17 - Glory of Shravanas

Garuda said: 

1-2. O lord, I want to know about the parentage of Shravanas. How are they stationed in the city of Yama? How do they know about the activities of mortals? How do they hear what the people talk about among themselves? From what source is that knowledge derived by them? 

3. O lord, where do they cat? Favour me with your answers to my queries. On hearing the words of the king of birds, the lord spoke. 

The lord said: 

4. Now hear, what I am going to speak about Shravanas is both truthful and pleasant. I shall tell you about the activities of Shravanas. 

5. When the entire world of moveables and immoveables became one uniform whole and I, the lord of beings, was reposing in sleep in the milky ocean. 

6-7. The self-born Brahma seated in my navel-lotus practised penance for many years. The universe consisting of fourfold creation was reduced to a single entity--the universe which is created by Brahma, preserved by Vishnu and annihilated by Rudra. 

8. Brahma created the all-pervading wind. He created the refulgent sun. He created Yama along with Chitragupta. 

9. He created the universe afterwards, and practised penance for many years, sitting in the navel-lotus of Vishnu. 

10-11. He created the universe and assigned duties. The gods were anxious to know what time the creator created the universe, how Rudra, Vishnu and Dharma ruled over the earth. 

12. Thus lost in anxiety, the gods pondered over the problem. They discussed the matter with Brahma. 

13-14. Brahma who was urged by the gods created twelve sons by the chemical process out of flowers and leaves. 

They possess lustrous, wide eyes. At the behest of Brahma, they carry all tidings of Man's activities whether good or bad to the ears of Brahma. 

15. They can hear from afar and see far-off things. O bird, they are, therefore, called Shravanas. 

16. They roam about in the firmament and watch the activities of the people which they reveal to Yama at the time of their death. 

17. They also declare on the fitness of the departed soul for a particular goal, due to his activities. 

18. There are four paths in man's life, viz, paths of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksa. O son of Vinata,² a man can go by any one of these paths, superior or inferior.

2. Vinata-wife of Kashyapa and daughter of Daksha. Two sons Aruna and Garuda and a daughter Sumati were born to her. For details see Puranic Encyclopaedia, under Garuda.

19. One who bestows riches goes by a celestial car. One who fulfils wishes rides the horse. One who desires liberation travels by swan-vehicles. 

20. A sinful person walks bare-footed on rows of sword edged leaves. He is struck with stones, pierced with thorns and bound by nooses. 

21-22. He who in the world of mortals propitiates Shravanas, offering them water from a jar and food cooked in a vessel, worships Shravanas and me. 

O lord of birds, I shall grant him that position which is inaccessible even to the immortals. 

23. With devotion he should feed eleven Brahmanas who are pious and virtuous and the twelfth together with his wife, just for my propitiation. 

24. Men should worship Shravanas together with the gods. By doing so, they who seek for pleasure can get to heaven. By worshipping Shravanas they propitiate me, Chitragupta and Yama. 

1. Another tradition ascribes 12 sons to Kashyapa and his wife Aditi who are known as the twelve Adityas. 

25-26. With Shravanas pleased, the pious people go to Vishnuloka. O best of birds, whosoever hears about the glory of Shravanas, their origin and pious activities is not covered up by sins. He enjoys pleasures of this world and attains glory hereafter.