240 - Essence of the Gita

Lord Hari said: 

1. O Rudra, I have narrated to you the Garuda Purāņa, the essence of all knowledge. It brings joy to the listener and brings about his release. 

2. It confers learning, fame, glory, wealth, victory and health. O Rudra, he who reads or hears the Purana becomes omniscient and goes to heaven. 

Brahmå said: 

3. O Vyāsa, I have heard this Purana from the mouth of Vişhnu. It surely brings about liberation to the hearer. 

Vyasa said: 

Thus Brahmå who had heard the Purana from the mouth of Vişhnu related it to Dakşha, Narada and others including myself. 

4. I had gone to Vişhnu-loka with my mind set on Brahman. I heard this Purana and later on, imparted the same to Sūta. Now you have heard the same from the mouth of Şūta. 

5. On hearing the Purana the person attains omniscience satiates his desire, reaps the fruits in the form of realizing the self. This Puraņa, the essence of all knowledge, Vişhņu related to Garuda. 

Suta said: 

6. This Purana contains the essence of all knowledge and confers Dharma, Artha, Kama and Mokşha. 

7. In olden days, Vyåsa narrated to me this Purana which he had heard from Brahma-Vyasa who had divided a single Veda into four Vedas. 

8. He divided the single Purāņa samhitå into eighteen samhitas. Shuka, the son of Vyåsa, has narrated to me this fact. And I have related to you this Puraņa O Shaunaka. 

9-11. Since you have asked me to narrate the Purana to the sages (I have done so). One who reads or hears or hires the services of a Pandit to recite it to others, or writes it himself or hires the services of a scribe to write it out or keeps the Purāna at home, attains Dharma, Artha, Kama or Moksha whatever may be the choice. He satiates his desire by listening to this Puraņa. 

12. If he is a Brahmana he attains the knowledge of the Vedas; if a Kşhatriya he is conferred the strength of protection, 

13. None of the other classes (Vaishya or Shūdra) is authorized to hear the Purana. If, by mistake, he narrates it to an unworthy person, he becomes the object of censure. 

14. But, if he narrates the Purana from behind the screen, then both the deserving and the undeserving person become worthy to hear. 

15. As Vişhņu is a celebrated deity, Garuda is a venerable celebrity. In praising Garuda, we praise Vişhņu. By singing praise for Garuda, formerly King Vasu satiated his desires. 

King Vasu said: 

16. Homage to Garuda, of irresistible might, the Vehicle of Vişhnu, the emblem in the banner of Vishnu and a terror to the Asuras. 

17. Homage to you, the destroyer of the pride of the Någas, the nourisher of joy to his mother Vinata, possessed of beautiful wings, guileless, refuge of the pitcous asuras. 

18. [Now listen to a story]. Once Supratika and Vibhavasu, the two brothers, cursed each other and as a result of curses they were born as the elephant and tortoise. 

19-20. They had immense bodily height as well as breadth. In their struggle for superiority over each other, you acted as a judge. You released them from the accursed curse which they had inflicted upon each other. 

21. You swallowed the Niśhädas in large proportion. When by mistake you swallowed a pious Brahmana, you vomited him alive, immediately on knowing that he was a brahmana. 

22. You broke the bough of a Banian tree spread over a hundred yojanas, regardless of the fact that it supported the Balakhilyas. 

23. With mighty effort you seized the elephant and the tortoise, put them in the navel of your thumb, while they were fighting in the supportless sky. 

24. You conquered the gods, together with their leader Indra. O son of Kaśhyapa, you extinguished the sacrificial fire and carried away the Soma forcibly. 

25. There were two poisonous serpents who could inject poison by their very sight. You made them sightless by your magical skill. 

26. Out of devotion for Vişhņu you brought Soma from heaven. You did not partake of it yourself. You therefore got a place of honour in the banner of Vişhnu and became his vehicle. 

27. You concealed Soma in the Darbha grass and deceived the Nägas. You carried nectar to the abode of Brahma [and distributed the same among the gods). 

28. O best of birds, by you the tonquc of the Nägas was split into two. You released your mother from Kadrũ, the mother of the Någas who had made her a slave. 

29-31. They say that the horse Uccaihśhravas is white in complexion but I believe he is dark (for his glory is diminished). In the interest of your mother you had cut off his wings with the stroke of Indra's thunderbolt. When god Indra saw your mighty deed he bestowed upon you the title of honour-Suparna. 

32. By merely meditating on you, one destroys the effect of poison of whatsoever sort. One who hears or reads the purăņa gets sensuous pleasure and release. 

Suta said: 

33. King Vasu heard the Garuda Purana and satiated his desire. The venerable Garuda meditated on Vişhnu and obtained the objects of his desire. 

Süta said: 

34. I have narrated to you the sacred treatise, viz, the Garuda Purana. He who reads this Puraņa achieves the objects of his desire, and ultimately reaches the supreme goal. 

35. By reciting even a quarter of verse, one destroys sins. He who keeps the treatise at home obtains everything in this world. 

36. He who possesses this Purana attains all that is just. He who reads and hears this Purana enjoys sensuous pleasures and gets also release. 

37-38 By listening to this Purāņa he attains Dharma, Artha, Kama and Mokşha. Desiring a son, he obtains son. Desiring an object, he obtains the object. Desiring knowledge he obtains knowledge. Desiring Victory he obtains Victory. If he has killed a brahmin he is absolved of that sin. 

39. A barren woman obtains Son; a girl a good husband, Desiring welfare he obtains welfare. Seeking pleassure he obtains pleasure. 

40. Desiring auspiciousness, he obtains auspiciousness. Desiring merit, he receives merit. Desiring to be a poet, he becomes a poet. Desiring to learn the secret of knowledge he obtains the secret of knowledge. 

41. Desirous of knowledge, he obtains knowledge that puts an end to his cycle of birth. This auspicious narrative of the Garuda Purana narrated by Garuda himself is associated with bliss. 

42. By reading even a single verse one escapes an un timely death. If he reads half a verse he achieves the end of his wicked foes. 

43. At Naimisha, at the Sacrifice of sages, Shaunaka heard the Purana from Sūta. He meditated upon Brahman identifying his self with the Supreme Self and got release.