Garuda Purana

शतवर्षं हरिः शेते सृजत्यथ दिनगमे । अव्यक्तादिक्रमेणैव व्यक्तीभूतं चराचरम् ॥ १,२२४.

For a hundred divine years, Hari lies in repose, and then, at the dawn of the day, creates again; in order, from the unmanifest, all moving and unmoving beings become manifest.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २२५ सूत उवाच । आध्यात्मिकादितापांस्त्रीञ्ज्ञात्व संस्राचक्रवित् । उत्पन्नज्ञानवैराग्यः प्राप्नोत्यात्यन्तिकं लयम् ॥ १,२२५.

Sūta said: One who knows the three kinds of suffering—spiritual, physical, and external—and understands the cycle of rebirth, attains supreme dissolution through knowledge and detachment.

संसारचक्रं वक्ष्येऽहमादाबुत्क्रान्तिकालतः । यद्विना पुरुषार्थो न लीनः स्यात्परमात्मनि ॥ १,२२५.

I shall now explain the cycle of rebirth, beginning from the moment of death; without this knowledge, the purpose of human life does not merge into the Supreme Self.

ऊर्ध्ववासी नरस्त्यक्त्वा देहमन्यत्प्रपद्यते । नीयतेद्वादशाहेन यमस्य यमपूरुषैः ॥ १,२२५.

A person who has lived righteously, after leaving the body, attains another form; within twelve days, he is led by Yama's messengers to Yama's realm.

तत्र यद्वान्धवास्तोयं प्रयच्छन्ति तिलैः सह । यच्च पिण्डं प्रयच्छन्ति यमलोके तदश्नुते ॥ १,२२५.

There, whatever water mixed with sesame seeds his relatives offer, and whatever rice-balls they give, he partakes of those in Yama's world.

गतश्च नरकं पापात्स्वर्गं याति स्वपुण्यतः । पापकृद्याति नरकं पुण्यकृद्याति वै दिवम् ॥ १,२२५.

One who has gone to hell because of sin attains heaven by his own merit; the doer of sin goes to hell, while the doer of virtue indeed goes to heaven.

स्वर्गाच्च नरकात्त्यक्तः स्त्रीणां गर्भे भवत्यपि । नाभिभूतञ्च तस्यैव याति बीजद्वयं हि तत् ॥ १,२२५.

Falling from heaven or hell, one is born again in the womb of a woman; the two seeds, not yet overcome, unite and enter that very being.

कललं बुद्ब्रुदमयं ततः शोणितमेव च । पेश्याः पलसमोऽण्डः स्यादङ्कुरं तत उच्यते ॥ १,२२५.

First, there is the kalala (embryonic mass), then the budbuda (bubble-like stage), then blood; the embryo becomes a lump the size of a pea, and from that, a sprout is said to arise.

उपाङ्गान्यङ्गुलीनेत्रनासास्यश्रवणानि च । आवहं याति चाङ्गेभ्यस्तत्परन्तु नखादिकम् ॥ १,२२५.

The subsidiary limbs—fingers, eyes, nose, mouth, and ears—arise from the body; from the limbs, nails and similar features develop.

त्वचो रोमाणि जायन्ते केशाश्चैव ततः परम् । नरश्चाधोमुखः स्थित्वा दशमे च सः जायते ॥ १,२२५.

From the skin, hair grows, and then the head-hair as well; the person, facing downward, is born in the tenth month.

ततस्तु वैष्णवी माया वृणोत्यत्यन्तमोहिनी । बालत्वं त्वथ कौमारं यौवनं वृद्धतामपि ॥ १,२२५.

Then, the deluding power of Viṣṇu covers him completely; he passes through infancy, childhood, youth, and even old age.

ततश्च मरणं तत्तद्धर्मामाप्नोति मानवः । एवं संसारचक्रेऽस्मिन् भ्राम्यते घटीयन्त्रवत् ॥ १,२२५.

After that, death comes, and the person attains results according to his deeds; thus, in this cycle of rebirth, one revolves like a water wheel.

नरकात्प्रतिमुक्तस्तु पापयोनिषु जायते । पतितात्प्रतिगृह्याथ अधोयोनिं व्रजेद्बुधः ॥ १,२२५.

Freed from hell, one is born in sinful wombs; having fallen, and being received again, the wise may enter a lower birth.

नरकात्प्रतिमुक्तस्तु कृमिर्भवति याचकः । उपाध्यायव्यलीकं तु कृत्वा श्वा भवति द्विज ॥ १,२२५.

Freed from hell, one may become a worm or a beggar; a twice-born who deceives his teacher becomes a dog.

तज्जायां मनसा वाञ्छंस्तद्द्रव्यं वाप्यसंशयम् । गर्दभोजायते जन्तुर्मित्रस्यैवापमानकृत् ॥ १,२२५.

Desiring another's wife or wealth, even in thought, or certainly taking it, a creature is born as a donkey; one who insults a friend meets the same fate.

पितरौ पीडयित्वा तु कच्छपत्वञ्च जायते । भुर्तुः पिण्डमुपाश्वस्तो वञ्जयित्वा तमेव यः ॥ १,२२५.

One who torments his parents is born as a tortoise; whoever cheats his brother of the funeral rice-ball is also thus reborn.

सोऽपि मोहसमापन्नो जायते वानरो मृतः । न्यासापहर्ता नरकाद्विमुक्तो जायते कृमिः ॥ १,२२५.

He too, overcome by delusion, is born as a monkey after death; one who steals a deposit, freed from hell, is born as a worm.

असूयकश्च नरकान्मुक्तो भवति राक्षसः । विश्वासहर्ता च नरो मीनयोनौ प्रजायते ॥ १,२२५.

A person without envy is freed from hell, even if he is a demon; but one who betrays trust is born in the womb of a fish.

यवधान्यानि संहृत्य जायते मूषको मृतः । परदाराभिमर्शात्तु वृको घोरोऽभिजायते ॥ १,२२५.

One who gathers up barley and other grains and dies is born as a mouse; from touching another's wife, he is born as a terrible wolf.

भ्रातृभार्याप्रसंगेन कोकिलो जायते नरः । गुर्वादिभार्यागमनाच्छूकरो जायते नरः ॥ १,२२५.

A man who approaches his brother's wife is born as a cuckoo; from going to the wife of a teacher or elder, a man is born as a pig.

यज्ञदानविवाहानां विघ्नकर्ता भवेत्कृमिः । देवतापितृविप्राणामदत्त्वा योऽन्नमश्नुते ॥ १,२२५.

He who causes obstacles in sacrifices, gifts, or marriages becomes a worm; one who eats food without offering it to gods, ancestors, or Brahmins is likewise.

प्रमुक्तो नरकाद्वापि वायसः सन्प्रजायते । ज्येष्ठभ्रात्रपमानाच्च क्रौञ्चयोनौ प्रजायते ॥ १,२२५.

Freed from hell, a person is born as a crow; from insulting an elder brother, one is born in the lineage of cranes.

शूद्रस्तु ब्राह्मणीं गत्वा कृमियोनौ प्रजायते । तस्यामपत्यमुत्पाद्य काष्ठान्तः कटीको भवेत् ॥ १,२२५.

A Śūdra who approaches a Brahmin woman is born in the womb of worms; having begotten a child with her, he becomes a wood-boring insect.

कृतघ्नः कृमिकः कीटः पतङ्गो वृश्चिकस्तथा । अशस्त्रं पुरुषं हर्ता नरः सञ्जायते खरः ॥ १,२२५.

An ungrateful person becomes a worm, insect, moth, or scorpion; one who steals from an unarmed man is born as a donkey.

कृमिः स्त्रीवधकर्ता च बालहन्ता च जायते । भोजनञ्चोरयित्वा तु मक्षिका जायते नरः ॥ १,२२५.

A killer of women or children is born as a worm; one who steals food is born as a fly.

हृत्वाज्यञ्चैव मार्जारस्तिलहृच्चैव मूषकः । घृतं हृत्वा च नकुलः काको मद्भुरमामिषम् ॥ १,२२५.

One who steals clarified butter becomes a cat; one who steals sesame seeds becomes a mouse; one who steals ghee becomes a mongoose; one who steals meat or rice becomes a crow.

मधु हृत्वा नरो दंशपूपं हृत्वा पिपीलिकः । अपो हृत्वा तु पापात्मा वायसः सम्प्रजायते ॥ १,२२५.

A man who steals honey is born as a biting insect; one who steals cakes is born as an ant; a wicked soul who steals water is born as a crow.

हृते काष्ठे च हारीतः कपोतो वा प्रजायते । हृत्वा तु काञ्चनं भाण्डं कृमियोनौ प्रजायते ॥ १,२२५.

One who steals wood is born as a green bird or a pigeon; but one who steals gold or vessels is born in the womb of worms.

कार्पासिके हृते क्रौञ्चो वह्रिहर्ता बकस्तथा । मयूरो वर्णकं हृत्वा शाकपत्रञ्च जायते ॥ १,२२५.

One who steals cotton becomes a crane; one who steals a plough becomes a heron; one who steals colored powder becomes a peacock; one who steals vegetable leaves is born as a hare.