The Purana's Contents

Verse 1 (garuda.1.3.1)

।।सूत उवाच । इति रुद्राब्जजौ विष्णोः शुश्राव ब्रह्मणो मुनिः । व्यासो व्यासादहं वक्ष्येहं ते शौनक नैमिषे

sūta uvāca iti rudrābjajau viṣṇoḥ śuśrāva brahmaṇo muniḥ vyāso vyāsādahaṁ vakṣyehaṁ te śaunaka naimiṣe

Suta said: Thus Rudra and the lotus-born Brahma heard it from Vishnu, and the sage Vyasa heard it from Brahma; I heard it from Vyasa, and now, O Shaunaka, I shall tell it to you here in Naimisha.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.3.2)

मुनीनां श्रृण्वतां मध्ये सर्गाद्यं देवपूजनम् । तीर्थं भुवनकोशं च मन्वन्तरमिहोच्यते

munīnāṁ śrṛṇvatāṁ madhye sargādyaṁ devapūjanam tīrthaṁ bhuvanakośaṁ ca manvantaramihocyate

In the midst of the listening sages, here are told creation and the rest, the worship of the gods, sacred fords, the compendium of the worlds, and the ages of Manu.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.3.3)

वर्णाश्रमादिधर्माश्च दानराज्यादिधर्मकाः । व्यवहारो व्रतं वंशा वैद्यकं सनिदानकम्

varṇāśramādidharmāśca dānarājyādidharmakāḥ vyavahāro vrataṁ vaṁśā vaidyakaṁ sanidānakam

The duties of caste and life-stage, the duties of gift-giving and kingship, law and legal procedure, vows, royal genealogies, and the science of medicine together with diagnosis.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.3.4)

अंगानि प्रलयो धर्मकामार्थज्ञानमुत्तमम् । सप्रपञ्चं निष्प्रपञ्चं कृतं विष्णोर्निगद्यते

aṁgāni pralayo dharmakāmārthajñānamuttamam saprapañcaṁ niṣprapañcaṁ kṛtaṁ viṣṇornigadyate

The auxiliary sciences of the Veda, the dissolution of the world, and the supreme knowledge of dharma, artha and kama — both in their worldly and their transcendent forms — are here declared, all fashioned by Vishnu.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.3.5)

पुराणे गारुडे सर्वं गरुडो भगवानथ । वासुदेवप्रसादेन सामर्थ्यातिशयैर्युतः

purāṇe gāruḍe sarvaṁ garuḍo bhagavānatha vāsudevaprasādena sāmarthyātiśayairyutaḥ

All this is contained in the Garuda Purana. Then the blessed Garuda, endowed by the grace of Vasudeva with surpassing power,

Verse 6 (garuda.1.3.6)

भुत्वा हरेर्वाहनं च सर्गादीनां च कारणम् । देवान्विजित्य गरुडो ह्यमृताहरणं तथा

bhutvā harervāhanaṁ ca sargādīnāṁ ca kāraṇam devānvijitya garuḍo hyamṛtāharaṇaṁ tathā

became Hari's vehicle and a cause of creation and the rest; and Garuda, conquering the gods, carried off the nectar of immortality.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.3.7)

चक्रे क्षुधा हृतं यस्य ब्रह्माण्डमुदरे हरेः । यं दृष्ट्वा स्मृतमात्रेण नागादीनां च संक्षयम्

cakre kṣudhā hṛtaṁ yasya brahmāṇḍamudare hareḥ yaṁ dṛṣṭvā smṛtamātreṇa nāgādīnāṁ ca saṁkṣayam

whose hunger was so fierce it could have consumed even the universe lodged in Hari's own belly; merely at the sight or the remembrance of whom serpents and the like perish;

Verse 8 (garuda.1.3.8)

कश्यपो गारुडाद्वृक्षं दग्धं चाजीवयद्यतः । गरुडः स हरिस्तेन प्रोक्तं श्रीकश्यपाय च

kaśyapo gāruḍādvṛkṣaṁ dagdhaṁ cājīvayadyataḥ garuḍaḥ sa haristena proktaṁ śrīkaśyapāya ca

by whose Garuda-lore Kashyapa restored a burnt tree to life — that Garuda is Hari himself, and it was by him that this was spoken to the venerable Kashyapa.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.3.9)

तच्छ्रीमद्रारुडं पुण्यं सर्वदं पठतस्तव । वक्ष्ये व्यासं नमस्कृत्य श्रृणु शौनक तद्यथा

tacchrīmadrāruḍaṁ puṇyaṁ sarvadaṁ paṭhatastava vakṣye vyāsaṁ namaskṛtya śrṛṇu śaunaka tadyathā

That very glorious, sacred, all-bestowing Garuda Purana I shall now recount for your reading, having bowed to Vyasa; hear it, O Shaunaka, just as it is.