Chapter 108

“Garuda said, ‘O Galava, commanded I have been by God, who is the causeof all knowledge. I ask thee, towards which quarter shall I first takethee to see what lie there? The eastern, the southern, the western, orthe northern, towards which, O best of regenerate persons, shall I go, OGalava? That quarter towards which Surya the illuminator of the universefirst riseth; where, at eve, the Sadhyas engage in their asceticausterities; where that Intelligence, which pervades the whole universefirst springeth; where the two eyes of Dharma, as well as he himself, arestationed; where the clarified butter first poured in sacrificesubsequently flowed all around; that quarter, O best of all regeneratepersons, is the gate of Day and Time. There the daughters of Daksha, inprimeval times, gave birth to their children. There the sons of Kasyapafirst multiplied. That quarter is the source of all the prosperity of thegods, for it was there that Sakra was first anointed as the king of thecelestials. It was there, O regenerate Rishi, that both Indra and thegods underwent their ascetic penances. It is for this, O Brahmana, thatthis quarter is called Purva (the first). And because in the earliest oftimes this quarter was overspread by the Suras, it is for this that it iscalled Purva. The gods, desirous of prosperity, performed all theirreligious ceremonies here. It was here that the divine Creator of theuniverse first sang the Vedas. It was here that the Gayatri was firstpreached by Surya unto the reciters of that sacred hymn. It was here, Obest of Brahmanas, that the Yajurvedas  were delivered by Surya (untoYajnavalkya). It was here that the Soma juice, sanctified by boons, wasfirst drunk in sacrifices by Suras. It was here that the Homa-fires,(gratified by mantras), first drank articles of cognate origin.[13] Itwas here that Varuna first repaired to the nether regions, and attainedto all his prosperity. It was here, O bull among the twice-born, that thebirth, growth, and death of the ancient Vasishtha took place. Here firstgrew the hundred different branches of Om![14] It was here that thesmoke-eating Munis are the smoke of sacrificial fires. It was in thatregion that myriads of boars and other animals were killed by Sakra andoffered as sacrificial portions unto the gods. It is here that thethousand-rayed sun, arising, consumeth, out of ire, all those that arewicked and ungrateful among men and the Asuras. This is the gate of thethree worlds. This is the path of heaven and felicity. This quarter iscalled Purva (east). We will go hither, if it pleaseth thee. I shallalways do what is agreeable to him who is my friend. Tell me, O Galava,if any other quarter pleaseth thee, for we will then go there. Listen nowto what I say of another quarter.'”