Garuda Purana

हिताहितं न जानन्तो नित्यमुन्मार्गगामिनः । कुक्षिपूरणनिष्ठा ये ते नरा नारकाः खग ॥ २,४९.

Those men who do not know what is beneficial or harmful, who always go astray, whose only aim is to fill their bellies—O bird, they are hell-bound.

निद्राभीमैथुनाहाराः सर्वेषां प्राणिनां समाः । ज्ञानवान्मानवः प्रोक्तो ज्ञानहीनः पशुः स्मृतः ॥ २,४९.

Sleep, fear, sex, and food are the same for all living beings; he who possesses knowledge is called a human, one without knowledge is regarded as a beast.

प्रभाते मलमूत्त्राभ्यां क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां मध्यगे रवौ । रात्रौ मदननिद्राभ्यां बाध्यन्ते मूढमानवाः ॥ २,४९.

At dawn, fools are troubled by excretion and urination, at midday by hunger and thirst, at night by lust and sleep.

स्वदेहधनदारादिनिरताः सर्वजन्तवः । जायन्ते च म्रियन्ते च हा हन्ताज्ञानमोहिताः ॥ २,४९.

All creatures, absorbed in their own bodies, wealth, wives, and so on, are born and die, alas, deluded by ignorance.

तस्मात्सङ्गः सदा त्याज्यः सचेत्त्यक्तुं न शक्यते । महद्भिः सह कर्तव्यः सन्तः सङ्गस्य भेषजम् ॥ २,४९.

Therefore, attachment should always be abandoned; but if it cannot be given up, one should associate with the great—association with the good is the remedy.

सत्सङ्गश्च विवेकश्च निर्मलं नयनद्वयम् । यस्य नास्ति नरः सोऽन्धः कथं न स्यादमार्गगः ॥ २,४९.

He who lacks association with the good, discernment, and pure vision—such a man is blind; how could he not go astray?

स्वस्ववर्णाश्रमाचारनिरताः सर्वमानवाः । न जानन्ति परं धर्मं वृथा नश्यन्ति दाम्भिकाः ॥ २,४९.

All men, absorbed in the conduct of their own varṇa and āśrama, do not know the supreme dharma; vainly do the hypocrites perish.

किमायासपराः केचिद्व्रतचर्यादिसंयुताः । अज्ञानसंवृतात्मानः सञ्चरन्ति प्रचारकाः ॥ २,४९.

Why do some, intent on austerities and vows, wander about, their selves shrouded in ignorance?

नाममात्रेण सन्तुष्टाः कर्मकाण्डरता नराः । मन्त्रोच्चारणहोमाद्यैर्भ्रामिताः क्रतुविस्तरैः ॥ २,४९.

Men devoted to ritual acts, satisfied with mere names, are deluded by recitation of mantras, offerings, and the elaborate details of sacrifices.

एकभुक्तोपवासाद्यैर्नियमैः कायशोषणैः । मूढाः परोक्षमिच्छन्ति मम मायाविमोहिताः ॥ २,४९.

Deluded by my māyā, fools desire the unseen by means of disciplines such as eating once a day, fasting, and mortifying the body.

देहदण्डनमात्रेण का मुक्तिरविवेकिनाम् । वल्मीकताडनादेव मृतः किन्नु महोरगः ॥ २,४९.

What liberation can there be for the undiscerning merely by punishing the body? If a great serpent dies from being struck by a plough, does it attain freedom?

जटाभाराजिनैर्युक्ता दाम्भिका वेषधारिणः । भ्रमन्ति ज्ञानिवल्लोके भ्रामयन्ति जनानपि ॥ २,४९.

Wearing matted locks and deerskins, adopting the guise of ascetics, hypocrites wander in the world as if they are wise, and lead others astray as well.

संसारजसुखासक्तं ब्रह्मज्ञोऽस्मीतिवादिनम् । कर्मब्रह्मोभयभ्रष्टं तं त्यजेदन्त्यजं यथा ॥ २,४९.

One who is attached to worldly pleasures yet claims to be a knower of Brahman, who has fallen from both action and knowledge of Brahman—such a one should be abandoned like an outcaste.

गृहारण्यसमा लोके गतव्रीडा दिगम्बराः । चरन्ति गर्दभाद्याश्च विरक्तास्ते भवन्ति किम् ॥ २,४९.

In this world, those who have lost all shame, who roam naked whether in house or forest—are such beings as donkeys and the like truly dispassionate?

मृद्भस्मोद्धूलनादेव मुक्ताः स्युर्यदि मानवाः । मृद्भस्मवासी नित्यं श्वा स किं मुक्तो भविष्यति ॥ २,४९.

If people were liberated merely by smearing themselves with clay or ashes, then would a dog, who always dwells in clay and ashes, also become liberated?

तृणपर्णोदकाहाराः सततं वनवासिनः । जम्बूकाखुमृगाद्याश्च तापसास्ते भवन्ति किम् ॥ २,४९.

Those who always live in the forest, subsisting on grass, leaves, and water—are such as jackals, rats, and deer thereby ascetics?

आजन्ममरणान्तञ्च गङ्गादितटिनीस्थिताः । मण्डूकमत्स्यप्रमुखा योगिनस्ते भवन्ति किम् ॥ २,४९.

Those who dwell on the banks of rivers like the Ganges from birth to death—are frogs, fish, and the like therefore yogis?

पारावताः शिलाहाराः कदाचिदपि चातकाः । न पिबन्ति महीतोयं व्रतिनस्ते भवन्ति किम् ॥ २,४९.

Pigeons who eat stones, or sometimes chataka birds who never drink water from the earth—are such creatures ascetics because of their vows?

तस्मान्नित्यादिकं कर्म लोकरञ्जनकारकम् । मोक्षस्य कारणं साक्षातत्त्वज्ञान खगेश्वर ॥ २,४९.

Therefore, O Lord of Birds, daily and other ritual acts performed merely to please the world are not the direct cause of liberation; true knowledge of reality is.

षर्ड्शनमहाकूपे पतिताः पशवः खग । परमार्थं न जानन्ति पशुपाशनियन्त्रिताः ॥ २,४९.

O Bird, animals fallen into the great pit of the six philosophies do not know the highest truth, being controlled by the bonds of ignorance.

वेदशास्त्रार्णवैर्घेरैरुह्यमाना इतस्ततः । षडूर्मिनिग्रहग्रस्तास्तिष्ठन्ति हि कुतार्किकाः ॥ २,४९.

Tossed here and there by the waves of the ocean of Vedic scriptures and treatises, those who are seized by the six inner enemies remain, indeed, as false reasoners.

वेदागमपुराणज्ञः परमार्थं न वेत्ति यः । विडम्बकस्य तस्यैव तत्सर्वं काकभाषितम् ॥ २,४९.

One who knows the Vedas, Āgamas, and Purāṇas but does not know the highest truth—all his words are mere crow-calls, fit only for mockery.

इदं ज्ञानमिदं ज्ञेयमिति चिन्तासमाकुलाः । पठन्त्यहर्निशं शास्त्रं परतत्त्वपराङ्मुखाः ॥ २,४९.

Filled with thoughts such as 'this is knowledge, this is to be known,' they study scripture day and night, yet turn away from the supreme reality.

वाक्यच्छन्दोनिबन्धेन काव्यालङ्कारशोभिताः । चिन्तया दुःखिता मूढास्तिष्ठन्ति व्याकुलेन्द्रियाः ॥ २,४९.

Adorned with poetic embellishments and metrical compositions, these fools, distressed by their own thoughts and with agitated senses, remain in sorrow.

अन्यथा परमं तत्त्वं जनाः क्लिश्यन्ति चान्यथा । अन्यथा शास्त्रसद्भावो व्याख्यां कुर्वन्ति चान्यथा ॥ २,४९.

People suffer by misunderstanding the highest reality, and likewise misinterpret the true meaning of scripture in various ways.

कथयन्त्युवन्मनीभावं स्वयं नानुभवन्ति च । अहङ्कारस्ताः केचिदुपदेशादिवार्जिताः ॥ २,४९.

They speak of the state of union with the supreme, yet do not experience it themselves; some, out of pride, even reject instruction and guidance.

पठन्ति वेदशास्त्राणि बोधयन्ति परस्परम् । न जानन्ति परं तत्त्वं दर्वी पाकरसं यथा ॥ २,४९.

They recite the Vedas and scriptures, and teach each other, but do not know the supreme truth—just as a ladle does not taste the flavor of the food it serves.

शिरो वहति पुष्पाणि गन्धं जानाति नासिका । पठन्ति वेदशास्त्राणि दुर्लभो भावबोधकः ॥ २,४९.

The head bears flowers, the nose perceives fragrance; people recite the Vedas and scriptures, but one who truly understands their meaning is rare.

तत्त्वमात्मस्थमज्ञात्वा मूढः शास्त्रेषु मुह्यति । गोपः कक्षागते च्छागे कूपं पश्यति दुर्मतिः ॥ २,४९.

Without knowing the truth that abides within oneself, the fool is bewildered by the scriptures; like a cowherd, seeing a well from afar, mistakes a goat in the enclosure.