Garuda Purana

छिद्रं तु नैव पश्यामि कुतो जीवः स निर्गतः । कुतो गच्छन्ति भूतानि पृथिव्यापो मनस्तथा । तेजो वदस्व मे नाथ वायुराकाशमेव च ॥ २,१.

I do not see any opening—how does the soul depart? Where do the elements—earth, water, mind, fire, air, and space—go? Tell me, O Lord.

कुतः कर्मेन्द्रियाणीह पञ्चबुद्धीन्द्रियाणि च । वायवश्चैव पञ्चैते कथं गच्छन्ति चात्ययम् ॥ २,१.

From where do the organs of action and the five sense organs arise here? And how do these five vital airs pass away at death?

लोभमोहादयः पञ्च शरीरे चैव तस्कराः । तृष्णा कामो ह्यहङ्कारः कुतो यान्ति जनार्दना ॥ २,१.

Greed, delusion, and the other five thieves in the body—where do thirst, desire, and ego go, O Janārdana?

पुण्यं वाप्यथवापुण्यं यत्किञ्चित्सुकृतं तथा । नष्टे देहे कुतो यान्ति दानानि विविधानि च ॥ २,१.

Where do merit and demerit, and whatever good deeds there are, as well as the various gifts, go when the body is destroyed?

सपिण्डनं किमर्थं च पूर्णे संवत्सरेऽपि वा । प्रेतस्य मेलनं केषां किंविधं तत्र कारयेत् ॥ २,१.

What is the purpose of the sapiṇḍa rite, even after a full year? For which departed ones is this union performed, and in what manner should it be done?

मूर्छनात्पननाद्वापि विपत्तिर्यदि जायते । ये दग्धा ये त्वदग्धाश्च पतिता ये नरा भुवि ॥ २,१.

If death occurs by fainting or falling, what happens to those men who are burned, those not burned, and those who have fallen on earth?

यानि चान्यानि भूतानि तेषामन्ते भवेच्च किम् । पापिनो ये दुराचारा ये चान्ये गतबुद्धयः ॥ २,१.

And what happens at the end to other beings? What of the sinful, the wicked, and those whose minds have gone astray?

आत्मघाती ब्रह्महा च स्तेयी विश्वासघातकः । कपिलायाः पिबेच्छूद्रो यः पठेदिदमक्षरम् ॥ २,१.

What is the fate of a suicide, a brahmin-killer, a thief, a betrayer of trust, a Śūdra who drinks the milk of a tawny cow, or who recites this sacred text?

धारयेद्ब्रह्मसूत्रं वा का गतिस्तस्य माधव । शूद्रस्य ब्राह्मणी भार्या संगृहीता यदा भवेत् ॥ २,१.

If a Śūdra wears the sacred thread or takes a brāhmaṇa woman as wife, what is his destiny, O Mādhava?

भीतोऽहं पापिनस्तस्मात्तन्मे वद जगत्प्रभो । अन्यच्च शृणु विश्वात्मन्मया कौतुकिना रयात् ॥ २,१.

I am afraid because of my sins; tell me, Lord of the world. And listen also, O Soul of the universe, to what I ask out of curiosity.

लोकांल्लोकयता लोके जगाहे विश्वमण्डलम् । तत्राजनि जनान्दृष्ट्वा दुः खेष्वेव निमज्जतः ॥ २,१.

Surveying the worlds, I entered the cosmic sphere; there, seeing people, I saw them sinking in suffering.

स्वान्ते मे दुर्धरा पीडा तत्पीडातो गरीयसी । त्रिदिवे दितिजातेभ्यो भूमौ मृत्युरुगादिभिः ॥ २,१.

In my heart is unbearable pain, and from that pain, a greater burden—on earth from death and disease, in heaven from the offspring of Diti.

इष्टवस्तुवियो गैश्च पाताले मामकं भयम् । एवं न निर्भयं स्थानमन्यदीश भवत्पदात् ॥ २,१.

In the netherworld, my fear is from the loss of desired things; thus, O Lord, there is no place of safety except at your feet.

असत्यं स्वप्नमायावत्कालेन कवलीकृतम् । तत्रापि भारते वर्षे बहुदुः खस्य भागिनः ॥ २,१.

Falsehood, dream, and illusion are all swallowed up by time; even in the land of Bhārata, many are the share of suffering.

जना दृष्टा मया रागद्वेषमोहादिविप्लुताः । केचिदन्धाः केकराक्षास्खलद्वाचस्तु पङ्गवः ॥ २,१.

I have seen people overcome by passion, hatred, and delusion; some are blind, some have deformed eyes, some stammer, and some are lame.

खञ्जाः काणाश्च बधिरा मूकाः कुष्ठाश्च लोमशाः । नानारोगपरीताश्च खपुष्पाच्चाभिमानिनः ॥ २,१.

The lame, the one-eyed, the deaf, the mute, those afflicted with leprosy, the excessively hairy, those beset by various diseases, and the impotent—yet proud—

तेषां दोषस्य वैचित्र्यं मृत्योर्गोचरतामपि । दृष्ट्वा प्रसुमनाः प्राप्तः को मृत्युश्चित्रता कथम् ॥ २,१.

Seeing the diversity of their faults, and that they too fall within the domain of death, who, upon attaining a cheerful mind, would wonder at the variety of death?

मृतिर्यस्य विधानेन मरणादप्यनन्तरम् । विधिनाब्दक्रिया यस्य न स दुर्गतिमाप्नुयात् ॥ २,१.

He whose death occurs according to proper rite, and for whom the annual rites are performed as prescribed, does not attain a bad state.

ऋषिभ्यस्तु मया पूर्वमिति सामान्यतः श्रुतम् । ज्ञानाय तद्द्विशेषस्य पृच्छामीदमिति प्रभो ॥ २,१.

I have previously heard this in general from the sages; now, O Lord, I ask you about the specifics for the sake of knowledge.

म्रियमाणस्य किं कृत्यं किं दानं वासवानुज । वाहमृत्योरन्तराले को विधिर्दहनस्य च ॥ २,१.

O younger brother of Vāsava, what should be done for one who is dying? What gifts should be given? What is the rite between death and cremation?

सद्यो विलम्बतो वा किं देहमन्यं प्रपद्यते । संयमन्यां क्रम्यमाणमावर्षं का मृतिक्रिया ॥ २,१.

Does he immediately or after some delay take on another body? What is the funeral rite for one who is passing through the path of Yama for a year?

प्रायश्चित्तं दुर्मतेः किं पञ्चकादिमृतस्य च । प्रसादं कुरु मे मोहं छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः ॥ २,१.

What is the atonement for one of evil mind, and for one who dies at the beginning of the five (inauspicious times)? Be gracious to me; you should completely dispel my confusion.

सर्वमन्तेमया पृष्टं ब्रूहि लोकहिताय वै ॥ २,१.

I have asked you everything at the end; please speak for the welfare of the world.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । साधु पृष्टं त्वया भद्र मानुषाणां हिताय वै । शृणुष्वावहितो भूत्वा सर्वमेवौर्ध्वदैहिकम् ॥ २,२.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Well asked by you, O blessed one, truly for the benefit of humankind. Listen attentively as I explain all the rites after death.

सम्यग्विभेदरहितं श्रुतिस्मृतिसमुद्धृतम् । यन्न दृष्टं सुरैः सेन्द्रैर्योगिभिर्योगचिन्तकैः ॥ २,२.

I will tell you exactly, without distortion, what is drawn from the Vedas and Smṛtis, which has not been seen by the gods with Indra, nor by yogis absorbed in meditation.

गुह्यद्गुह्यतरं तच्च नाख्यातं कस्यचित्क्वचित् । भक्तस्त्वं हि महाभाग वैनतेयं ब्रवीमि ते ॥ २,२.

This is most secret, more secret than the secret, and has never been revealed to anyone, anywhere. But you are a devoted one, O highly fortunate son of Vinatā, so I will tell you.

अपुत्रस्य गतिर्नास्तु स्वर्गो नैव च नैव च । येन केनाप्युपायेन कार्यं जन्म सुतस्य हि ॥ २,२.

For one without a son, there is no path, no heaven, truly none at all. By any means possible, the birth of a son must be ensured.

तारयेन्नरकात्पुत्त्रो यदि मोक्षो न विद्यते । स्कन्धः पुत्रेण कर्तव्यो ह्यग्निदाता च पौत्रकः ॥ २,२.

A son delivers his father from hell if liberation is not attained; the son must perform the shoulder-carrying rite, and the grandson must offer the funeral fire.

तिलदर्भैश्च भूम्यां वै कुटी ऋतुमती भवेत् । पञ्च रत्नानि वक्त्रे तु येन जीवः प्ररोहति ॥ २,२.

With sesame seeds and darbha grass on the earth, a hut should be made, pure with ritual power. The five gems are placed in the mouth, by which the soul ascends.