Garuda Purana

त्रयोदश प्रतीहाराः श्रवणा नाम तत्र वै । श्रवणाकर्मतस्तुष्यन्त्यन्यथा क्रोधमाप्नुयुः ॥ २,५.

There are thirteen gatekeepers there, called Śravaṇas; they are pleased by hearing their duties performed, otherwise they become angry.

ततस्तत्राशु रक्ताक्षं भिन्नाञ्जनचयोपमम् । मृत्युकालान्तकादीनां मध्ये पश्यति वै यमम् ॥ २,५.

Then there, quickly, he sees Yama among Death, Time, and others, with blood-red eyes, resembling a mass of shattered collyrium.

दंष्ट्राकरालवदनं भृकुटीदारुणाकृतिम् । विरूपैर्भोषणैर्वक्त्रैर्वृतं व्याधिशतैः प्रभुम् ॥ २,५.

He sees the lord with a terrifying face adorned with fangs, fierce with knitted brows, surrounded by hundreds of diseases and with dreadful forms and ornaments.

दण्डासक्तमहाबाहुं पाशहस्तं सुभैरवम् । तन्निर्दिष्टां ततो जन्तुर्गतिं याति शुभाशुभाम् ॥ २,५.

He sees the great-armed one holding a staff and a noose, exceedingly terrible; then the being goes to the destination, good or bad, assigned by him.

पापी पापां गतिं याति यथा ते कथितं पुरा । छत्रोपानहदातारो ये च वेश्मप्रदायकाः ॥ २,५.

The sinner goes to a sinful destination, as told to you before; those who give umbrellas, sandals, and houses attain a different fate.

ये तु पुण्यकृतस्तत्र ते पश्यन्ति यमं तदा । सौम्याकृतिं कुण्डलिनं मौलिमन्तं धृतश्रियम् ॥ २,५.

But those who are virtuous there see Yama at that time as gentle in form, adorned with earrings, crowned, and radiant with splendor.

एकादशे द्वादशे हि षण्मासे आब्दिके तथा । विप्रान् बहून् भोजयेत्तत्र यन्महती क्षुधा ॥ २,५.

On the eleventh or twelfth day, or in the sixth month, or on the annual day, one should feed many Brahmins there, for their hunger is great.

जीवन् पुत्रकलत्रादिप्रदिष्टमितरैः खग । यो न साधयति स्वार्थमेवं पश्चाद्धिखिद्यते ॥ २,५.

O Bird, one who, while living, does not fulfill what is prescribed by sons, wives, and others, seeking only his own interest, later regrets it.

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं संयमिन्यां यथागति । प्रोक्तमावर्षकृत्यं ते किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ २,५.

All this has been explained to you regarding the journey in Saṃyamanī; the yearly rites have been told—what else do you wish to hear?

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ६ गरुड उवाच । अपि साधनयुक्तस्य तीर्थदानरतस्य च । अकृते तु वृषोत्सर्गे परलोकगतिर्न हि ॥ २,६.

Garuḍa said: Even for one who is devoted to spiritual practice and engaged in pilgrimages and charity, if the bull-offering is not performed, there is no progress to the next world.

तस्मात्कृष्ण वृषोत्सर्गः कर्तव्य इति मे श्रुतम् । किं फलं वृषयज्ञस्य पुरा केन कृतो हरे ॥ २,६.

Therefore, Kṛṣṇa, I have heard that the bull-offering must be performed; what is the fruit of the bull-sacrifice, and by whom was it first done, O Hari?

अनड्वान् कीदृशः प्रोक्तः कस्मिन् काले विशेषतः । को विधिस्तस्य निर्दिष्टः सर्वं मे कृपया वद ॥ २,६.

What kind of bull is prescribed, at what particular time, and what is the procedure for it? Please tell me everything out of your compassion.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । इतिहासं महापुण्यं प्रवक्ष्यामि खगेश्वर । ब्रह्मपुत्रेण यत्प्रोक्तं राजानं वीरवाहनम् ॥ २,६.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O lord of birds, I will tell you a most meritorious ancient tale, as spoken by the son of Brahmā to King Vīravāhana.

विराधनगरे राजा वीरवाहननामकः । धर्मात्मा सत्यसन्धश्च वदान्यो विप्रतुष्टिकृत् ॥ २,६.

In the city of Virādha there was a king named Vīravāhana, righteous, truthful, generous, and one who pleased the Brahmins.

स कदाचिद्वनं वीरो महात्माखेटकं गतः । किञ्चित्प्रष्टुमनास्तार्क्ष्य वसिष्ठस्याश्रमं ययौ ॥ २,६.

Once, that heroic and great-souled king went to the great forest for hunting, and, wishing to ask something, he went to the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha.

नमस्कृत्य मुनिं तत्र कृतासनपरिग्रहः । पश्रयावनतो राजा पप्रच्छ ऋषिसंसदि ॥ २,६.

Having saluted the sage and taken a seat, the king, humbly seeking refuge, asked his question in the assembly of seers.

राजोवाच । मुने मया कृतो धर्मो यथाशक्ति प्रयत्नतः । यमस्य शासनं श्रुत्वा बिभेमि नितरां हृदि ॥ २,६.

The king said: O sage, I have performed righteousness to the best of my ability and effort, yet, having heard of Yama's rule, I am greatly afraid in my heart.

यमञ्च यमदूतांश्च निरयान् घोरदर्शनान् । न पश्यामि महाभाग तथा वद दयानिधे ॥ २,६.

O blessed one, I do not see Yama, his messengers, or the dreadful hells; tell me thus, O ocean of compassion.

वसिष्ठ उवाच । धर्मा बहुविधा राजन् वर्ण्यन्ते शास्त्रकोविदैः । सूक्ष्मत्वान्न विजानन्ति कर्ममार्गविमोहिताः ॥ २,६.

Vasiṣṭha said: O king, many kinds of righteousness are described by those learned in scripture, but because of their subtlety, those deluded by the path of action do not understand them.

दानं तीर्थं तपो यज्ञाः संन्यासः पैतृको महः । धर्मेषु गृह्यमाणेषु वृषोत्सर्गो विशेषितः ॥ २,६.

Charity, pilgrimage, austerity, sacrifices, renunciation, and ancestral rites—among these dharmas, the bull-offering is distinguished.

एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्येकोऽपि गयां व्रजेत् । यजेत वाश्वमेधेन नीलं वा वृषमुत्सृजेत् ॥ २,६.

Many sons should be desired, for if even one goes to Gayā, or performs an Aśvamedha sacrifice, or releases a blue bull, it is meritorious.

ब्रह्महत्यादिपापानि ज्ञानाज्ञानकृतानि च । नीलोद्वाहेन शुध्येत्तु समुद्रप्लवनेन वा ॥ २,६.

Sins such as brahmin-murder and others, whether done knowingly or unknowingly, are purified by releasing a blue bull or by immersion in the ocean.

एकादशाहे राजेन्द्र यस्य नोत्सूज्यते वृषः । प्रेतत्वं निश्चलं तस्य कृतैः श्राद्धैस्तु किं भवेत् ॥ २,६.

O king, if a bull is not released on the eleventh day, then the state of being a ghost is certain for that person—what use are the śrāddha rites performed?

यथाकथञ्चित्कर्तव्यस्तीर्थे वा पत्तनेऽथ वा । वृषयज्ञैः प्रमुच्यते नान्यथा साधनैः खग ॥ २,६.

Whether performed in any manner, at a sacred ford or in a city, one is released only by the bull-sacrifice, O Bird, and not by other means.

वृषभं पञ्चकल्याणं युवानं कृष्णकंबलम् । गोयूथमध्ये नितरां विचरन्तं विधानतः ॥ २,६.

A bull possessing the five auspicious marks, young, with a dark hide, and moving properly among a herd of cows, is to be selected according to rule.

चतसृभिर्वत्सकाभिर्द्वाभ्याञ्चैवैकया खग । विवाह्य मङ्गलद्रव्यैर्मन्त्रवत्तं समुत्सृजेत् ॥ २,६.

With four, two, or one calf, let it be ritually married with auspicious items, and then, with mantras, let it be released.

इह रतीति षडृग्भिर्हेमं कुर्याद्विभावसोः । कार्तिक्यां माघवैशाख्यां संक्रमे पातपर्वसु ॥ २,६.

With six Rigvedic verses beginning 'iha rati', one should make a golden image of Agni, during Kārtika, Māgha, or Vaiśākha, at a solstice or lunar eclipse.

तीर्थे पित्र्येक्षयाहे च विशेषेण प्रशस्यते । लोहितो यस्तु वर्णेन मुखे पुच्छे च पाण्डुरः ॥ २,६.

At a sacred ford or on the day of ancestors, this rite is especially praised; a bull that is red in color, with a white mouth and tail, is best.

पीतः खुरविषाणेषु स नीलो वृष उच्यते । श्वेतवर्णो भवेद्विप्रो लोहितः क्षत्त्र उच्यते ॥ २,६.

A bull that is yellow at the hooves and horns, and blue elsewhere, is so called; a white one is for a Brahmin, a red one is said to be for a Kshatriya.