । देहाद्युपाधिसम्भिन्नास्ते कर्मभिरनादिभिः ॥ २,४९.

Obscured by beginningless ignorance, like sparks in fire, they are divided by bodily and other adjuncts, and bound by beginningless actions.

सुखदुः खप्रदैः पुण्यपारूपैर्नियन्त्रिताः । तत्तज्जातियुतं देहमायुर्भोगञ्च कर्मजम् ॥ २,४९.

Controlled by merits and demerits that bring pleasure and pain, they obtain bodies, lifespans, and enjoyments of various kinds, all arising from karma.

प्रतिजन्म प्रपद्यन्ते तेषामपि परं पुनः । ससूक्ष्मलिङ्गशरीरमामोक्षादक्षरं खग ॥ २,४९.

With each birth, they assume bodies again; and even among them, until liberation, the subtle body remains, O bird.

स्थावराः कृमयश्चाजाः पक्षिणः पशवो नगः । धार्मिकास्त्रिदशास्तद्वन्मोक्षिणश्च यथाक्रमम् ॥ २,४९.

Immobile beings, insects, goats, birds, animals, mountains, the righteous, the gods, those liberated—such is the order.

चतुर्विधशरीराणि धृत्वा मुक्त्वा सहस्रशः । सुकृतान्मा नवो भूत्वा ज्ञानी चेन्मोक्षमाप्नुयात् ॥ २,४९.

Having assumed and abandoned thousands of fourfold bodies, if one becomes virtuous and wise, one may attain liberation.

चतुरशीतिलक्षेषु शरीरेषु शरीरिणाम् । न मानुषं विनान्यत्र तत्त्वज्ञानन्तु लभ्यते ॥ २,४९.

Among the eighty-four lakh bodies of embodied beings, except in the human form, nowhere else is knowledge of reality attained.

अत्र जन्मसहस्राणां सहस्रैरपि कोटिभिः । कदाचिल्लभते जन्तुर्मानुष्यं पुण्यसञ्चयात् ॥ २,४९.

Even after thousands upon thousands of births, sometimes a creature attains humanity, due to the accumulation of merit.

सोपानभूतं मोक्षस्य मानुष्यं प्राप्य दुर्लभम् । यस्तार यति नात्मानं तस्मात्पापतरोऽत्र कः ॥ २,४९.

Having attained the rare human birth, which is the stepping stone to liberation, who is more sinful than one who does not rescue himself?

नरः प्राप्येतरज्जन्म लब्ध्वा चेन्द्रियसौष्ठवम् । न वेत्त्यात्महितं यस्तु स भवेद्ब्रह्मघातकः ॥ २,४९.

A man who, having gained another birth and the excellence of the senses, does not know what benefits himself, is a slayer of Brahman.

विना देहेन कस्यापि पुरुषार्थो न विद्यते । तस्माद्देहं धनं रक्षेत्पुण्यकर्माणि साधयेत् ॥ २,४९.

Without a body, no one can pursue any purpose; therefore, one should protect the body as wealth and perform virtuous deeds.

रक्षेच्चसर्वदात्मानमात्मा सर्ब्वस्य भाजनम् । रक्षणे यत्नमातिष्ठेज्जीवन् भद्राणि पश्यति ॥ २,४९.

One should always protect oneself, for the self is the vessel of everything; by striving for protection, one lives and sees auspicious things.

पुनर्ग्रामः पुनः क्षेत्र पुनर्वित्तं पुनर्गृहम् । पुनः शुभाशुभं कर्म न शरीरं पुनः पुनः ॥ २,४९.

Village, field, wealth, house, good and bad deeds may be regained again and again, but not the body.

शरीररक्षणोपायाः क्रि यन्ते सर्वदा बुधैः । नेच्छन्ति च पुनस्त्यागमपि कुष्ठादिरोगिणः ॥ २,४९.

Wise people always employ means to protect the body, and even those afflicted with diseases like leprosy do not wish to abandon it.

तद्गोपितं स्याद्धर्मार्थं धर्मो ज्ञानार्थमेव च । ज्ञानं तु ध्यानयोगार्थमचिरात्प्रविमुच्यते ॥ २,४९.

It should be preserved for the sake of dharma and wealth; dharma is for knowledge, and knowledge is for meditation and yoga, by which one is quickly liberated.

आत्मैव यदि नात्मानमहीतेभ्यो निवारयेत् । कोऽन्यो हितकरस्तस्मादात्मानं सुखयिष्यति ॥ २,४९.

If the self does not protect itself from harm, who else will bring happiness to oneself?

इहैव नरकव्याधेश्चिकित्सां न करोति यः । गत्वा निरौषधं देशं व्याधिम्थः किं करिष्यति ॥ २,४९.

He who does not seek treatment for the disease of hell here, what will he do when he reaches a place without medicine, afflicted by disease?

व्याघ्रीवास्ते जरा चायुर्याति भिन्नघटाम्बुवत् । निघ्नन्ति रिपुवद्रोगास्तस्माच्छ्रेयः समभ्यसेत ॥ २,४९.

Old age comes like a tiger, life departs like water from a broken pot, diseases destroy like enemies; therefore, one should practice what is good.

यावन्नाश्रयते दुः खं यावन्नायान्ति चापदः । यावन्नेन्द्रियवैकल्यं तावच्छ्रेयः समभ्यसेत् ॥ २,४९.

As long as suffering has not arisen, as long as misfortune has not come, as long as the senses have not become impaired, one should strive for what is truly beneficial.

यावत्तिष्ठति देहोऽयं तावत्तत्त्वं समभ्यसेत् । सन्दीप्तकोशभवने कूपं खनति दुर्मतिः ॥ २,४९.

As long as this body endures, one should pursue the truth; the fool digs a well in his house only when the storehouse is already ablaze.

कालो न ज्ञायते नानाकार्यैः संसारसम्भवैः । सुखं दुःखं जनो हन्त न वेत्ति हितमात्मनः ॥ २,४९.

Time cannot be known, filled as it is with countless worldly affairs; people, alas, do not discern what is truly good for themselves, whether in happiness or in sorrow.

जातानार्तान्मृतानापद्भष्टान्दृष्ट्वा च दुः खितान् । लोको मोहसुरां पीत्वा न बिभेति कदाचन ॥ २,४९.

Even seeing those born into suffering, those dead, those fallen into calamity, and those afflicted with pain, people, intoxicated by the wine of delusion, never feel fear.

सम्पदः स्वप्नसंकाशा यौवनं कुसुमोपमम् । तडिच्चपलमायुष्यं कस्य स्याज्जानतो धृतिः ॥ २,४९.

Wealth is like a dream, youth is as fleeting as a flower, and life is as unstable as a flash of lightning—who, knowing this, could remain steadfast?

शतं जीवितमत्यल्पं निद्रालस्यैस्तदर्धकम् । बाल्यरोगजरादुः खैरल्पं तदपि निष्फलम् ॥ २,४९.

A hundred years of life is very little; for the lazy and those given to sleep, it is half that; and what remains is consumed by childhood, disease, and old age, so that even that small portion is fruitless.