Garuda Purana

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । श्रुत्वा वाक्यं वसिष्ठस्य राजा मधुपुरीं गतः । चकार विधिवत्सर्वं वृषोत्सर्गमहं खग ॥ २,६.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Hearing Vasiṣṭha’s words, the king went to Madhupurī and performed the bull-offering in every detail, O Bird.

गृहं गत्वा स आत्मानं कृतकृत्यममन्यत । कालेन निधनं प्राप्तो नीतो वैवस्वतानुगैः ॥ २,६.

Returning home, he considered himself one who had fulfilled his duty; in time, he met his end and was taken away by the followers of Vaivasvata.

स कालनगरं हित्वा गतो दूरतरं पथि । श्राद्धदेवपुरं कुत्रेत्येवं दूतानपृच्छत ॥ २,६.

Leaving the city of Death, he went farther along the path and asked the messengers, 'Where is the city of the Śrāddha gods?'

पापिनो यत्र पात्यन्ते याम्यै पापविशुद्धये । यत्र देवः स धर्माधर्मविचेतनः ॥ २,६.

'Where sinners are cast down by Yama’s servants for the purification of their sins, where the god discerns righteousness and unrighteousness—'

गतं पापपुरं तत्तु न द्रष्टव्यं भवादृशैः । अग्रे दृष्ट्वा धर्मराजमूचुस्ते परमादरात् ॥ २,६.

'That city of sin has been passed; it is not to be seen by one such as you.' Then, seeing Dharma-rāja ahead, they addressed him with great respect.

दिव्यरूपस्तदा देवो देवगन्धर्वसंयुतः । आत्मानं दर्शया मास तस्य राज्ञो महात्मनः ॥ २,६.

Then the god appeared in a divine form, surrounded by gods and gandharvas, and revealed himself to that great-souled king.

प्रणम्य दण्डवद्राजा कृताञ्जलिः पुरः स्थितः । तुष्टाव बहुधा देवं हर्षपुरितमानसः ॥ २,६.

The king, bowing down with joined palms, stood before him and praised the god in many ways, his heart filled with joy.

धर्मराजोऽपि राजानं प्रशस्येदमुवाच ह । नीयतां देवलोकाय यत्र भोगाः सुपुष्कलाः ॥ २,६.

Dharma-rāja also praised the king and spoke these words: 'Let him be led to the world of the gods, where enjoyments are abundant.'

तद्वीरवाहनः श्रुत्वा पप्रच्छसमवर्तिनम् । न जाने केन पुण्येन स्वर्गं नयसि मां विभो ॥ २,६.

Hearing this, the heroic king asked the one who stood nearby, 'I do not know by what merit, O Lord, you are leading me to heaven.'

धर्मराज उवाच । त्वया कृतानि पुण्यानि दानं यज्ञाः सविस्तराः । मथुरायां वृषोत्सर्गो वसिष्ठवचनात्किल ॥ २,६.

Dharmarāja said: The meritorious deeds you performed—gifts, sacrifices in detail, and the release of a bull at Mathurā, as instructed by Vasiṣṭha—

धर्मः स्वल्पोऽपि नृपते यदि सम्यगुपासितः । द्विजदेवप्रसादेन स याति बहुविस्तरम् ॥ २,६.

O King, even a little righteousness, if properly observed, expands greatly through the grace of brāhmaṇas and gods.

इत्युक्त्वा यमुनाभ्राता क्षणादन्तर्धिमाययौ । वीरबाहुर्दिवं गत्वा देवैः सह मुमोद ह ॥ २,६.

Having spoken thus, the brother of Yamunā vanished in an instant; Vīrabāhu, having gone to heaven, rejoiced there with the gods.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । मया ते कथितं पक्षिन् वृषयज्ञः सुविस्तरः । प्राणिनां कर्मनिर्हारं श्रुत्वा पापैः प्रमुच्यते ॥ २,६.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O Bird, I have described to you in detail the bull-sacrifice; hearing of the destruction of actions for living beings, one is freed from sins.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ७ गरुड उवाच । श्रुतं मे महादाख्यानं वृषोत्सर्गफलं हरे । पुनरन्यां कथां ब्रूहि यत्र ते महिमाद्भुतः ॥ २,७.

Garuḍa said: O Hari, I have heard the great account of the fruit of releasing a bull; tell me again another story where your wondrous greatness is manifest.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अहं ते कथयाम्यद्य संवादं परमाद्भुतम् । सन्तप्तकस्य च प्रेतैस्तद्रूपज्ञापनाय वै ॥ २,७.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: I shall now tell you a most marvelous dialogue, and also about the forms of the departed shown to Santaptaka.

विप्रः सन्तप्तकः कश्चित्तपसादग्धकिल्बिषः । संसारासारतां ज्ञात्वारण्यष्वेव चचार ह ॥ २,७.

There was a brāhmaṇa named Santaptaka, whose sins were burned away by austerity; realizing the futility of worldly existence, he wandered in the forests.

वैखानसमुनिव्रातैः प्राणिपातकृतेक्षणः । स कदाचित्तीर्थयात्रामुद्दिश्य स्माटतिद्विजः ॥ २,७.

Observing the vows of the Vaikhānasa sages, and intent on the welfare of living beings, that excellent brāhmaṇa once set out on a pilgrimage.

प्रत्याकृष्टेन्द्रियत्वाच्च बहिर्वृत्तिनिरोधकः । संस्कारमात्रगमनो मार्गभ्रष्टो बभूव ह ॥ २,७.

Restraining his senses and curbing external activities, he went only for the sake of the prescribed rites, but lost his way.

चलन्नेवं स्नानकाले मध्याह्नेऽथाभिलाषुकः । जलस्योन्मील्य नयने दिशः सर्वा न्यभीलयत् ॥ २,७.

While moving about at the time of bathing, at midday, filled with desire, he opened his eyes in the water and gazed in all directions.

स ददर्श तदा गुल्मैर्वोरुद्वृक्षशतैश्चितम् । त्वक्सारैः शाखिशाखाभिः संकुलं गहनंवनम् ॥ २,७.

Then he saw a dense forest, crowded with thickets and hundreds of great trees, tangled with branches and twigs exuding sap.

तत्र तालास्तमालाश्च प्रियालाः पनसास्तथा । श्रीपर्णो शालशाखोटस्यन्दनास्तिन्दुकास्तथा ॥ २,७.

There were palmyra and tamāla trees, priyāla and jackfruit as well, śrīparṇa, śāla, khadira, syandana, and tinduka trees.

सर्जार्जुनाम्रातकाश्च श्लेष्मा तकभिभीतकौ । पिचुमर्दश्चिञ्चिणी च कर्कन्धूकर्णिकारकाः ॥ २,७.

There were also sarja, arjuna, amrātaka, śleṣmātaka, bhītaka, picumarda, ciñciṇī, karkandhu, and karṇikāra trees.

एते चान्ये च बहवो वृक्षास्तेषु न दृश्यते । पक्षिणामपि वै पन्था मनुष्यस्य कुतः पुनः ॥ २,७.

And many other trees besides these; in that place, not even a path for birds could be seen, much less for humans.

तस्मिन् वने महाघोरे सिंहव्याघ्रसमाकुले । तरक्षुगवयैरृक्षैर्महिषैश्च निषेविते ॥ २,७.

In that terrible forest, filled with lions and tigers, and frequented by hyenas, wild oxen, bears, and buffaloes—

कुञ्ज रैरुरुभिर्नागैर्मर्कटैश्च तथामृगैः । श्वापदैश्च तथा चान्यैः पिशाचै राक्षसैर्वृते ॥ २,७.

With great elephants, monkeys, deer, other wild beasts, and also haunted by piśācas and rākṣasas—

सन्तप्तको द्विजः किञ्चिद्भयसन्त्रस्तमानसः । कान्दिशीकः समभवढ्यद्भविष्यो ययौ पुनः ॥ २,७.

Santaptaka, the brāhmaṇa, his mind somewhat agitated by fear, became confused about the directions and wandered further.

झङ्कारेषु च झिल्लीनां घूकानां घूत्कृतेष्वपि । दत्तकर्णः कुनीलाङ्गश्चचाल पदपञ्चकम् ॥ २,७.

Amid the chirping of crickets and the howling of owls, he listened intently, his body trembling, and moved a few steps.

स तत्र वटवृक्षाग्रे स्नायुबद्धं शवं तथा । ददर्श तद्भुजश्चैव पञ्च प्रेतान् सुदारुणान् ॥ २,७.

There, at the top of a banyan tree, he saw a corpse bound with sinews, and five dreadful pretas holding its arms.

शिरास्थिचर्मशेषाङ्गान् पृष्ठलग्नोदरान् खग । त्यक्तान्नासिकया नेत्रकूपपातभयादिव ॥ २,७.

Their bodies consisted only of veins, bones, and skin, with backs stuck to their bellies, as if abandoned by their noses, and with eyes sunken in their sockets out of fear.