Garuda Describes the West

Verse 1 (5.110.1)

इयं दिग्दयिता राज्ञो वरुणस्य तु गोपतेः । सदा सलिलराजस्य प्रतिष्ठा चादिरेव च ॥

iyaṃ digdayitā rājño varuṇasya tu gopateḥ | sadā salilarājasya pratiṣṭhā cādireva ca

This quarter is dear to King Varuna, guardian of this region; it is for ever the abode and the very source of the king of the waters.

Note on the text: Corrected दिग्दियिता → दिग्दयिता (misprint in Wikisource; ि for the inherent a — दयिता, "beloved"; the critical edition reads dig dayitā).

Verse 2 (5.110.2)

अत्र पश्चादहः सूर्यो विसर्जयति गाः स्वयम् । पश्चिमेत्यभिविख्याता दिगियं द्विजसत्तम ॥

atra paścādahaḥ sūryo visarjayati gāḥ svayam | paścimetyabhivikhyātā digiyaṃ dvijasattama

Here, at the end of the day, the sun himself lets go his rays; and so this quarter is renowned as Pashchima, the west, best of the twice-born.

Verse 3 (5.110.3)

यादसामत्र राज्येन सलिलस्य च गुप्तये । कश्यपो भगवान्देवो वरुणं स्माभ्यषेचयत् ॥

yādasāmatra rājyena salilasya ca guptaye | kaśyapo bhagavāndevo varuṇaṃ smābhyaṣecayat

Here the blessed god Kashyapa consecrated Varuna to rule over the creatures of the water and to guard the waters.

Verse 4 (5.110.4)

अत्र पीत्वा समस्तान्वै वरुणस्य रसांस्तु षट् । जायते तरुणः सोमः शुक्लस्यादौ तमिस्रहा ॥

atra pītvā samastānvai varuṇasya rasāṃstu ṣaṭ | jāyate taruṇaḥ somaḥ śuklasyādau tamisrahā

Here, after drinking all six of Varuna's savours, the moon, slayer of darkness, is born young again at the start of the bright fortnight.

Verse 5 (5.110.5)

अत्र पश्चात्कृता दैत्या वायुना संयतास्तदा । निःश्वसन्तो महावातैरर्दिताः सुषुपुर्द्विज ॥

atra paścātkṛtā daityā vāyunā saṃyatāstadā | niḥśvasanto mahāvātairarditāḥ suṣupurdvija

Here the Daityas, driven back and held fast by the Wind, lay sleeping, sighing heavily, battered by mighty gales, O twice-born.

Note on the text: Corrected पञ्चात्कृता → पश्चात्कृता (misprint in Wikisource; ञ्च for श्च; the critical edition and the Wikisource commentary read paścāt kṛtā) and निश्चसन्तो → निःश्वसन्तो (misprint; श्च for ःश्व — "sighing"; the critical edition reads niḥśvasanto).

Verse 6 (5.110.6)

अत्र सूर्यं प्रणयिनं प्रतिगृह्णाति पर्वतः । अस्तो नाम यतः सन्ध्या पश्चिमा प्रतिसर्पति ॥

atra sūryaṃ praṇayinaṃ pratigṛhṇāti parvataḥ | asto nāma yataḥ sandhyā paścimā pratisarpati

Here the mountain called Asta receives the sun, its loving friend, and from it the western twilight goes forth.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रतिसर्यति → प्रतिसर्पति (misprint in Wikisource; य for प; the critical edition reads pratisarpati).

Verse 7 (5.110.7)

अतो रात्रिश्च निद्रा च निर्गता दिवसक्षये । जायते जीवलोकस्य हर्तुमर्धमिवायुषः ॥

ato rātriśca nidrā ca nirgatā divasakṣaye | jāyate jīvalokasya hartumardhamivāyuṣaḥ

From here night and sleep go forth when the day is spent, born into the world of the living as if to carry off half of its life.

Verse 8 (5.110.8)

अत्र देवीं दितिं सुप्तामात्मप्रसवधारिणीम् । विगर्भामकरोच्छक्रो यत्र जातो मरुद्गणः ॥

atra devīṃ ditiṃ suptāmātmaprasavadhāriṇīm | vigarbhāmakarocchakro yatra jāto marudgaṇaḥ

Here Shakra cut the unborn child from the goddess Diti as she slept, carrying her offspring; and from it the host of Maruts was born.

Verse 9 (5.110.9)

अत्र मूलं हिमवतो मन्दरं याति शाश्वतम् । अपि वर्षसहस्रेण न चास्यान्तोऽधिगम्यते ॥

atra mūlaṃ himavato mandaraṃ yāti śāśvatam | api varṣasahasreṇa na cāsyānto'dhigamyate

Here the root of Himavat reaches down to the everlasting Mandara; even in a thousand years its end cannot be found.

Verse 10 (5.110.10)

अत्र काञ्चनशैलस्य काञ्चनाम्बुरुहस्य च । उदधेस्तीरमासाद्य सुरभिः क्षरते पयः ॥

atra kāñcanaśailasya kāñcanāmburuhasya ca | udadhestīramāsādya surabhiḥ kṣarate payaḥ

Here, by the golden mountain and the sea of golden lotuses, Surabhi comes to the shore and pours out her milk.

Verse 11 (5.110.11)

अत्र मध्ये समुद्रस्य कबन्धः प्रतिदृश्यते । स्वर्भानोः सूर्यकल्पस्य सोमसूर्यौ जिघांसतः ॥

atra madhye samudrasya kabandhaḥ pratidṛśyate | svarbhānoḥ sūryakalpasya somasūryau jighāṃsataḥ

Here, in the middle of the ocean, is seen the headless trunk of Svarbhanu, bright as the sun, who seeks to kill the moon and the sun.

Verse 12 (5.110.12)

सुवर्णशिरसोऽप्यत्र हरिरोम्णः प्रगायतः । अदृश्यस्याप्रमेयस्य श्रूयते विपुलो ध्वनिः ॥

suvarṇaśiraso'pyatra hariromṇaḥ pragāyataḥ | adṛśyasyāprameyasya śrūyate vipulo dhvaniḥ

Here too is heard the mighty voice of Suvarnashiras as he sings, the sage whose hair never greys, unseen and beyond measure.

Verse 13 (5.110.13)

अत्र ध्वजवती नाम कुमारी हरिमेधसः । आकाशे तिष्ठतिष्ठेति तस्थौ सूर्यस्य शासनात् ॥

atra dhvajavatī nāma kumārī harimedhasaḥ | ākāśe tiṣṭhatiṣṭheti tasthau sūryasya śāsanāt

Here Dhvajavati, the maiden daughter of Harimedhas, stood still in the sky at the sun's command, "Stay, stay."

Verse 14 (5.110.14)

अत्र वायुस्तथा वह्निरापः खं चापि गालव । आह्निकं चैव नैशं च दुःखं स्पर्शं विमुञ्चति ॥

atra vāyustathā vahnirāpaḥ khaṃ cāpi gālava | āhnikaṃ caiva naiśaṃ ca duḥkhaṃ sparśaṃ vimuñcati

Here, Galava, wind and fire, water and space let go their painful touch, by day and by night.

Note on the text: The critical edition divides verses 14–16 differently: this verse is CE 5.108.14abcd (reading caiva for चापि and duḥkhasparśaṃ for दुःखं स्पर्शं).

Verse 15 (5.110.15)

अतःप्रभृति सूर्यस्य तिर्यगावर्तते गतिः । अत्र ज्योतींषि सर्वाणि विशन्त्यादित्यमण्डलम् ॥

ataḥprabhṛti sūryasya tiryagāvartate gatiḥ | atra jyotīṃṣi sarvāṇi viśantyādityamaṇḍalam

From here onward the sun's course turns aslant. Here all the heavenly lights enter the orb of the sun,

Note on the text: The first line is CE 5.108.14ef and the second CE 5.108.15ab.

Verse 16 (5.110.16)

अष्टाविंशतिरात्रं च चङ्क्रम्य सह भानुना । निष्पतन्ति पुनः सूर्यात्सोमसंयोगयोगतः ॥

aṣṭāviṃśatirātraṃ ca caṅkramya saha bhānunā | niṣpatanti punaḥ sūryātsomasaṃyogayogataḥ

and after moving with the sun for twenty-eight nights, they come forth from the sun again through their conjunction with the moon.

Note on the text: Corrected क्रम्य → चङ्क्रम्य (Wikisource has lost the syllable चङ्, leaving the second quarter a syllable short; the critical edition reads aṣṭāviṃśatirātraṃ ca caṅkramya). This verse is CE 5.108.15cdef.

Verse 17 (5.110.17)

अत्र नित्यं स्रवन्तीनां प्रभवः सागरोदयः । अत्र लोकत्रयस्यापस्तिष्ठन्ति वरुणालये ॥

atra nityaṃ sravantīnāṃ prabhavaḥ sāgarodayaḥ | atra lokatrayasyāpastiṣṭhanti varuṇālaye

Here is the ever-flowing source of the rivers, which fills the ocean. Here, in Varuna's abode, rest the waters of the three worlds.

Verse 18 (5.110.18)

अत्र पन्नगराजस्याप्यनन्तस्य निवेशनम् । अनादिनिधनस्यात्र विष्णोः स्थानमनुत्तमम् ॥

atra pannagarājasyāpyanantasya niveśanam | anādinidhanasyātra viṣṇoḥ sthānamanuttamam

Here is the dwelling of Ananta, king of the serpents; here is the supreme abode of Vishnu, who has neither beginning nor end.

Verse 19 (5.110.19)

अत्रानलसखस्यापि पवनस्य निवेशनम् । महर्षेः कश्यपस्यात्र मारीचस्य निवेशनम् ॥

atrānalasakhasyāpi pavanasya niveśanam | maharṣeḥ kaśyapasyātra mārīcasya niveśanam

Here is the dwelling of the Wind, the friend of Fire; here is the dwelling of the great seer Kashyapa, son of Marichi.

Verse 20 (5.110.20)

एष ते पश्चिमो मार्गो दिग्द्वारेण प्रकीर्तितः । ब्रूहि गालव गच्छावो बुद्धिः का द्विजसत्तम ॥

eṣa te paścimo mārgo digdvāreṇa prakīrtitaḥ | brūhi gālava gacchāvo buddhiḥ kā dvijasattama

So I have described to you, in brief, the western road. Tell me, Galava, shall we go? What is your mind, best of the twice-born?