Garuda Mahā Purana - Brahma Khaṇḍa
9 - Nature of deities and the serial order of their position
Garuda said:
1. O lord, of great wisdom, I shall like to know the nature of deities Ajana and others in the serial order of their position.
Lord Krishna said:
2-4. The deities Ajana and others are born in different families of gods. Thereafter come fifteen deities of action, viz, Viradha, Charu, Deshna, Chitraratha, Dhrutarashtra, Kishora, Huhu, Haha, Vidyadhara, Ugrasena, Vishvavasu, Paravasu, Chitrasena, Gopala and Bala.
5. O lord of birds, such Gandharvas are hundred in number. They are equal in status to Ajanaja in the state of release and bondage.
6-7. Ajanaja deities who are hundred per cent inferior to Karmaja deities are ghrutachi, Menaka, Rambha, Urvashi, Tilottama, Suketu, Shabari, Manjughosha, Pingala and other prominent Yakshas (Yakshanis).
8-15. Equal to Ajanaja and hundred percent inferior to Karmaja are Vishvamitra, Vasishtha, Narada, Chyavana and Utathya.
The noble sages equal to Ajaneya are Shatarchi, Kashyapa, Parashara the middle, Pavamanya, Pragatha, Kshudra-sukta, Devala, Gruhtsamada, Asuri, Bharadvaja, Mudgala, Uddalaka Rushyashrunga, Shankha, Satyavrata, Suyajna, Babhravya, Mandukya, Bashkala, Dharmacharya, Agastya, Dalbhya, Dardhya Achyuta Kavasha, Harita, Kanva, Virupa, Musala, Vishnuvruddha, Atreya, Shrivatsya, Vatsala, Bhargava, Apnavana Mandukeya, Mandukya, Javali, Vitihavya Grutsamada, Shaunaka. The very names of these sages (who are his devotees) are pleasing to Hari.
16. I shall tell you, O Tarkhya, listen. I have sixteen thousand wives who have borne to me sixteen thousand sons who are equal to Ajanajas in merit.
17. Kasheru, the daughter of Tvashtru is senior to these in merit. O lord of lords, now I shall tell you about those who are junior to these in age.
18. Pitrus are hundred per cent junior to seven Ajanajas. Conversely, the Vedic scholars declare them to be hundred per cent senior to Ajanajas.
19. O best of birds, listen, I shall tell you about those who are junior to Pitrus in age.
Of the eight there sprang Deva-Gandharvas. They are less in number to the Pitrus by hundred and eight
20. Thereafter were born Anandas who were hundred per cent superior to Gandharvas in virtue. They were principally the attendants of Devas, who received direct orders from them.
21. These are hundred per cent inferior to ganas. And hundred per cent inferior to Deva Gandharvas are the Kshitipas.
22. Hundred percent superior to these are Uttama ganas among mankind. Having so far made incidental remarks, I shall now take up the matter in hand.
23. Thus the deities Brahma, Lakshmi, etc., completed their praise and stood in silence with their palms joined in reverence.
24. Thus praised, Vishnu, the eternal lord of gods, thought of granting shelter to his devotees.
25. This pious praise is pleasing to the lord. It is sacred as well as destroyer of sins. It is the means of imparting bliss of self-realization,
26. Those who do not read or hear this praise of the lord are hypocrites.
27. The wicked people who do not differentiate the lord from the deities and at the same time enjoy the pleasures of life eat nothing but faeces abounding in hundreds of worms.
Summary of chapter 9 of the Garuda Mahā Purana - Brahma Khaṇḍa is as follows:
This chapter glorifies the extraordinary roles of Goddess Lakshmī and Mukhyaprāṇa Vāyu Deva in sustaining the universe and guiding souls toward spiritual liberation. Brahma explains that Vāyu Deva acts as the inner life breath within all creatures and the universal spiritual teacher who bestows true devotion and knowledge of Bhagavān Vishṇu upon qualified seekers.