Passage 1
बलकृष्णादिरूपाणि रामस्य स्युः सहस्रशः। तेषां मुख्यतमं किञ्चिद् ब्रूहि मह्यं पितामह॥१॥
Rāma has forms by the thousand—Bala, Kṛṣṇa, and the others. Grandsire, tell me something of the form that is foremost among them. Brahmā said
Passage 2
सर्वाण्येव स्वरूपाणि श्रीरामस्य श्रियः पतेः। ध्येयानि चैव ज्ञेयानि शान्तानि प्रयतात्मभिः॥२॥
Every one of these is a true form of Śrī Rāma, Lord of Śrī. The self-disciplined should know and meditate upon them all as forms of peace.
Passage 3
पुरा खलु खगेन्द्रेण गरुडेन मनीषिणा। धावन् गच्छन् वायुपुत्रो हनुमानिदमीरितः॥३॥
Long ago the wise king of birds, Garuḍa, saw Hanumān, son of the Wind, racing past and addressed him in this way. Garuḍa said
Passage 4
हनुमन् कुत्र वेगेन यासि त्वं धावनोद्धतः। अत्याहितमिदं कार्यं कथमेवं भविष्यति॥४॥
Hanumān, where are you going at such speed, so intent upon running? What urgent business has arisen to make you hurry like this? Hanumān said
Passage 5
नागान्तक खगाधीश याम्यहं कोशलापुरे। अतिकालो भवत्येष त्वं न जानासि किं सखे॥५॥
Destroyer of serpents, lord of birds, I am going to the city of Kośalā. It is already growing very late—do you not know the hour, my friend?
Passage 6
रामदर्शनवेलेयं मध्याह्ने कोशलापुरे। तत्र गच्छाम्यहं तूर्णं तेन धावनवेगतः॥६॥
Midday is the appointed time for seeing Rāma in Kośalā. I must reach him quickly; that is why I run with such speed. Garuḍa said
Passage 7
कोऽसौ रामस्त्वया प्रोक्तश्चातुर्वर्ण्येऽस्ति कश्चन। आहोस्वित् कोऽप्यसौ देवो दैत्यो गन्धर्व एव वा॥७॥
Who is this Rāma of whom you speak? Is he someone belonging to one of the four social orders, or perhaps a god, a daitya, or a gandharva? Hanumān said
Passage 8
त्रैलोक्याधिपतिः श्यामो नीलनीरदविग्रहः। रामो दाशरथिर्देवो भवतो विदितो न किम्॥८॥
He is the dark Lord of the three worlds, his form like a blue rain cloud: divine Rāma, son of Daśaratha. Can it be that you do not know him?
Passage 9
आत्मैव वञ्चितस्तेन येन रामो न वीक्षितः। न श्रुतो नैव च ध्यातो न प्रेम्णा परिकीर्तितः॥९॥
One who has not beheld Rāma, heard of him, meditated upon him, or lovingly sung his praise has cheated only his own self.
Passage 10
रामोऽस्य जगतो हेतुः सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहः। परमात्मा प्रभुः साक्षी स एव च गतिर्नृणाम्॥१०॥
Rāma is the cause of this universe, embodied existence, consciousness, and bliss. He is the Supreme Self, the Lord and witness, and he alone is humanity’s final refuge.
Passage 11
न तं विना मुक्तिदोऽन्यो नामृतस्याश्रयोऽपि च। स एव च परं ब्रह्म वेदमूर्धसु गीयते॥११॥
Apart from him, no other grants liberation and no other is the ground of immortality. He alone is sung at the summit of the Vedas as the supreme Brahman.
Passage 12
एको रामः सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा सर्वावासः सर्वकल्याणभूमा। सर्वांशाद्यः प्रमोदवनधामा यस्यांशांशा भान्ति सर्वेऽवताराः॥१२॥
Rāma is one, the inner Self of every being, dwelling in all and the fullness of every blessing. He is the origin of every portion and his home is Pramoda-vana; all divine descents shine as portions of his portions. Garuḍa said
Passage 13
एवं चेत्तर्हि हनुमन् प्रसादाद् भवतो मम। तद्दर्शनं किं न भवेत् सर्वकल्याणदं सखे॥१३॥
If this is so, Hanumān, then through your grace why should I not receive that vision which bestows every blessing, my friend? Hanumān said
Passage 14
आगच्छ खगराज त्वं कोशलाधिपतेः पुरम्। तत्र श्रीरामचन्द्रस्य दर्शनं ते भविष्यति॥१४॥
Come, king of birds, to the city of Kośalā’s Lord. There you will behold Śrī Rāmacandra.
Passage 15
मत्सार्थे ते न निर्वाहस्त्वमागच्छ दिनान्तरे। अहमद्य गमिष्यामि शीघ्रदर्शनलालसः॥१५॥
You will not be able to keep pace beside me, so come on another day. Longing to see him without delay, I must go today.
Passage 16
इत्युक्त्वा हनुमांस्तूर्णं कोशलां नगरीं ययौ। दिनान्तरे च गरुडस्तत्र यातः सकौतुकम्॥१६॥
Having said this, Hanumān sped to the city of Kośalā. On another day Garuḍa went there, filled with wonder and expectation.
Passage 17
गत्वा ददर्श रघुपुङ्गवमभ्रनीलं सीतायुतं कटिनिषङ्गधनुःशराढ्यम्। केयूरकङ्कणकिरीटसुकुण्डलाढ्यं पीताम्बरं मधुरहासमुखारविन्दम्॥१७॥
Arriving, he saw the champion of Raghu’s line, dark as a cloud and joined by Sītā. A quiver rested at his waist and he bore bow and arrows; armlets, bracelets, crown, and lovely earrings adorned him. He wore yellow robes, and his lotus face carried a sweet smile.
Passage 18
एवं विलोक्य गरुडः सुमग्नो रूपसागरे। ततो हनुमता प्रोक्तो राम एषोऽभिवन्द्यताम्॥१८॥
Seeing him in this way, Garuḍa sank deep into the ocean of his beauty. Hanumān then said, “This is Rāma—bow before him.” Garuḍa said
Passage 19
गुञ्जास्रजः केकिपिच्छावतंसः करे रसाला मुरली यदा स्यात्। गोपाङ्गनाश्चेद् विलसन्ति पार्श्वे सीतापते त्वां प्रणमामि नित्यम्॥१९॥
Husband of Sītā, if you should wear a garland of guñjā berries and a peacock feather, if a sweet flute should rest in your hand and cowherd women shine at your side, then I would bow to you forever. Hanumān said
Passage 20
सर्वस्वरूपो भगवानयमेव रघूत्तमः। यादृशी भावना यस्य तादृशस्तस्य भासते॥२०॥
This very Lord, the highest of Raghu’s line, contains every form. He appears to each person in accordance with that person’s inward vision.
Passage 21
एष एव पुनर्देवः परिवृत्यावलोक्यताम्। ततः स गरुडो भूयः परिवृत्य व्यलोकयत्॥२१॥
Turn around and look once more at this same Lord. Garuḍa then turned and looked again.
Passage 22
ददर्श रामस्य गुञ्जाकलापं मयूरपिच्छस्फुरितावतंसम्। वंशीकरं गोपदारैः परीतं कृष्णं त्रिभङ्गीललितं खगेन्द्रः॥२२॥
The king of birds now saw Rāma as dark Kṛṣṇa: adorned with clusters of guñjā berries and a radiant peacock feather, flute in hand, surrounded by cowherd women, graceful in the threefold-bending pose.
Passage 23
वृन्दावनस्थं स्मितपीयूषवर्षैः सिञ्चन्तमङ्गानि मृगीदृशां च। राधान्वितं पीतदुकूलयुग्मं दृष्ट्वा स तुष्टाव हृदि प्रसन्नः॥२३॥
He stood in Vṛndāvana beside Rādhā, clothed in yellow silk, bathing the limbs of the doe-eyed women in showers of nectar from his smile. Seeing him, Garuḍa became joyful at heart and offered praise. --- Thus ends the fifth chapter, “Granting Garuḍa a Vision,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍa in the Śrīmad Ādi Rāmāyaṇa. Textual note Verse 2’s base reading calls Rāma “Lord of Śrī”; the Ayodhya and Rewa witnesses read “Lord of Sītā.” Verse 17 follows the photographed base text’s śarāḍhyam rather than the transcription aid’s looser śarādyam. The conditional force of Garuḍa’s request in verse 19 is retained: the revelation of the Kṛṣṇa form comes only after Hanumān explains that the one Lord appears according to the devotee’s inward vision.