Garuda Purana

अमांसभोजनाश्चाधः शयीरन्ब्रह्मचारिणः । परस्परं न संस्पृष्टा दानाध्ययनवर्जिताः ॥ २,५.

They should eat no meat, sleep on the ground, observe celibacy, avoid touching each other, and refrain from giving gifts or studying.

मलिनाश्चाधोमुखाश्च दीना भोगविवर्जिताः । अङ्गसंवाहनं केशमार्जनं वर्जयन्ति ते ॥ २,५.

They are unclean, downcast, dejected, and deprived of enjoyment; they avoid massaging the body and combing the hair.

मृन्मये पत्रजे वापि भुञ्जीरंस्ते च भाजने । उवासन्तु ते कुर्युरेकाहमथ वा त्र्यहम् ॥ २,५.

They should eat from clay or leaf vessels, and remain apart for one or three days.

गरुड उवाच । आशौचिन इति प्रोक्तमाशौचस्य च वै प्रभो । लक्षणं किं कियत्कालं भाव्यं वा तद्युतैर्नरैः ॥ २,५.

Garuḍa said: 'This is called impurity. O Lord, what are the signs of impurity, how long should it last, and who should observe it?'

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अपनोद्यन्त्विदं कालादिभिराशु निषेधकृत् । पिण्डाध्ययनदानादेः पुङ्गतोऽतिशयो हि तत् ॥ २,५.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: 'This is quickly removed by the prescribed periods and prohibitions; it is especially so regarding offerings, study, and gifts.'

दशाहं शावमाशौचं सपिण्डेषु विधीयते । जननेऽप्येवमेव स्यान्निपुणं शुद्धिमिच्छताम् ॥ २,५.

For those sharing the same funeral cake, impurity due to death lasts ten days; it is the same at birth for those who desire thorough purity.

जन्मन्येकोदकानान्तुत्रिरात्राच्छुद्धिरिष्यते । शावस्य शेषाच्छुध्यन्ति त्र्यहादुदकदायिनः ॥ २,५.

For those related only by shared water, purity is attained after three nights at birth; for the rest at death, those who offer water become pure after three nights.

आदन्तजननत्सद्य आ चौलान्नैशिकी स्मृता । त्रिरात्रमा व्रतादेशाद्दशरात्रमतः परम् ॥ २,५.

At the birth of a child with teeth, or after the first tonsure, impurity lasts for one night; for those under vows, three nights, and for others, ten nights.

आशौचं ते समाख्यातं संक्षेपात्प्रकृतं ब्रुवे । जलं त्रिदिवमाकाशे स्थाप्यं क्षीरञ्च मृन्मये ॥ २,५.

I have briefly described the essential rules of impurity; water should be placed in the open air, and milk in a clay vessel.

अत्र स्नाहि पिबात्रेति मन्त्रेणानेन काश्यप । काष्ठत्रये गुणैर्बद्धे प्रीत्यै रात्रौ चतुष्पथे ॥ २,५.

With the mantra 'Bathe here, drink here,' O Kāśyapa, water tied with three wooden sticks for satisfaction is to be placed at the crossroads at night.

प्रथमेऽह्नि तृतीये वा सप्तमे नवमे तथा । अस्थिसंचयनं कार्यं दिने तद्गोत्रजैः सह ॥ २,५.

On the first, third, seventh, or ninth day, the collection of bones should be performed, together with relatives of the same lineage.

तदूर्ध्वमङ्गसंस्पर्शः सपिण्डानां विधीयते । योग्याः सर्वक्रियाणां च समानसलिलास्तथा ॥ २,५.

After that, touching of the body is permitted for those sharing the funeral cake, and all rituals and sharing of water may be performed.

प्रेतपिण्डं बहिर्दद्याद्दर्भमात्रविवर्जितम् । प्रागुदीच्यां चरुं कृत्वा स्नात्वा प्रयतमानसः ॥ २,५.

The funeral cake for the departed should be offered outside, without even a blade of darbha grass, after preparing the oblation in the northeast, having bathed with a pure mind.

भूमावसंस्कृतानां च संस्कृतानां कुशेषु च । नवभिर्दिवसैः पिण्डान्नव दद्यात्समाहितः ॥ २,५.

For those cremated on the ground or on kuśa grass, nine funeral cakes should be offered over nine days with concentration.

दशमं पिण्डमुत्सृज्य रात्रिशेषे शुचिर्भवेत् । असगोत्रः सगोत्रो वा यदि स्त्री यति वा पुमान् ॥ २,५.

After offering the tenth cake, one becomes pure at the end of the night, whether of the same lineage or not, whether woman, ascetic, or man.

प्रथमेऽहनि यो दद्यात्स दशाहं समापयेत् । शालिना सक्तुभिर्वापि शाकैर्वाप्यथ निर्वपेत् ॥ २,५.

Whoever offers on the first day completes the ten-day period; it may be offered with rice, flour, or vegetables.

प्रथमेऽहनि यद्द्रव्यं तदेव स्याद्दशाहिकम् । यावदाशौचमेकैकस्याञ्जलेर्दानमुच्यते ॥ २,५.

The substance used on the first day should be used for all ten days; for each day of impurity, one handful is to be given.

यद्वा यस्मिन्दिने दानं तस्मिंस्तद्दिनसंख्यया । दशाहेऽञ्जलयः पक्षिन्पञ्चाशदन्तिमे ॥ २,५.

Alternatively, the number of handfuls given should correspond to the day; in ten days, fifty handfuls are given, five each day.

द्विवृद्ध्या वा भवेत्पक्षिन्नञ्जलीनां शतं पुनः । यदा हि त्र्यहमाशौचं तदा वाञ्जलयो दश ॥ २,५.

Or, by doubling, a hundred handfuls may be given; when impurity lasts three days, then ten handfuls are given.

त्रयोऽञ्जलय एवं तु प्रथमेऽहनि वै तदा । चत्वारस्तु द्वितीयेऽह्नि तृतीये स्युस्त्रयस्तथा ॥ २,५.

On the first day, three handfuls of water are to be offered; on the second day, four; and on the third day, again three.

शताञ्जलि यदा पक्षिन्नाद्ये त्रिंशत्तदाहनि । चत्वारिंशद्द्वितीयेऽह्नि त्रिंशदह्नि तृतीयके ॥ २,५.

O Bird, on the first day, one hundred handfuls are to be given; on the thirtieth day, thirty; on the second day, forty; and on the third day, thirty.

एवं जलस्याञ्जलयो विभाज्याः पक्षयोर्द्वयोः । सर्वेषु पितृकार्येषु पुत्रो मुख्योऽधिकारवान् ॥ २,५.

In this way, the handfuls of water are to be divided between the two sides; in all rites for the ancestors, the son is the principal and authorized performer.

पिण्डप्रसेकस्तूष्णीञ्च पुष्पधूपादिकं तथा । दशमेऽहनि सम्प्राप्ते स्नानं ग्रामाद्बहिश्चरेत् ॥ २,५.

The offering of the rice-ball, silent observance, and such things as flowers and incense—when the tenth day arrives, one should bathe outside the village.

तत्र त्याज्यानि वासांसि केशश्मश्रुनखानि च । विप्रः शुध्यत्यपः स्पृष्ट्वा क्षत्त्रियो वाहनं तथा ॥ २,५.

There, garments, hair, beard, and nails are to be discarded; a Brahmin is purified by touching water, and a Kshatriya by his vehicle.

वैश्यः प्रतोदं रश्मीन्वा शूद्रो यष्टिं कृतक्रियः । मृतादल्पवयोभिश्च सपिण्डैः परिवापनम् ॥ २,५.

A Vaishya, by his goad or reins; a Shudra, by a staff, having performed the rites. For those who died young, the sapiṇḍīkarana (joining with ancestors) is to be done with their kin.

कार्यन्तु षोडशी षड्भिः पिण्डैर्दशभिरैव च । प्रथमा मलिना ह्येतैरादशाहं मृतेर्भवेत् ॥ २,५.

The sixteenfold rite is to be performed with six or ten rice-balls; the first ten days after death are to be observed with these, in an impure state.

दिनानि दश यान्पिण्डान्कुर्वन्त्यत्र सुतादयः । प्रत्यहं ते विभज्यन्ते चतुर्भागैः खगोत्तम ॥ २,५.

For ten days, the sons and others offer rice-balls; each day, O best of birds, they are to be divided into four parts.

भागद्वयेन देहः स्यात्तृतीयेन यमानुगाः । तृप्यन्ति हि चतुर्थेन स्वयमप्युपजीवति ॥ २,५.

With two parts, the body is formed; with the third, the followers of Yama; with the fourth, they are satisfied, and the deceased himself subsists.

अहोरात्रैस्तु नवभिर्देहो निष्पत्तिमाप्नुयात् । शिरस्त्वाद्येन पिण्डेन प्रेतस्य क्रियते तथा ॥ २,५.

In nine days and nights, the body attains completion; with the first rice-ball, the head of the departed is formed.