Garuda Purana

प्रयोग पूर्वं भर्तारं नमस्कृत्यारुहेच्चितिम् । चितिभ्रष्टा तु या मोहात्सा प्राजापत्यमाचरेत्

Having first saluted her husband, she should ascend the funeral pyre; but if, out of delusion, she falls from the pyre, she should perform the Prajapatya vow.

तिस्रः कोट्योर्धकोटी य यानि लोमानि मानुषे । तावत्कालं वसेत्स्वर्गे भर्तारं यानुगच्छति

For as many hairs as there are on a human body—thirty million and more—so many years does she dwell in heaven, who follows her husband.

व्यालग्राही यथा व्यालं बिलादुद्धरते बलात् । तद्वदुद्धृत्य सा नारी तेनैव सह मोदते

Just as one who seizes a snake drags it forcibly from its hole, so does that woman lift her husband up and enjoys with him.

तत्र सा भर्तृपरमा स्तूयमानाप्सरोगणैः । क्रीडते पतिना सार्धं यावदिन्द्राश्चतुर्दश

There, devoted to her husband, praised by hosts of celestial nymphs, she sports with her husband as long as the fourteen Indras reign.

ब्रह्मघ्नो वा कृघ्नो वा मित्त्रिघ्नो वा भवेत्पतिः । पुनात्यविधवा नारी तमादाय मृता तु या

Whether the husband was a slayer of a Brahmin, a murderer, or a betrayer of friends, the widow who follows him purifies him by her act.

मृते भर्तरि या नारी समारोहेद्धुताशनम् । सारन्धतीसमाचारा स्वर्गलोके महीयते

A woman who ascends the blazing fire upon her husband's death, following the conduct of Arundhati, is honored in the world of heaven.

यावच्चाग्नौ मृते पत्यौ स्त्री नात्मानं प्रदाहयेत् । तावन्न मुच्यते सा हि स्त्रीशरीरात्कथञ्चन

As long as her husband is burning in the fire, if the wife does not burn herself, she is not released from her female body by any means.

मातृकं पैतृकं चैव यत्र चैव प्रदीयते । कुलत्रयं पुनात्येषा भर्तारं यानुगच्छति

She who follows her husband purifies the maternal, paternal, and in-law lineages—three families—by her act.

आर्तार्ते मुदिते हृष्टा प्रोषिते मलिना कृशा । मृते म्रियेत या पत्यौ सा स्त्री ज्ञेया पतिव्रता

Whether in suffering, distress, joy, delight, or when her husband is away, if she is pale and emaciated, and dies when her husband dies, she is known as a devoted wife.

पृथक्चितां समारुह्य न प्रिया गन्तुमर्हति । क्षत्त्रियाद्याः सवर्णाश्च आरोहेयुरपीह ताः

Ascending a separate pyre, she should not go to her beloved; but Kshatriya and other same-caste women may ascend even here.

चाण्डालीमवधिं कृत्वा ब्राह्मणीतः समो विधिः । अगर्भिणीनां सर्वासामबालताक्मे(का)नामपि

Setting the limit as that of a Chandali woman, the rule is the same for all, except for Brahmin women, for those who are pregnant, and for all who are infants.

दहनस्य विधिः प्रोक्तः सामान्येन मया खग । विशेषमपि तस्यास्य कञ्चित्किं श्रोतुमिच्छति

O bird, I have described in general the procedure for cremation; do you wish to hear any particular details about it?

गरुड उवाच । प्रोषिते तु मृते स्वामिन्यस्थ्निनाशमुपेयुषि । कथं दाहः प्रकर्तव्यस्तन्मे वद जगत्पते

Garuḍa said: When the master has died while away and his bones have perished, how should the cremation be performed? Tell me that, Lord of the world.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अस्थीनि चेन्न लभ्यन्ते प्रोषितस्य नरस्य च । तेषाञ्च हि गतिस्थानं विधानं कथयाम्यहम्

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: If the bones of a man who died while away cannot be obtained, I shall explain the prescribed procedure for their destination and journey.

शृणु तार्क्ष्य परं गोप्यं पत्युर्दुर्मरणेषु यत् । लङ्घनैर्ये मृता जीवां दंष्ट्रिभिश्चाभिघातिताः

Hear, O Tārkṣya, the supreme secret concerning those who die unnatural deaths—those who die by falling, by the bite of fanged creatures, or by being struck.

कण्ठग्रहे विलग्नानां क्षीणानां तुण्डघातिनाम् । विषाग्निवृषविप्रेभ्यो विषूच्या चात्मघातकाः

Those who die by strangulation, who are emaciated by wounds from beaks, who die from poison, fire, bulls, brāhmaṇas, epidemic disease, or by their own hand—

पतनोद्बन्धनजलैर्मृतानां शृणु संस्थितिम् । सर्पव्याघ्रैः शृङ्गिभिश्च उपसर्गोपलोदकैः

Hear about the fate of those who die by falling, hanging, drowning, snake or tiger attack, by horned animals, by calamities, or by polluted water.

ब्राह्मणैः श्वापदैश्चैव पतनैर्वृक्षवैद्युतैः । नखैर्लोहैर्गिरेः पातैर्भित्तिपातैर्भृगोस्तथा

Those who die at the hands of brāhmaṇas, wild beasts, by falling from trees or lightning, by nails, iron, falling from mountains, collapsing walls, or by the sage Bhṛgu—

कट्वायामन्तरिक्षे च चौरचाण्डालतस्तथा । उदक्याशुनकीशूद्ररजकादिविभूषिताः

Those who die in the desert, in the sky, at the hands of thieves or outcastes, or who are adorned by water-carriers, dog-keepers, śūdras, washermen, and others—

ऊर्ध्वोचछिष्टाधरोच्छिष्टोभयोच्छिष्टास्तु ये मृताः । शस्त्रघातैर्मृता ये चास्यश्वस्पृष्टास्तथैव च

Those who die after eating food left by someone above, below, or both; those who die by weapons, or are touched by donkeys or horses—

तत्तु दुर्मरणं ज्ञेयं यच्च जातं विधैं विना । तेन पापेन नरकान् भुक्त्वा प्रेतत्वभागिनः

All these are to be known as unnatural deaths, and those who die in such ways, without proper rites, after suffering in hell, become wandering spirits.

न तेषां कारयेद्दाहं सूतकं नोदकक्रियाम् । न विधानं मृताद्यञ्च न कुर्या दौर्ध्वदैहिकम्

For them, one should not perform cremation, impurity rites, water offerings, the prescribed funeral ceremonies, or any post-death rituals.

न पिण्डदानं कर्तव्यं प्रमादाच्चेत्करोति हि । नोपतिष्ठति तत्सर्वमन्तरिक्षे विनश्यति

One should not offer piṇḍa (rice balls) for them; if done out of ignorance, none of it reaches them—it all perishes in the air.

अतस्तस्य सुतैः पौत्त्रैः सपिण्डैः शुभमिच्छुभिः । नारायणबलिः कार्यो लोकगर्हाभिया खग

Therefore, their sons, grandsons, and relatives who desire their welfare should offer the Nārāyaṇa-bali, O bird, to avoid public reproach.

तथा तेषां भवेच्छौचं नान्यथेत्यब्रवीद्यमः । कृते नारायणबलावौर्ध्वदेहिकयोग्यता

Thus, Yama declared that for them, purity is established only in this way; by performing the Nārāyaṇa-bali, they become eligible for post-death rites.

तस्य सुद्धिकरं कर्म तद्भवेन्न तदन्यथा । नारायणबलिं सम्यक्तीर्थे सर्वं प्रक्पयेत्

That act alone purifies them; nothing else does. The Nārāyaṇa-bali should be properly performed at a sacred place.

कृष्णाग्रे कारयेद्बिप्रैर्येन पूतो भवेन्नरः । पूर्वन्तु तर्पणं कार्यं विप्रैः पौराणवैदिकैः

In the presence of an image of Kṛṣṇa, by brāhmaṇas, for the purification of the deceased, the preliminary water offering should be performed by brāhmaṇas versed in the Purāṇas and Vedas.

सर्वौषध्यक्षतैर्मिश्रैर्विष्णुमुद्दिश्य तर्पयेत् । कार्यं पुरुषसूक्तेन मन्त्रैर्वा वैष्णवैरपि

With all kinds of medicinal herbs and unbroken rice, one should offer water to Viṣṇu, using the Puruṣa-sūkta or other Vaiṣṇava mantras.

दक्षिणाभिमुखो भूत्वा प्रेतं विष्णुमिति स्मरन् । अनादिनिधनो देवः शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः

Facing south, remembering Viṣṇu as the immortal Lord bearing the conch, discus, and mace, one should offer to the departed.