Garuda's Seven Questions and Kakbhushundi's Answers
Garuda asks seven important questions about life, dharma, and spiritual practice. In his replies, Kakbhushundi reveals the essence of the spiritual path.
Uttar Kand · Episode 19 / 21
Episode Text
पुनि सप्रेम बोलेउ खगराऊ। जौं कृपाल मोहि ऊपर भाऊ॥ नाथ मोहि निज सेवक जानी। सप्त प्रस्न मम कहहु बखानी॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
puni saprema boleu khagarāū। jauṃ kṛpāla mohi ūpara bhāū॥ nātha mohi nija sevaka jānī। sapta prasna mama kahahu bakhānī॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Then Garuda spoke again with love: "O gracious Lord, if You have affection for me, then, O Lord, knowing me as Your own servant, please explain the answers to my seven questions."
प्रथमहिं कहहु नाथ मतिधीरा। सब ते दुर्लभ कवन सरीरा॥ बड़ दुख कवन कवन सुख भारी। सोउ संछेपहिं कहहु बिचारी॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
prathamahiṃ kahahu nātha matidhīrā। saba te durlabha kavana sarīrā॥ baṛa dukha kavana kavana sukha bhārī। sou saṃchepahiṃ kahahu bicārī॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
O Lord of steady wisdom, first tell me which body is the rarest of all. Then, after reflection, tell me which sorrow is the greatest and which joy is the greatest, briefly.
संत असंत मरम तुम्ह जानहु। तिन्ह कर सहज सुभाव बखानहु॥ कवन पुन्य श्रुति बिदित बिसाला। कहहु कवन अघ परम कराला॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
santa asanta marama tumha jānahu। tinha kara sahaja subhāva bakhānahu॥ kavana punya śruti bidita bisālā। kahahu kavana agha parama karālā॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
You know the essence of saints and un-saints; describe their natural dispositions. Also tell which virtue is most renowned in the Vedas and which sin is the most dreadful.
मानस रोग कहहु समुझाई। तुम्ह सर्बग्य कृपा अधिकाई॥ तात सुनहु सादर अति प्रीती। मैं संछेप कहउँ यह नीती॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
mānasa roga kahahu samujhāī। tumha sarbagya kṛpā adhikāī॥ tāta sunahu sādara ati prītī। maiṃ saṃchepa kahauṃ yaha nītī॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
Then explain the ailments of the mind. You are omniscient, and Your grace toward me is very great. [Kakabhushundi said:] Listen respectfully and with great love, O dear one. I shall speak of this teaching briefly.
नर तन सम नहिं कवनिउ देही। जीव चराचर जाचत तेही॥ नरक स्वर्ग अपबर्ग निसेनी। ग्यान बिराग भगति सुभ देनी॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nara tana sama nahiṃ kavaniu dehī। jīva carācara jācata tehī॥ naraka svarga apabarga nisenī। gyāna birāga bhagati subha denī॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
There is no body equal to the human body. All beings, moving and unmoving, long for it. It is the ladder to hell, heaven, and liberation, and it grants knowledge, detachment, and devotion.
सो तनु धरि हरि भजहिं न जे नर। होहिं बिषय रत मंद मंद तर॥ काँच किरिच बदलें ते लेहीं। कर ते डारि परस मनि देहीं॥ ६ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
so tanu dhari hari bhajahiṃ na je nara। hohiṃ biṣaya rata manda manda tara॥ kāṃca kiriča badaleṃ te lehīṃ। kara te ḍāri parasa mani dehīṃ॥ 6 ॥
Meaning:
Even after obtaining such a human body, those who do not worship Hari and remain attached to base worldly pleasures are like throwing away a touchstone and taking glass in exchange.
नहिं दरिद्र सम दुख जग माहीं। संत मिलन सम सुख जग नाहीं॥ पर उपकार बचन मन काया। संत सहज सुभाउ खगराया॥ ७ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nahiṃ daridra sama dukha jaga māhīṃ। santa milana sama sukha jaga nāhīṃ॥ para upakāra bacana mana kāyā। santa sahaja subhāu khagarāyā॥ 7 ॥
Meaning:
In the world there is no sorrow like poverty, and in the world there is no joy like meeting the saints. And, O king of birds, doing good to others by mind, speech, and body is the saints' natural disposition.
संत सहहिं दुख पर हित लागी। पर दुख हेतु असंत अभागी॥ भूर्ज तरू सम संत कृपाला। पर हित निति सह बिपति बिसाला॥ ८ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
santa sahahiṃ dukha para hita lāgī। para dukha hetu asanta abhāgī॥ bhūrja tarū sama santa kṛpālā। para hita niti saha bipati bisālā॥ 8 ॥
Meaning:
The saints endure suffering for the sake of others' welfare, while the unfortunate wicked cause suffering to others. Compassionate saints are like the bhurja tree, bearing great hardship for others' good.
सन इव खल पर बंधन करई। खाल कढ़ाइ बिपति सहि मरई॥ खल बिनु स्वारथ पर अपकारी। अहि मूषक इव सुनु उरगारी॥ ९ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sana iva khala para bandhana karaī। khāla kaṛhāi bipati sahi maraī॥ khala binu svāratha para apakārī। ahi mūṣaka iva sunu uragārī॥ 9 ॥
Meaning:
But the wicked, like hemp fibers, bind others; they suffer hardship and die even while their own skin is peeled away. Hear, O enemy of serpents: the wicked, without any self-interest, harm others for no reason, like snakes and mice.
पर संपदा बिनासि नसाहीं। जिमि ससि हति हिम उपल बिलाहीं॥ दुष्ट उदय जग आरति हेतू। जथा प्रसिद्ध अधम ग्रह केतू॥ १० ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
para saṃpadā bināsi nasāhīṃ। jimi sasi hati hima upala bilāhīṃ॥ duṣṭa udaya jaga ārati hetū। jathā prasiddha adhama graha ketū॥ 10 ॥
Meaning:
They destroy others' wealth and perish themselves, just as hailstones melt away in moonlight. The rise of the wicked brings grief to the world, just as the rise of the infamous, base planet Ketu.
संत उदय संतत सुखकारी। बिस्व सुखद जिमि इंदु तमारी॥ परम धर्म श्रुति बिदित अहिंसा। पर निंदा सम अघ न गरीसा॥ ११ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
santa udaya santata sukhakārī। bisva sukhada jimi indu tamārī॥ parama dharma śruti bidita ahiṃsā। para nindā sama agha na garīsā॥ 11 ॥
Meaning:
The rise of saints is always a source of happiness, just as the rising of the moon and sun brings joy to the world. The Vedas declare non-violence to be the highest dharma, and there is no sin as great as slandering others.
हर गुर निंदक दादुर होई। जन्म सहस्र पाव तन सोई॥ द्विज निंदक बहु नरक भोग करि। जग जनमइ बायस सरीर धरि॥ १२ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
hara guru nindaka dādura hoī। janma sahasra pāva tana soī॥ dvija nindaka bahu naraka bhoga kari। jaga janamai bāyasa sarīra dhari॥ 12 ॥
Meaning:
One who slanders Shiva and the guru is born as a frog and remains in that same frog body for a thousand births. One who slanders Brahmins suffers many hells and then is born in the world with the body of a crow.
सुर श्रुति निंदक जे अभिमानी। रौरव नरक परहिं ते प्रानी॥ होहिं उलूक संत निंदा रत। मोह निसा प्रिय ग्यान भानु गत॥ १३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sura śruti nindaka je abhimānī। raurava naraka parahiṃ te prānī॥ hohiṃ ulūka santa nindā rata। moha nisā priya gyāna bhānu gata॥ 13 ॥
Meaning:
The arrogant who slander the gods and the Vedas fall into the Raurava hell. Those devoted to slandering the saints become owls; they love the night of delusion, and the sun of knowledge has set for them.
सब कै निंदा जे जड़ करहीं। ते चमगादुर होइ अवतरहीं॥ सुनहु तात अब मानस रोगा। जिन्ह ते दुख पावहिं सब लोगा॥ १४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
saba kai nindā je jaḍa karahīṃ। te camagādura hoi avatarahīṃ॥ sunahu tāta aba mānasa rogā। jinha te dukha pāvahiṃ saba logā॥ 14 ॥
Meaning:
Fools who slander everyone are reborn as bats. Hear now, dear one, of the ailments of the mind, by which all people suffer.
मोह सकल ब्याधिन्ह कर मूला। तिन्ह ते पुनि उपजहिं बहु सूला॥ काम बात कफ लोभ अपारा। क्रोध पित्त नित छाती जारा॥ १५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
moha sakala byādhinha kara mūlā। tinha te puni upajahiṃ bahu sūlā॥ kāma bāta kapha lobha apārā। krodha pitta nita chātī jārā॥ 15 ॥
Meaning:
Delusion is the root of all diseases; from it arise many pains. Lust is wind, greed is an immense phlegm, and anger is bile that always burns the chest.
प्रीति करहिं जौं तीनिउ भाई। उपजइ सन्यपात दुखदाई॥ बिषय मनोरथ दुर्गम नाना। ते सब सूल नाम को जाना॥ १६ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
prīti karahiṃ jauṃ tīniu bhāī। upajai sanyapāta dukhadāī॥ biṣaya manoratha durgama nānā। te saba sūla nāma ko jānā॥ 16 ॥
Meaning:
If these three brothers unite, they bring on the painful disease called sannipāta. The many desires for worldly objects are all pains; who can count their names?
ममता दादु कंडु इरषाई। हरष बिषाद गरह बहुताई॥ पर सुख देखि जरनि सोइ छई। कुष्ट दुष्टता मन कुटिलई॥ १७ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
mamatā dādu kaṇḍu iraṣāī। haraṣa biṣāda garaha bahutāī॥ para sukha dekhi jarani soi chhaī। kuṣṭa duṣṭatā mana kuṭilaī॥ 17 ॥
Meaning:
Affection is a boil, envy is itching, and joy and sorrow are a host of throat ailments. The burning that arises on seeing others' happiness is consumption, and wickedness and crookedness of mind are leprosy.
अहंकार अति दुखद डमरुआ। दंभ कपट मद मान नेहरुआ॥ तृस्ना उदरबृद्धि अति भारी। त्रिबिधि ईषना तरुन तिजारी॥ १८ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ahaṃkāra ati dukhad ḍamaruā। daṃbha kapaṭa mada māna neharuā॥ tṛsnā udarabṛddhi ati bhārī। tribidhi īṣanā taruna tijārī॥ 18 ॥
Meaning:
Egotism is a terribly painful tumor. Hypocrisy, deceit, intoxication, and pride are like nerve disorders. Craving is a very great dropsy. The three kinds of desire are like a dreadful fever.
एक ब्याधि बस नर मरहिं ए असाधि बहु ब्याधि। पीड़हिं संतत जीव कहुँ सो किमि लहै समाधि॥ १२१ (क) ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
eka byādhi basa nara marahiṃ e asādhi bahu byādhi। pīḍhahiṃ santata jīva kahuṃ so kimi lahai samādhi॥ 121 (a) ॥
Meaning:
Some men die under the control of a single disease; these are many incurable diseases. They keep living beings in constant pain; how can one attain samādhi in such a state?
नेम धर्म आचार तप ग्यान जग्य जप दान। भेषज पुनि कोटिन्ह नहिं रोग जाहिं हरिजान॥ १२१ (ख) ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nema dharma ācāra tapa gyāna jagya japa dāna। bheṣaja puni koṭinha nahiṃ roga jāhiṃ harijāna॥ 121 (b) ॥
Meaning:
Even discipline, dharma, conduct, austerity, knowledge, sacrifice, chanting, charity, and even millions of medicines cannot drive these diseases away, O Garuda.