Garuda Purana

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.

यदा पुष्पं प्रनष्टं हि क्व तदा गर्भधारणम् । आदराच्च ततो भूमौ येन गर्भं प्रधार्यते ॥ २,२.

When the flower (of life) is lost, where then is conception? Yet, out of respect, the earth is prepared, by which the embryo is supported.

लेप्या तु गोमयैर्भूमिस्तिलान्दर्भान्विनिः क्षिपेत् । तस्यामेवातुरो मुक्तः सर्वं दहति किल्बिषम् ॥ २,२.

The ground should be smeared with cow dung, and sesame seeds and darbha grass scattered. There, the deceased, when released, burns away all his sins.

दर्भतूली नयेत्स्वर्गमातुरस्य न संशयः । दर्भांस्तत्र क्षिपेद्वाथ तूलीगेन्दुकमध्यतः ॥ २,२.

A mat of darbha grass leads the dying to heaven, without doubt. There, darbha grass should be placed, or a cotton pillow at the center.

सर्वत्र वसुधापूता यत्र लेपो न विद्यते । यत्र लेपः स्थितस्तत्र पुनर्लेपेन शुध्यति ॥ २,२.

Everywhere, the earth is purified where there is no smearing; where smearing is present, it is purified again by further smearing.

यातुधानाः पिशाचाश्च राक्षसाः क्रूरकर्मिणः । अलेपं ह्यातुरं मुक्तं विशन्त्येते वियोनयः ॥ २,२.

Yātudhānas, piśācas, and rākṣasas of cruel deeds enter the sick, unprotected, and unpurified; these spirits invade those who are vulnerable.

नित्यहोमस्तथा श्राद्धं पादशौचं द्विजे तथा । मण्डलेन विना भूम्यामातुरो मुच्यते न हि ॥ २,२.

Without a protective circle on the ground, even with daily fire offerings, ancestral rites, and ritual foot washing by a twice-born, the sick person is not freed.

ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च श्रीर्हुताशस्तथैव च । मण्डले चोपतिष्ठन्ति तस्मात्कुर्वीत मण्डलम् ॥ २,२.

Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Śrī, and Agni are present within the circle; therefore, one should make the circle.

अन्यथा म्रियते वालो वृद्धस्तार्क्ष्ययुवाथवा । योन्यन्तरं न गच्छेत्स क्रीडते वायुना सह ॥ २,२.

Otherwise, the child, elder, or youth dies; he does not attain another birth, but instead wanders, playing with the wind.

मिश्रितं लोहितामिश्रं तदेवं जन्म जीयते । तस्यैव वायुभूतस्य न श्राद्धं नोदकक्रिया ॥ २,२.

Born mixed with blood and flesh, such a birth occurs; for one who has become wind, there is neither ancestral rite nor water offering.

मम स्वेदसमुद्भूतास्तिलास्तार्क्ष्य पवित्रकाः । असुरा दानवा दैत्या विद्रवन्ति तिलैस्तथा ॥ २,२.

O Tārkṣya, the sesame seeds arising from my sweat are pure; asuras, dānavas, and daityas flee from these seeds.

तिलाः श्वेतास्तिला कृष्णास्तिला गोमूत्रसंन्निभाः । दहन्तु ते मे पापानि शरीरेण कृतानि वै ॥ २,२.

Sesame seeds—white, black, and those resembling cow urine—may they burn away my sins committed with the body.

एक एव तिलो दत्तो हेमद्रोणतिलैः समः । तर्पणे दानहोमेषु दत्तो भवति चाक्षयः ॥ २,२.

A single sesame seed given is equal to a measure of gold sesame seeds; when given in offerings or rites, it becomes inexhaustible.

दर्भा रोमसमुद्भूतास्तिलाः स्वेदेषु नान्यथा । देवता दानवास्तृप्ताः श्राद्धेन पितरस्तथा ॥ २,२.

Darbha grass arises from hair, sesame from sweat, not otherwise; gods, dānavas, and ancestors are satisfied by ancestral rites.

प्रयोगविधिना ब्रह्मा विश्वं चाप्युपजीवनाम् । अपसव्यादितो ब्रह्मा पितरो देवदेवताः ॥ २,२.

By the prescribed method, Brahmā and the universe are nourished; from the left side, Brahmā, ancestors, gods, and deities are honored.

तेन ते पितरस्तृप्ता अपसव्ये कृते सति । दर्भमूले स्थितो ब्रह्मा मध्ये देवो जनार्दनः ॥ २,२.

Thus, the ancestors are satisfied when the left-side rite is performed; Brahmā stands at the root of darbha, and Janārdana is in the center as the deity.

दर्भाग्रे शङ्करं विद्यात्त्रयो देवाः कुशे स्मृताः । विप्रा मन्त्राः कुशा वह्निस्तुलसी च खगेश्वर ॥ २,२.

On the tip of darbha, one should know Śaṅkara; three gods are remembered in kuśa grass. O lord of birds, brahmins, mantras, kuśa, fire, and tulasī are present.

नैते निर्माल्यतां यान्ति क्रियमाणाः पुनः पुनः । तुलसी ब्राह्मणा गावो विष्णुरेकादशी खग ॥ २,२.

These are never rendered impure, even when used repeatedly: tulasī, brahmins, cows, Viṣṇu, and the eleventh day, O bird.

पञ्च प्रवहणान्ये भवाब्धौ मज्जतां नृणाम् । विष्णुरेकादशी गीता तुलसी विप्रधेनवः ॥ २,२.

Five vessels carry men across the ocean of existence: Viṣṇu, the eleventh day, the Gītā, tulasī, brahmins, and cows.

असारे दुर्गसंसारे षट्पदी मुक्तिदायिनी । तिलाः पवित्रमतुलं दर्भाश्चापि तुलस्यथ ॥ २,२.

In the harsh, difficult world, the sixfold path grants liberation; sesame, darbha, and tulasī are matchless purifiers.

$ निवारयन्ति चैतानि दुर्गतिं यान्तमातुरम् । हस्ताभ्यामुद्धरेद्दर्भांस्तोयेन प्रोक्षयेद्भुवि ॥ २,२.

These prevent misfortune for the dying; one should lift darbha with the hands and sprinkle it with water upon the earth.