Garuda Purana

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.

अक्षयः पुण्डरीकाक्षः प्रेतमोक्षप्रदो भव । तर्पणस्यावसाने स्याद्वीतरागो विमत्सरः

O Lotus-eyed One, inexhaustible, grantor of liberation to the departed, become free from passion and envy at the conclusion of the offering of water.

जितेन्द्रियमना भूत्वा शुचिष्मान्धर्मतत्परः । भक्त्या तत्र प्रकुर्वीत श्राद्धान्येकादशैव तु

Having mastered the senses and mind, being pure and devoted to righteousness, one should perform there, with devotion, exactly eleven śrāddha rites.

सर्वकर्मविधाने एकैकाग्रे समाहितः । तोयव्रीहियवान्दद्याद्गोधूमांश्च प्रियङ्गवः

With single-minded concentration in the performance of all the rites, one should offer water, rice, barley, wheat, and priyaṅgu grains.

हविष्यान्नं शुभं मुद्रां छत्रोष्णीषे च दापयेत् । दापयेत्सर्वसंस्यानि क्षीरं क्षौद्रसमान्वितम्

One should give auspicious cooked food, a seal, an umbrella, and a turban; all the necessary items should be given, along with milk mixed with honey.

वस्त्रोपानहसंयुक्तं दद्यादष्टविधं पदम् । द्पयेत्सर्वपापेभ्यो न कुर्यात्पङ्क्तिवञ्चनम्

One should give eight kinds of gifts, including cloth and footwear; let all be given for release from all sins, and one must not commit deception in the distribution.

भूमौ स्थितेषु पिण्डेषु गन्धपुष्पाक्षतान्वितम् । दातव्यं सर्वंविप्रेभ्यो वेदशास्त्रविधानतः

When the rice balls are placed on the ground, accompanied by fragrance, flowers, and unbroken rice, everything should be given to the brāhmaṇas according to the injunctions of the Vedas and scriptures.

शङ्खे खड्गेऽथ वा ताम्रे तर्पणञ्च पृथक्पृथक् । ध्यानधारणसंयुक्तो जानुभ्यामवनीं गतः

In a conch, sword, or copper vessel, the offering of water should be made separately, with meditation and concentration, kneeling upon the earth.

ऋचा वै दापयेदर्घमर्घोद्दिष्टं पृथक्पृथक् । ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च यमः प्रेतश्च पञ्चमः

With a Vedic verse, one should offer the arghya, each one separately as prescribed; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Yama, and the departed are the five.

पृथक्कुम्भे ततः स्थाप्याः पञ्चरत्नसमन्विताः । वस्त्रयज्ञोपवीतानि पृथङ्मुद्गाः पदानि च

Then, in separate pots adorned with five gems, one should place garments, sacred threads, and separately, mung beans and foot coverings.

पञ्च श्राद्धानि कुर्वीत देवतानां यथाविधि । जलधारां ततः कुर्यात्पिण्डेपिण्डे पृथक्पृथक्

One should perform five śrāddha rites for the deities according to rule; then pour water on each rice ball, one by one.