Garuda Purana

महता पुण्ययोगेन मानुष्यं लब्धवानहम् । तृतीये मासि सम्प्राप्ते गन्धर्वनगरे शुभम् ॥ २,५.

By the accumulation of great merit, I obtained human birth; when the third month arrives, I reach the auspicious city of the Gandharvas.

तृतीयमासिकं पिण्डं तत्र भुक्त्वा ब्रजत्यसौ । व्रजन्नेवं विलपते तदग्रेणाहतः पथि ॥ २,५.

There, having eaten the third monthly offering, he proceeds onward; as he goes, struck ahead on the path, he laments thus:

मया न दत्तं न हुतं हुताशने तपो न तप्तं हिमशैलगह्वरे । न सेवितं गाङ्गमहो महाजलं शरीर हे निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,५.

I did not give nor offer oblations into the fire, nor did I perform austerities in the caves of snowy mountains; I did not serve the Ganges or great waters. O body, cross over as you have acted.

तुर्ये शैलागमं मासि प्राप्नुयात्तत्र वर्षणम् । तस्योपरि भवेत्पक्षिन्पाषाणानां निरन्तरम् ॥ २,५.

In the fourth month, he reaches the mountain region, where there is constant rain of stones and birds from above.

चतुर्थमासिकं श्राद्धं भुक्त्वा तत्र प्रसर्पति । स पतन्नेव विलपन्पाषाणाद्यतिपीडितः ॥ २,५.

Having eaten the fourth monthly śrāddha there, he proceeds onward, lamenting as he falls, greatly afflicted by stones.

न ज्ञानमार्गो न च योगमार्गो न कर्ममार्गो न च भक्तिमार्गः । न साधुसङ्गात्किमपि श्रुतं मया शरीर हे निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,५.

I did not follow the path of knowledge, nor the path of yoga, nor the path of action, nor the path of devotion; I did not hear anything from the company of the good. O body, cross over as you have acted.

ततः क्रूरपुर मासि पञ्चमे याति काश्यप । भुवि दत्तं पिण्डजलं भुक्त्वा क्रूरपुरं व्रजेत् ॥ २,५.

Then, in the fifth month, O Kāśyapa, he goes to the city of Krūra; having eaten the offerings of food and water given on earth, he proceeds to Krūrapura.

व्रजन्नेवं विलपते पट्टिशैः पातितः पथि । हा मातर्हापितर्भ्रातः सुता हा हा मम स्त्रियः ॥ २,५.

As he goes, struck down on the path by spears, he laments: 'Alas, mother! Alas, father! Brother! Son! Alas, alas, my wives!'

युष्माभिर्नोपदिष्टोऽहमवस्थां प्राप्त ईदृशीम् । एवं लालप्यमानं ते यमदूता वदन्तिहि ॥ २,५.

You did not instruct me, and I have come to such a state; as he wails in this way, the messengers of Yama say to him:

क्व माता क्व पिता मूढ क्व जाया क्व सुतः सुहृत् । स्वकर्मोपार्जिते भुङ्क्ष्वं मूर्ख याताश्चिरं पथि ॥ २,५.

Where is my mother, where is my father, fool? Where is my wife, where is my son, my friend? You must eat what you have earned by your own actions, fool, for your companions have long gone on their own way.

जानासि शम्बलमलं बलमध्वगानां नोऽशम्बलः प्रयतते परलोकगत्यै । गन्तव्यमस्ति तव निश्चितमेव तेन मार्गेण येन न भवेत्क्रयविक्रयोऽपि ॥ २,५.

You know that a staff is essential for travelers, but one without a staff does not strive for the journey to the next world. You must certainly go by that path, where there is neither buying nor selling.

ऊनषाण्मासिके क्रौञ्चे भुक्त्वा पिण्डन्तु सोदकम् । घटीमात्रन्तु विश्रम्य विचित्रनगरं व्रजेत् ॥ २,५.

After six months, having eaten the rice-ball with water offered for you, and having rested for just a short while, one proceeds to the City of Wonders.

व्रजन्नेवं विलपते शूलाग्रेण विदारितः ॥ २,५.

As he goes, he laments in this way, pierced by the tip of a spear.

कुत्र यामि न हि गामि जीवितं हा मृतस्य मरणं पुनर्न वै । इत्थमेव विलपन् प्रयात्यसौ यातनार्हधृतविग्रहः पति ॥ २,५.

Where shall I go? I cannot go. Life is gone—alas! For the dead, there is no dying again. Thus lamenting, he proceeds, bearing a body fit for torment.

विचित्रनगरे तत्र विचित्रो नाम पारिथिवः । तत्र षण्मासपिण्डेन तृप्तः सन् व्रजते पुरः ॥ २,५.

In that City of Wonders, there is a king named Vicitra. There, satisfied with the rice-ball offered for six months, he moves forward.

व्रजन्नेवं विलपते प्रासाग्रेण प्रपीडितः ॥ २,५.

As he goes, he laments in this way, oppressed by the point of a lance.

माता भ्राता पिता पुत्रः कोऽपि मे वर्तते न वा । यो मामुद्धरते पापं पतन्तं दुः खसागरे ॥ २,५.

Mother, brother, father, son—none of them are with me, or perhaps someone is. Who will lift me up as I fall, sinful, into the ocean of suffering?

व्रजतस्तत्र मार्गे तु तत्र वैतरणी शुभा । शतयोजनविस्तीर्णा पूयशोणितसंकुला ॥ २,५.

As he travels on that path, there appears the auspicious river Vaitarani, a hundred yojanas wide, filled with pus and blood.

आयाति तत्र दृश्यन्ते नाविका धीवरादयः । ते वदन्ति प्रदत्ता गौर्यदि वैतरणी त्वया । नावमेनां समारोह सुकेनोत्तर वै नदीम् ॥ २,५.

There, boatmen and fishermen are seen. They say, 'If you have given a cow as a gift for Vaitarani, then board this boat and cross the river happily.'

तत्र येन प्रदत्ता गौः स सुखेनैव तां तरेत् । अदायी तत्र घृष्येत करग्राहन्तु नाविकैः ॥ २,५.

He who has given a cow as a gift will cross it easily; but one who has not given will be dragged by the boatmen, seized by the hand.

उखैः काकैर्बकोलूकैस्तीक्ष्णतुण्डैर्वितुद्यते । मनुजानां हितं दानमन्ते वैतरणी खग ॥ २,५.

He is torn by crows, cranes, and owls with sharp beaks. The gift given by men at the end is beneficial in crossing Vaitarani, O bird.

दत्ता पापं दहेत्सर्वं मम लोकन्तु सा नयेत् । मप्तमे मासि सम्प्राप्ते पुरं बह्वापदं मृतः ॥ २,५.

The gift burns up all sin and leads me to the world beyond. When the month is complete, the dead man reaches the city of many dangers.

व्रजेत्तु सोदकं भुक्त्वा पिण्डं वै सप्तमासिकम् । व्रजन्नेवं विलपते परिघाहतिपीडितः ॥ २,५.

Having eaten the rice-ball with water offered for the seventh month, he proceeds, lamenting in this way, afflicted by the blows of iron bars.

न दत्तं न हुतं तप्तं न स्नातं न कृतं हितम् । यादृशं चरितं कर्म मूढात्मन् भुङ्क्ष्व तादृशम् ॥ २,५.

No gift was given, no offering made, no penance performed, no bathing done, no good deed accomplished. Whatever actions you have done, deluded soul, you must now experience their results.

मास्यष्टमे दुः खदे तु परे भुक्त्वाथ सोदकम् । पिण्डं प्रयात्सयौ तार्क्ष्य नानाक्रन्दपुरं ततः ॥ २,५.

In the eighth month, after suffering and eating the rice-ball with water, he proceeds, O Tārkṣya, to the City of Many Cries.

प्रयाणे च प्रवदते मुसलाघातपीडितः । क्व जायाचटुलैश्चाटुपटुभिर्वचनैर्मम ॥ २,५.

On the journey, afflicted by blows from pestles, he says: 'Where is my wife with her sweet and clever words?'

भोजनं भल्लभल्लीभिर्मुसलैश्च क्व मारणम् । नवमे मासि दत्तं वै नानाक्रन्दपुरे ततः ॥ २,५.

'Where is food, where is death by clubs and pestles?' In the ninth month, the offering is made, and then he reaches the City of Many Cries.

पिण्डमश्राति करुणं नानाक्रन्दान् करोत्यपि । दशमे मासि दत्तं वै सुतप्तभवनं ततः ॥ २,५.

He cries out for food with compassion, making various lamentations; in the tenth month, the offering given becomes a well-heated dwelling for him.

सरन्नेवं विलपते हलाहतिहतः पथि । क्व सूनुपेशलकरैः पादसंवाहनं मम ॥ २,५.

As he goes along, struck down by the weapon of death on the path, he laments: 'Where is the gentle massage of my feet by the skillful hands of my son?'