The Praises of Vishnu by Mitra, Tara, and Vishvaksena

Verse 1 (garuda.2.57.1)

क्रतोरनन्तरं जातो मित्रो (श्रो) नाम खगेश्वर । नारायणं जगद्योनिं स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे

kratoranantaraṁ jāto mitro (śro) nāma khageśvara nārāyaṇaṁ jagadyoniṁ stotuṁ samupacakrame

Immediately after Kratu, O lord of birds, was born the one named Mitra; he set about to praise Narayana, the very womb of the universe.

Verse 2 (garuda.2.57.2)

मित्र उवाच । नतोस्म्यज्ञस्त्वच्चरणारविन्दं भवच्छिदं स्वस्त्ययनं भवच्छिदे । वेद स्वयं भगवान्वासुदेवो नाहं नाग्निर्न त्रिदेवा मुनीन्द्राः

mitra uvāca natosmyajñastvaccaraṇāravindaṁ bhavacchidaṁ svastyayanaṁ bhavacchide veda svayaṁ bhagavānvāsudevo nāhaṁ nāgnirna tridevā munīndrāḥ

Mitra said: Though ignorant, I bow to your lotus feet, which sever worldly bondage and are the very abode of blessing. Neither I, nor Agni, nor the threefold gods, nor the lords of sages know it — Lord Vasudeva alone truly knows his own form.

Verse 3 (garuda.2.57.3)

अथापरे भागवतप्रधाना यदा न जानीयुरथापरे कुतः । मां पाहि नित्यं परतोप्यधीश विश्वामित्रान्न्यून एवेति नित्यम् । अहं पर्जन्यार्द्विगुण एव नित्यमतो मम स्तवने नास्ति शक्तिः

athāpare bhāgavatapradhānā yadā na jānīyurathāpare kutaḥ māṁ pāhi nityaṁ paratopyadhīśa viśvāmitrānnyūna eveti nityam ahaṁ parjanyārdviguṇa eva nityamato mama stavane nāsti śaktiḥ

When even the foremost among the Bhagavatas cannot know it, how could others know it? Protect me always, O sovereign Lord, though I am ever lesser even than Vishvamitra. I amount to only half the measure of Parjanya; hence I have no power in praise.

Verse 4 (garuda.2.57.4)

एवं स्तुत्वा हरिं मित्रस्तूष्णीमास तदा खग । तदनन्तरजा तारा स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे

evaṁ stutvā hariṁ mitrastūṣṇīmāsa tadā khaga tadanantarajā tārā stotuṁ samupacakrame

Having thus praised Hari, O bird, Mitra fell silent. Then Tara, born next after him, set about to offer praise.

Verse 5 (garuda.2.57.5)

तारोवाच अनन्येन तु भावेन भक्तिं कुर्वन्ति ये दृढाम् । त्वत्कृते त्यक्तकर्माणस्त्यक्तस्वजनबान्धवाः

tārovāca ananyena tu bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām tvatkṛte tyaktakarmāṇastyaktasvajanabāndhavāḥ

Tara said: Those who, with undivided devotion, hold to a firm faith, abandoning all deeds for your sake, abandoning kin and kindred,

Verse 6 (garuda.2.57.6)

त्वदाश्रयां कथां श्रुत्वा (दृष्ट्वा) शृण्वन्ति कथयन्ति च । तथैते साधवो विष्णो सर्वसंगविवर्जिताः

tvadāśrayāṁ kathāṁ śrutvā (dṛṣṭvā) śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca tathaite sādhavo viṣṇo sarvasaṁgavivarjitāḥ

who, having once heard the story bound up with you, go on hearing it and telling it — such, O Vishnu, are the holy ones, wholly free of all attachment.

Verse 7 (garuda.2.57.7)

तन्मध्ये पतितां पाहि सदा मित्रसमां प्रभो । तारानन्तरजः प्राह निरृतिश्च खगेश्वर

tanmadhye patitāṁ pāhi sadā mitrasamāṁ prabho tārānantarajaḥ prāha nirṛtiśca khageśvara

Protect me too, O Lord, fallen as I am among them, knowing me ever equal to Mitra. Then Nirriti, born next after Tara, spoke, O lord of birds.

Verse 8 (garuda.2.57.8)

निरृतिरुवाच । योगेन त्वय्यर्पितया च भक्त्या संयान्ति लोकाः परमां गतिं च । आसेवया सर्वगुणाधिकानां ज्ञानेन वैराग्ययुतेनदवे

nirṛtiruvāca yogena tvayyarpitayā ca bhaktyā saṁyānti lokāḥ paramāṁ gatiṁ ca āsevayā sarvaguṇādhikānāṁ jñānena vairāgyayutenadave

Nirriti said: Through yoga and through firm devotion offered up to you, people attain the supreme goal; through the service of those foremost in every virtue, and through knowledge joined with dispassion, O god,

Verse 9 (garuda.2.57.9)

चित्तस्य निग्रहेणैव विष्णोर्यान्ति परं पदम् । अतो मां पाहि दयया सदा तारासमं प्रभो । तदनन्तरजा स्तोतुं प्रावही तं प्रचक्रमे

cittasya nigraheṇaiva viṣṇoryānti paraṁ padam ato māṁ pāhi dayayā sadā tārāsamaṁ prabho tadanantarajā stotuṁ prāvahī taṁ pracakrame

and through mastery of the mind alone, they attain the supreme state of Vishnu. Therefore, O Lord, out of your mercy, protect me always, knowing me equal to Tara. Then Pravahi, born next after Nirriti, began her praise.

Verse 10 (garuda.2.57.10)

प्रवाह्युवाच । सुताः प्रसंगेन भवन्ति वीर्यात्तव प्रसादात्परमाः सम्पदश्च । या ह्युत्तमश्लोकरसायनाः कथास्तत्सेवनादास्त्वपवर्गवर्त्मनि

pravāhyuvāca sutāḥ prasaṁgena bhavanti vīryāttava prasādātparamāḥ sampadaśca yā hyuttamaślokarasāyanāḥ kathāstatsevanādāstvapavargavartmani

Pravahi said: Sons are born, through your very grace, by your power, as the supreme wealth of a household; and it is by resorting to those stories, the very elixir of the Lord of excellent renown, that one comes to stand upon the path of liberation.

Verse 11 (garuda.2.57.11)

भक्तिर्भवेत्सर्वदा देवदेव सदाप्यहं निरृतेः साम्यमेव । सहर्भाष्यकोमित्रः त्कयीतारः प्रकीर्तिताः

bhaktirbhavetsarvadā devadeva sadāpyahaṁ nirṛteḥ sāmyameva saharbhāṣyakomitraḥ tkayītāraḥ prakīrtitāḥ

O god of gods, may devotion ever remain mine — I am always equal to Nirriti. Thus Mitra, Tara, and the rest, each with their own company, are celebrated in this order.

Verse 12 (garuda.2.57.12)

कोणाधिपो निरृतिश्च प्रावही प्रवहप्रिया । चत्वार एते पर्जन्यात्त्रिगुणाः परिकीर्तिताः

koṇādhipo nirṛtiśca prāvahī pravahapriyā catvāra ete parjanyāttriguṇāḥ parikīrtitāḥ

The lord of the quarter, Nirriti, Pravahi, and the beloved of Pravaha — these four are declared to be threefold lesser than Parjanya.

Verse 13 (garuda.2.57.13)

तदनन्तरजान्वक्ष्ये ताञ्छृणु त्वं खगेश्वर । प्रवाहभार्यानन्तरजो विष्वक्सेनोथपार्षदः । वायुपुत्रो महाभागः हरिं स्तोतुं प्रचक्रमे

tadanantarajānvakṣye tāñchṛṇu tvaṁ khageśvara pravāhabhāryānantarajo viṣvaksenothapārṣadaḥ vāyuputro mahābhāgaḥ hariṁ stotuṁ pracakrame

Now I shall tell of those born next after them — hear it, O lord of birds. Born next after the wife of Pravaha, Vishvaksena — the Lord's attendant, the greatly fortunate son of Vayu — came forward to praise Hari.

Verse 14 (garuda.2.57.14)

विष्वक्सेन उवाच । भगवान्मोक्षदः कृष्णः पूर्णानन्दो सदायदि । यदि स्यात्परमा भक्तिर्ह्य परोक्षत्वसाधना

viṣvaksena uvāca bhagavānmokṣadaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ pūrṇānando sadāyadi yadi syātparamā bhaktirhya parokṣatvasādhanā

Vishvaksena said: If the Lord Krishna, giver of liberation, is ever the very form of perfect bliss, and if that supreme devotion which brings realization of the unseen is truly attainable,

Verse 15 (garuda.2.57.15)

तथा स्वगुरुमारभ्य ब्रह्मान्तेषु च साधुषु । तद्योग्यतानुसारेण भक्तिर्निष्कपटा यदि

tathā svagurumārabhya brahmānteṣu ca sādhuṣu tadyogyatānusāreṇa bhaktirniṣkapaṭā yadi

and if there is guileless devotion, in due measure, toward all the worthy — beginning with one's own teacher and reaching up to Brahma,

Verse 16 (garuda.2.57.16)

तुलस्यादिषु जीवेषु यदि स्यात्प्रीतिरण्डज । संस्मृतिश्च तदा नाशी भूयादेव न संशयः

tulasyādiṣu jīveṣu yadi syātprītiraṇḍaja saṁsmṛtiśca tadā nāśī bhūyādeva na saṁśayaḥ

and if there is affection even for lowly beings such as the tulasi plant, O egg-born one, then without doubt that constant remembrance will remain forever unbroken.

Verse 17 (garuda.2.57.17)

एवं स्तुत्त्वा महाभागो विष्वक्से नो महाप्रभो । तूष्णीं बभूव गरुड प्राञ्जलिर्नम्रकन्धरः । मित्रादहं न्यून एव नात्र कार्या विचारणा

evaṁ stuttvā mahābhāgo viṣvakse no mahāprabho tūṣṇīṁ babhūva garuḍa prāñjalirnamrakandharaḥ mitrādahaṁ nyūna eva nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Having thus praised, that greatly fortunate Vishvaksena, O great and mighty Garuda, fell silent, hands folded, head bowed — I am simply lesser than Mitra, and there is no need for further deliberation here.