Uttar Kaanda
209 - Dialogue between Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati; Garuda's delusion; Garuda listens to Sri Rama's story and to an account of His glory from Kakabhusundi
Chaupais
Description
The Lord of the Raghus cannot be found except through love, even though you may practise Yoga (mind-control) or austere penance or culivate spiritual wisdom or dispassion. In the north there is a beautiful blue mountain called Nilagiri, where lives the amiable Kakabhusundi, highly conversant with the path of Devotion to Sri Rama, enlightened, full of all good qualities and ages old. He unceasingly recites Sri Rama's narrative and noble birds of different species reverently listen to it. Go there and hear of the many virtues of Sri Hari; your distress born of infatuation will thus disappear." When I had thus told him everything in unambiguous terms, Garuda bowed his head at my feet and departed with joy. Uma, I did not instruct him myself, because by the grace of Sri Rama (the Lord of the Raghus) I had come to know the secret (of Garuda's infatuation). He must have given vent to his pride on some ocassion and the All-merciful evidently wished to cure him of it. Partly there was another reason why I did not detain him; a bird can follow the language of a bird alone. My lord's Maya, Bhavani, is formidable; who is there so wise as not to be beguiled by it?"