Garudapurana 3.19

Glorious Garuḍa Mahāpurāṇa — 19 / Garuḍa said: / It was said by you, O Kṛṣṇa, O Govinda, that even by a hundredfold more than Rudra, / both Brahmāṇī and Bhāratī are superior, O best of gods.

By me it was heard from Viriñca up to Umā / that they are deficient by infinite fractions; this was spoken by Viriñca, O Lord of the gods.

A deficiency by thousandfold fractions was spoken by you, O Kṛṣṇa, O Mādhava, / having considered all the preceding ones, O Hari, O all-pervading Lord.

Up to Vāyu in knowledge, bliss, strength, and the like, / a deficiency by thousandfold fractions of knowledge and the rest [was spoken], O Great Lord.

State the definitive conclusion, O Govinda; you are omniscient, there is no doubt. / Thus addressed by Garuḍa, Vāsudeva certainly spoke.

The Blessed Kṛṣṇa said: / Considering the deficiency by fractions of bliss, O King of Birds, / it is clear that this is so due to the combination of each higher and higher one.

When measured as a hundredfold, it is by virtue of manifestation in bliss, / and possessing infinite qualities was declared by Brahmā.

And being multiplied a thousandfold was declared by Vāyu; / as in bliss, so in knowledge, in devotion to Viṣṇu, and in superior strength.

All of them are indeed described in sequence as a hundredfold in qualities; / and Bhāratī has a hundredfold knowledge and happiness, superior in devotion and strength.

Thus the knowledge of Māruti, as well as his strength and so forth, is to be well understood; / thus a hundredfold knowledge is to be known in Māruti; of this there is no doubt.

And Bhāratī's knowledge and strength are declared to be a hundredfold; / and just so is Vāyu's knowledge, evidently so.

Just as a fire-flame, though a hundredfold greater than a lamp, does not become clear like a lamp, / and just as fire, even though abundant, does not become clear like the sun,

and just as the moon, though twice [the size] of the sun, would not become as bright— / and the hierarchy of bliss has thus been described by me to you,

know it just so, O bird, and by no means otherwise. / I know the qualities residing in me, endowed with all distinguishing characteristics, O King of Birds,

and their very subtle forms always, O King of Birds; there is nothing at all, nothing indeed, unseen by me.

Even Goddess Ramā knows Hari present in all incarnations.

She, the goddess, knows Hari's qualities endowed with all particularities, of unbroken form; / she, the goddess, knows their very subtle forms, through my grace more than Brahmā and the rest.

The goddess thoroughly knows her own essential nature, very subtle in form and endowed with fine particularities; / Lakṣmī likewise thoroughly knows the universe other than herself, endowed with all fine particularities.

Even Brahmā can see Vāsudeva who is all-pervading, and his good qualities superior to those of Vāyu and the rest; / but he does not know the ear and other very subtle forms of Hari's qualities endowed with particularities.

Just as the gods know in clear form, except for Brahmā, they, even liberated, do not [know him] thus; / Vidhi and Māruta always know oneself and the other endowed with particularities.

Vāṇī knows Hari's qualities, though not as many particularities as the Self-born; / she always sees Viṣṇu beyond the nature of the three guṇas in the form of Kṛṣṇa, O King of Birds.

Śeṣa, Rudra, and all those with them, O King of Birds, know him residing in subtle darkness alone; / they do not know the qualities with their particularities as seen by Vāṇī; the truth indeed has been spoken, dear one.

Umā, Suparṇā, and Vāruṇī—these three together know him well-established; / they do not know the particularities of Hari seen by Rudra, O King of Birds, in any place or time.

Indra and the others, O King of Birds, know Hari pervading the ego; / Dakṣa and the others, as well as the Moon, the Sun, and the rest, know him residing in the intellect-principle.

Those and others who always know Viṣṇu Hari residing in the elemental principle; / and others see Hari's form residing within the cosmic egg according to their own capacity, O King of Birds.

Some see Hari's form dwelling in your heart, some always in their own heart; / know it to be of this manner, O King of Birds; and now hear about these six wives of mine:

Rukmiṇī and the rest, my six chief queens, and Śrī and Nīlā who are my wives, O King of Birds— / in a former creation she was the daughter of Havyavāha; I enjoy them immediately with distinction.

Being only a maiden, she, the wife of Kṛṣṇa, enjoyed those desires pondered in her mind; / one among the ancestors, Kavyavāha, O King of Birds, always made great effort [to wed her].

Even so, she never obtained a husband, because her mind was devoted solely to Kṛṣṇa.

Then Kavyavāha said to his daughter, 'Why do you not desire a husband, O dull-witted one?' / Then the daughter said to Kavyavāha: 'Except for Hari, who is endowed with all qualities, / in this birth there is no husbandhood [for anyone], O lord, because Hari alone is the husband.

Because in the world all virtuous women are always to be known as truly widows; / he who is beginningless, eternal, the sole essence of the world, exceedingly handsome, giver of liberation, and giver of desires—

those who do not know such a one are all truly widows forever; / a soul in the form of a husband is a mere secondary cause, subject to destiny, bereft of devotion to Hari,

full of filth, flowing through nine apertures, foul-smelling, and always vile; / for such an embodied husband, O father, there is no need, setting aside Kṛṣṇa.

Leaving aside their own husbands, the women of the gods always please him who resides there; / therefore they are always women whose husbands are living, worthy of worship by the worlds; there is no question about this.

If their husbands are devotees of Hari, the birth of these women has indeed borne fruit; / through the store of merit earned in many births their husbands become devotees of Hari.

If their husbands are not devotees of Hari, their own body must certainly be abandoned by them; / if, properly remembering Hari in the form of Kṛṣṇa who is their own husband, they abandon the body,

then the sins of suicide and the like do not attach to women; this is indeed the decision in the scripture; / if their husbands do not know Viṣṇu, association with them must never be formed.

From the store of merit earned in many births their husbands become devotees of Viṣṇu; / in the Kali age devotees of Viṣṇu are rare, and devotion to Hari is always rare.

A discourse on Hari is rare in the mortal world, initiation into Hari is rare, exceedingly rare, / a decisive conclusion on Hari's essential truth is indeed rare, and association with Hari's servants is rare.

Circumambulation of Murāri is rare indeed, and bowing to him is rare in the Kali age; / protection of his devotees is rare, and giving food to true Vaiṣṇavas is rare.

Worship of Murāri as taught in the Tantras is rare indeed, and uttering Viṣṇu's name is rare; / worship of good Vaiṣṇavas is indeed rare, and conversation with true Vaiṣṇavas is rare.

Touching a śālagrāma is rare, and sight of true Vaiṣṇavas is indeed rare; / touching a cow is rare in the mortal world, good singing is rare, and a true guru is rare.

Good wives and good sons are indeed rare, and the sight of Hari residing on Śeṣācala; / exceedingly rare is the sight of Raṅganātha on the bank of the Kāverī, the river born from Viṣṇu's foot.

In the sacred site of Kāñcī, service to Varadarāja and his vision are exceedingly rare in this world; / exceedingly rare is the sight of Rāma's bridge, and exceedingly rare is competence in the scripture of Madhva.

The noble say that the sight of Viṣṇu situated on the bank of the Bhīmā is exceedingly rare, / as is the sight of Viṣṇu situated on the bank of the Revā, and of Viṣṇu's footprint in the sacred site of Gayā.

Likewise, for those residing in the mortal world, [the vision] of Viṣṇu situated at Badarī is exceedingly rare; / and on Mount Śeṣa, in the hermitage of Śrīnivāsa, ascetics are rare in the mortal world.

In the place named Prayāga, the continuous sight of Mādhava is indeed rare for mortals.

"Therefore I do not desire any husband other than Kṛṣṇa at any time." / Having spoken thus to her father, she departed toward Mount Śeṣa.

At the great sacred bathing place named Kapilā, she ascended the great mountain. / Having seen and bowed to Śrīnivāsa residing there, the highly virtuous maiden,

having fasted for three days, then went to [the tīrtha named] Pāpavināśana. / Having bathed there, she then went to a solitary place for the sake of marriage.

In the northern direction from it, at a distance of two krośas, on a great plain, / in a hollow that was secluded, she performed supreme austerities.

Meditating on God Nārāyaṇa, the young girl remained there. / At the end of a thousand divine years, she began to praise him.

The young girl said: / You alone are mother, and you alone are father; you alone are husband and friend. / You alone are son and the weightiest guru; you are my ally, sister, and beloved.

Even throughout beginningless and endless births, O Lord, though I reflect, I do not understand; / for all these fathers and others exist only by incidental cause, but you exist without any incidental cause.

Therefore, O Murāri, may I become your wife alone—this indeed was then my vow. / No accomplishment comes from union with mothers and others of bad association, O embodiment of generosity!

Cut off, O God, the sight of those who defame you, and of those who mock your foremost servants! / Cut off, O Viṣṇu, the sight of those who harm gurus; cut off, O Kṛṣṇa, friendship with those who harm devotees!

Cut off, O God, conversation with those who hate you; grant me union at your lotus feet! / Homage, homage to the dweller on Śrīśaila; homage, homage to you, Śrīnivāsa!

O Master of the higher and lower, Lord of Ramā, original cause embodied! Much time has passed without your sight. / And through spiritual means gathered in endless births, may there be the vision of you, four-armed one!

How could there be the sight of you for me, O Lord, who am thoroughly accompanied by all faults, / who am a recipient of servitude, a servant of your servants? Be gracious, O Lord of gods, abode of the universe!

Praised thus, Viṣṇu, Śrīnivāsa, the ocean of mercy, / Janārdana, the bestower of boons, appeared to her on account of her devotion.

"Choose a boon; may good fortune be yours; I have come here to grant a boon." / Hearing the word uttered by Hari, she whose face wore a smile spoke.

With supreme devotion she said to Śrīnivāsa, the Lord of the universe: / "Indeed, may I become your wife, O beautiful Mādhava!"

Having heard her speech, Śrīnivāsa spoke these words: / The Blessed Lord said: / "O fortunate girl, in my incarnation as Kṛṣṇa on the earth,

I shall become your husband; no doubt should be entertained here." / Thus addressed, the maiden, the daughter, spoke to Hari, the supreme heap of merit,

supremely pleased, with a voice stammering with joy. / The maiden said: / "In the incarnation as Kṛṣṇa, may I become your wife on the very first day!

And prior to the marriage rite, I choose [you] before all women." / Addressed with "So be it," Madhusūdana spoke again.

The Blessed Lord said: / "Because it was chosen by a maiden and because it is granted by me, O passionate woman, / the fulfilment of their heart's desires will come to pass, without a doubt."

Having granted her this boon, he vanished right there. / And having abandoned her body right there, that young maiden, the daughter,

was born in the house of Kumbhaka; she is known indeed by the name Nīlā. / And Kumbhaka, O fortunate one, was the brother-in-law of Nandaśobha.

He should be known as Kalpavāha, remembered as the first of the ancestors. / Going to the house of him who lived on Mount Vṛṣabha— / who was invincible, O best of birds, by the boon of Śiva—

and having slain the sons of Diti, Nīlā was obtained, O king of birds. / Then, a girl was born in the house of King Nāgnijita.

Nāgnijit became Kavyavāha, and the maiden was named Nīlā. / In her svayaṃvara, having bound seven bulls

that by a boon of Śiva could not be slain by gods or humans, / and having conquered the kings, Nīlā was obtained, O great bird.

Nīlā, the daughter of Kumbhaka, entered completely into [the other's] body; / since she [proceeded] from a single limb, therefore she entered right into her.

She was born twofold on earth as a maiden, without a doubt. / I shall declare the birth of Bhadrā; listen, O best among the lords of birds.

Thus ends the nineteenth chapter, named 'Determination of the Marriage of Nīlā', in the Brahmakāṇḍa, the third section of the Uttarakhaṇḍa in the glorious and great Garuḍa Purāṇa.