The Birth of Garuda

Verse 1 (1.23.1)

तं समुद्रमतिक्रम्य कद्रूर्विनतया सह । न्यपतत्तुरगाभ्याशे न चिरादिव शीघ्रगा ॥

taṃ samudramatikramya kadrūrvinatayā saha | nyapatatturagābhyāśe na cirādiva śīghragā

Crossing that ocean, Kadru, swift of flight, came down with Vinata near the horse before long.

Verse 2 (1.23.2)

ततस्ते तं हयश्रेष्ठं ददृशाते महाजवम् । शशाङ्ककिरणप्रख्यं कालवालमुभे तदा ॥

tataste taṃ hayaśreṣṭhaṃ dadṛśāte mahājavam | śaśāṅkakiraṇaprakhyaṃ kālavālamubhe tadā

Then both of them saw that best of horses, of great speed, bright as the rays of the moon, but with a black tail.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 3 (1.23.3)

निशाम्य च बहून्वालान्कृष्णान्पुच्छसमाश्रितान् । विषण्णरूपां विनतां कद्रूर्दास्ये न्ययोजयत् ॥

niśāmya ca bahūnvālānkṛṣṇānpucchasamāśritān | viṣaṇṇarūpāṃ vinatāṃ kadrūrdāsye nyayojayat

Seeing the many black hairs lodged in the tail, Kadru put the downcast Vinata into servitude.

Verse 4 (1.23.4)

ततः सा विनता तस्मिन्पणितेन पराजिता । अभवद्दुःखसंतप्ता दासीभावं समास्थिता ॥

tataḥ sā vinatā tasminpaṇitena parājitā | abhavadduḥkhasaṃtaptā dāsībhāvaṃ samāsthitā

So Vinata, beaten in that wager, became a slave and was consumed by grief.

Verse 5 (1.23.5)

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे चापि गरुडः काल आगते । विना मात्रा महातेजा विदार्याण्डमजायत ॥

etasminnantare cāpi garuḍaḥ kāla āgate | vinā mātrā mahātejā vidāryāṇḍamajāyata

Meanwhile, when his time came, Garuda of great splendour split the egg and was born without his mother's help.

Verse 6 (1.23.6)

महासत्त्वबलोपेतः सर्वा विद्योतयन्दिशः । कामरूपः कामगमः कामवीर्यो विहंगमः ॥

mahāsattvabalopetaḥ sarvā vidyotayandiśaḥ | kāmarūpaḥ kāmagamaḥ kāmavīryo vihaṃgamaḥ

Endowed with great might and strength, lighting up all the directions, the bird could take any form he wished, go wherever he wished and summon whatever power he wished.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 7 (1.23.7)

अग्निराशिरिवोद्भासन्समिद्धोऽतिभयंकरः । विद्युद्विस्पष्टपिङ्गाक्षो युगान्ताग्निसमप्रभः ॥

agnirāśirivodbhāsansamiddho'tibhayaṃkaraḥ | vidyudvispaṣṭapiṅgākṣo yugāntāgnisamaprabhaḥ

Blazing like a heap of fire, kindled and most terrifying, his tawny eyes flashing like lightning, he shone like the fire at the end of an age.

Note on the text: Only the first line is in the critical edition (first line of CE 1.20.5); the second line is not.

Verse 8 (1.23.8)

प्रवृद्धः सहसा पक्षी महाकायो नभोगतः । घोरो घोरस्वनो रौद्रो वह्निरौर्व इवापरः ॥

pravṛddhaḥ sahasā pakṣī mahākāyo nabhogataḥ | ghoro ghorasvano raudro vahniraurva ivāparaḥ

Suddenly the bird grew huge of body and rose into the sky, dreadful, of dreadful cry, fierce, like a second Aurva fire.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension), except the first line, which is the second line of CE 1.20.5.

Verse 9 (1.23.9)

तं दृष्ट्वा शरणं जग्मुर्देवाः सर्वे विभावसुम् । प्रणिपत्याब्रुवंश्चैनमासीनं विश्वरूपिणम् ॥

taṃ dṛṣṭvā śaraṇaṃ jagmurdevāḥ sarve vibhāvasum | praṇipatyābruvaṃścainamāsīnaṃ viśvarūpiṇam

Seeing him, all the gods went for refuge to Vibhavasu, the Fire, and bowing down they said to him as he sat in his universal form:

Note on the text: Corrected प्रमिपत्य → प्रणिपत्य (misprint in Wikisource; प्रमिपत्य is not a word, the critical edition has praṇipatya).

Verse 10 (1.23.10)

अग्ने मा त्वं प्रवर्धिष्ठाः कच्चिन्नो न दिधक्षसि । असौ हि राशिः सुमहान्समिद्धस्तव सर्पति ॥

agne mā tvaṃ pravardhiṣṭhāḥ kaccinno na didhakṣasi | asau hi rāśiḥ sumahānsamiddhastava sarpati

"Agni, do not grow any larger! Surely you do not mean to burn us? For this vast mass of yours is blazing and spreading toward us."

Verse 11 (1.23.11)

नैतदेवं यथा यूयं मन्यध्वमसुरार्दनाः । गरुडो बलवानेष मम तुल्यश्च तेजसा ॥

naitadevaṃ yathā yūyaṃ manyadhvamasurārdanāḥ | garuḍo balavāneṣa mama tulyaśca tejasā

It is not as you think, you scourges of the asuras. This is the mighty Garuda, my equal in splendour.

Verse 12 (1.23.12)

जातः परमतेजस्वी विनतानन्दवर्धनः । तेजोराशिमिमं दृष्ट्वा युष्मान्मोहः समाविशत् ॥

jātaḥ paramatejasvī vinatānandavardhanaḥ | tejorāśimimaṃ dṛṣṭvā yuṣmānmohaḥ samāviśat

He has just been born, of supreme splendour, the joy of Vinata. It is the sight of this mass of brilliance that has bewildered you.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 13 (1.23.13)

नागक्षयकरश्चैव काश्यपेयो महाबलः । देवानां च हिते युक्तस्त्वहितो दैत्यरक्षसाम् ॥

nāgakṣayakaraścaiva kāśyapeyo mahābalaḥ | devānāṃ ca hite yuktastvahito daityarakṣasām

This mighty son of Kashyapa will destroy the Nagas; he is devoted to the good of the gods and hostile to the daityas and rakshasas.

Note on the text: Corrected नागक्षयकरश्चै → नागक्षयकरश्चैव (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, restoring the metre). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 14 (1.23.14)

न भीः कार्या कथं चात्र पश्यध्वं सहिता मया । एवमुक्तास्तदा गत्वा गरुडं वाग्भिरस्तुवन् ॥

na bhīḥ kāryā kathaṃ cātra paśyadhvaṃ sahitā mayā | evamuktāstadā gatvā garuḍaṃ vāgbhirastuvan

"There is nothing to fear here at all. Come with me and see him." Thus addressed, the gods then went and praised Garuda with words.

Note on the text: Only the second line is in the critical edition (first line of CE 1.20.9); the first line is not. Wikisource marks a change of speaker (Sauti) before the second line.

Verse 15 (1.23.15)

ते दूरादभ्युपेत्यैनं देवाः सर्षिगणास्तदा । त्वमृषिस्त्वं महाभागस्त्वं देवः पतगेश्वरः ॥

te dūrādabhyupetyainaṃ devāḥ sarṣigaṇāstadā | tvamṛṣistvaṃ mahābhāgastvaṃ devaḥ patageśvaraḥ

The gods, with the hosts of seers, drew near him from afar and said: "You are the seer, you the greatly blessed one, you the god, the lord of birds.

Note on the text: The first line is the second line of CE 1.20.9 (which reads adūrād); the second line is the first line of CE 1.20.10. Wikisource marks the Gods as speakers before the second line.

Verse 16 (1.23.16)

त्वं प्रभुस्तपनः सूर्यः परमेष्ठी प्रजापतिः । त्वमिन्द्रस्त्वं हयमुखस्त्वं शर्वस्त्वं जगत्पतिः ॥

tvaṃ prabhustapanaḥ sūryaḥ parameṣṭhī prajāpatiḥ | tvamindrastvaṃ hayamukhastvaṃ śarvastvaṃ jagatpatiḥ

You are the lord, the scorching Sun, Parameshthin, Prajapati. You are Indra, you the horse-headed one, you Sharva, you the lord of the world.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). Its opening words parallel the second line of CE 1.20.10.

Verse 17 (1.23.17)

त्वं मुखं पद्मजो विप्रस्त्वमग्निः पवनस्तथा । त्वं हि धाता विधाता च त्वं विष्णुः सुरसत्तमः ॥

tvaṃ mukhaṃ padmajo viprastvamagniḥ pavanastathā | tvaṃ hi dhātā vidhātā ca tvaṃ viṣṇuḥ surasattamaḥ

You are the mouth, the lotus-born, the brahmin; you are Agni and likewise Vayu. You are Dhatri and Vidhatri; you are Vishnu, best of the gods.

Note on the text: Corrected पद्मजी → पद्मजो (misprint in Wikisource; पद्मजी is not a word, the lotus-born Brahma is पद्मजः). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 18 (1.23.18)

त्वं महानभिभूः शश्वदमृतं त्वं महद्यशः । त्वं प्रभास्त्वमभिप्रेतं त्वं नस्त्राणमनुत्तमम् ॥

tvaṃ mahānabhibhūḥ śaśvadamṛtaṃ tvaṃ mahadyaśaḥ | tvaṃ prabhāstvamabhipretaṃ tvaṃ nastrāṇamanuttamam

You are the Great One, the everlasting conqueror; you are the nectar, you great glory. You are radiance, you are all that is desired, you our supreme protection.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension), except the close of the second line (त्वं नस्त्राणमनुत्तमम्), which ends CE 1.20.10.

Verse 19 (1.23.19)

बलोर्मिमान्साधुरदीनसत्त्वः । समृद्धिमान्दुष्प्रसहस्त्वमेव । तपः श्रुतं सर्वमहीनकीर्ते । ह्यनागतं चोपगतं च सर्वम् ॥

balormimānsādhuradīnasattvaḥ | samṛddhimānduṣprasahastvameva | tapaḥ śrutaṃ sarvamahīnakīrte | hyanāgataṃ copagataṃ ca sarvam

You are an ocean surging with strength, good, of undaunted spirit, prosperous and irresistible. All austerity and sacred learning, O you of undiminished fame, all that is yet to come and all that has come: you are all of it.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (1.20.11): Wikisource prints only the last quarter of this stanza (ह्यनागतं चोपगतं च सर्वम्); the first three quarters are supplied from the critical edition, and Wikisource's last quarter is kept.

Verse 20 (1.23.20)

त्वमुत्तमः सर्वमिदं चराचरं । गभस्तिभिर्भानुरिवावभाससे । समाक्षिपन्भानुमतः प्रभां मुहु- । स्त्वमन्तकः सर्वमिदं ध्रुवाध्रुवम् ॥

tvamuttamaḥ sarvamidaṃ carācaraṃ | gabhastibhirbhānurivāvabhāsase | samākṣipanbhānumataḥ prabhāṃ muhu- | stvamantakaḥ sarvamidaṃ dhruvādhruvam

You are the highest. Like the sun with its rays you light up all this, moving and unmoving. Again and again outshining the radiance of the sun, you are the ender of all this, the lasting and the fleeting.

Verse 21 (1.23.21)

दिवाकरः परिकुपितो यथा दहे- । त्प्रजास्तथा दहसि हुताशनप्रभ । भयंकरः प्रलय इवाग्निरुत्थितो । विनाशयन्युगपरिवर्तनान्तकृत् ॥

divākaraḥ parikupito yathā dahe- | tprajāstathā dahasi hutāśanaprabha | bhayaṃkaraḥ pralaya ivāgnirutthito | vināśayanyugaparivartanāntakṛt

As the sun, if enraged, would burn up all creatures, so you burn them, O you who shine like the sacrificial fire, terrifying, risen like the fire of dissolution, destroying, the ender at the turning of the ages.

Verse 22 (1.23.22)

खगेश्वरं शरणमुपागता वयं । महौजसं ज्वलनसमानवर्चसम् । तडित्प्रभं वितिमिरमभ्रगोचरं । महाबलं गरुडमुपेत्य खेचरम् ॥

khageśvaraṃ śaraṇamupāgatā vayaṃ | mahaujasaṃ jvalanasamānavarcasam | taḍitprabhaṃ vitimiramabhragocaraṃ | mahābalaṃ garuḍamupetya khecaram

We have come for refuge to the lord of birds, of great might, of splendour like blazing fire, bright as lightning, dispelling darkness, ranging among the clouds; we have come to Garuda, the mighty rover of the sky,

Note on the text: A variant of CE 1.20.14: the second line differs, and the critical edition's fourth line is the first line of verse 23 here.

Verse 23 (1.23.23)

परावरं वरदमजय्यविक्रमं । तवौजसा सर्वमिदं प्रतापितम् । जगत्प्रभो तप्तसुवर्णवर्चसा । त्वं पाहि सर्वांश्च सुरान्महात्मनः ॥

parāvaraṃ varadamajayyavikramaṃ | tavaujasā sarvamidaṃ pratāpitam | jagatprabho taptasuvarṇavarcasā | tvaṃ pāhi sarvāṃśca surānmahātmanaḥ

who is the highest and the lowest, the giver of boons, of invincible prowess. All this has been scorched by your might. Lord of the world, with your splendour like molten gold, protect all the great-souled gods.

Note on the text: Corrected तवौजस → तवौजसा (misprint in Wikisource; the instrumental तव ओजसा is required). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension), except the first line, which is the fourth line of CE 1.20.14.

Verse 24 (1.23.24)

भयान्विता नभसि विमानगामिनो । विमानिता विपथगतिं प्रयान्ति ते । ऋषेः सुतस्त्वमसि दयावतः प्रभो । महात्मनः खगवर कश्यपस्य ह ॥

bhayānvitā nabhasi vimānagāmino | vimānitā vipathagatiṃ prayānti te | ṛṣeḥ sutastvamasi dayāvataḥ prabho | mahātmanaḥ khagavara kaśyapasya ha

Struck with fear, those who travel the sky in aerial cars are humbled and stray from their courses. You are the son, O lord, O best of birds, of the compassionate, great-souled seer Kashyapa.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 25 (1.23.25)

स मा क्रुधः कुरु जगतो दयां परां । त्वमीश्वरः प्रशममुपैहि पाहि नः । महाशनिस्फुरितसमस्वनेन ते । दिशोऽम्बरं त्रिदिवमियं च मेदिनी ॥

sa mā krudhaḥ kuru jagato dayāṃ parāṃ | tvamīśvaraḥ praśamamupaihi pāhi naḥ | mahāśanisphuritasamasvanena te | diśo'mbaraṃ tridivamiyaṃ ca medinī

So do not be angry; show the world your highest compassion. You are the Lord: grow calm and protect us. At your voice, loud as the crash of a great thunderbolt, the directions, the sky, heaven and this earth are all shaken.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). The stanza seems incomplete in Wikisource (its last line has no verb); it is translated as it stands.

Verse 26 (1.23.26)

शिवश्च नो भव भगवन्सुखावहः ॥

śivaśca no bhava bhagavansukhāvahaḥ

Be gracious to us, blessed lord, and bring us happiness."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). Wikisource gives only this single line; the rest of the stanza appears lost, and the critical edition has nothing to restore it from.

Verse 27 (1.23.27)

एवं स्तुतः सुपर्णस्तु देवैः सर्षिगणैस्तदा । तेजसः प्रतिसंहारमात्मनः स चकार ह ॥

evaṃ stutaḥ suparṇastu devaiḥ sarṣigaṇaistadā | tejasaḥ pratisaṃhāramātmanaḥ sa cakāra ha

Thus praised by the gods together with the hosts of seers, Suparna withdrew his radiance.