Garuda Purana

तेषां प्रहारान्विफलान्कृत्वा संप्रति तानथ । जीवं न तु शवं तेषां जह्रे प्राणमिवान्तकः ॥ २,७.

Though their blows were ineffective, he then, like Death himself, seized the life of one among them, but not the corpse.

हृतमात्रे शवे ते तु पारियात्रे गिरौ द्विजम् । मुक्त्वाधावन् प्रमुदिता एकं प्रेतं सुदारुणाः ॥ २,७.

As soon as the corpse was taken, those dreadful pretas, rejoicing, left the twice-born one on Mount Pariyatra and rushed away after the one preta.

स वायुगमनः प्रेतः प्राप्तस्तैः क्षणमात्रतः । अदृश्यतां ययौ तेऽथ हताशा विप्रमागमन् ॥ २,७.

That preta, moving as swiftly as the wind, was caught by them in a moment; then he vanished from sight, and they, despairing, returned to the brahmin.

प्रारब्धमात्रे विप्रस्य पाटने तत्र पर्वते । मम स्थानस्य विप्रस्य महिम्नेव च तत्क्षणे ॥ २,७.

Just as the brahmin began to recite on that mountain, at that very moment, by the power of my place and the brahmin’s greatness—

सद्यः स्मृतिः समुत्पन्ना तेषां पूर्वस्य जन्मनः । विप्रं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य द्विजर्षभमथाब्रुवन् ॥ २,७.

Suddenly, memory of their previous birth arose in them; after circumambulating the brahmin, they spoke to the best of the twice-born.

अद्य नः क्षन्तुमर्होऽसीत्युक्त्वा ते सुरदाम्भिकाः । गिरेरिव परावर्तं समुद्रस्येव शोषणम् ॥ २,७.

They said, 'Today you must forgive us,' and, like the turning back of a mountain or the drying up of the ocean—

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वापृच्छत्के यूयमित्यथ । किं माया किमु वा स्वप्न उताहो चित्तविभ्रमः ॥ २,७.

Hearing their words, he asked, 'Who are you? Is this a magic illusion, a dream, or a disturbance of the mind?'

प्रेता ऊचुः । अवेहि तत्त्वमेवैतत्प्रेता वै कर्मजा वयम् । ब्राह्मण उवाच । किंनामानः किमाचाराः कथञ्चेमां दशां गताः ॥ २,७.

The pretas said: 'Know this truly: we are pretas, born of karma.' The brahmin said: 'What are your names, what were your actions, and how did you come to this state?'

अविनीताः कथं पूर्वं विनीताः साम्प्रतं कथम् । प्रेता ऊचुः । शृणु विप्रेन्द्र वक्ष्यामः प्रश्नानामनुपूर्वशः ॥ २,७.

'How were you previously undisciplined, and how are you now disciplined?' The pretas said: 'Listen, O foremost of brahmins, we will answer your questions in order.'

उत्तराणि महायोगिंस्त्वद्दर्शनगतांहसः । अहं पर्युषितो नाम्ना एष सूचीमुखः स्मृतः ॥ २,७.

'O great yogin, by your sight our sins have been removed. I am called Paryushita by name; this one is known as Suchimukha.'

तृतीयः शीघ्रगस्तुर्यो रोधको लेखकः परः । ब्राह्मण उवाच । प्रेतानां कर्मजातानां कुतो नाम निरर्थकम् ॥ २,७.

'The third is Shighraga, the fourth is Rodhaka, and the fifth is Lekhaka.' The brahmin said: 'How can the names of pretas, born of karma, be meaningless?'

निरुक्तिमेषां नाम्नां वै प्रेता वदत मा चिरम् । श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । एवमुक्तास्तु विप्रेण पृथगुत्तरमब्रुवन् ॥ २,७.

'Explain the meaning of these names without delay.' Shri Krishna said: Thus addressed by the brahmin, they each gave their answer separately.

पर्युषित उवाच । कदाचिच्छ्राद्धकाले वै मया विप्रो निमन्त्रितः ॥ २,७.

Paryushita said: 'Once, at the time of a śrāddha, I invited a brahmin...'

स च कृत्वा विलम्बेन वृद्धो मद्गृहमागतः । अकृतश्राद्धकर्माहं तं पाकं भुक्तवान् क्षुधा ॥ २,७.

He, having delayed, came to my house as an old man; I, not having performed the śrāddha rites, ate that food out of hunger.

अददामन्नमाकृष्य विप्रे पर्युषितं कियत् । तस्मात्पापान्मृतः पापो योनिं वै कुत्सितां गतः ॥ २,७.

I gave to the Brahmin some leftover food, drawing it forth; because of that sin, I died a sinner and attained a degraded birth.

यतः पर्युषितं दत्तं ततः पर्युषितः स्मृतः । सूचीमुख उवाच । कदाचिद्ब्राह्मणी काचित्तीर्थं भद्रवटं ययौ ॥ २,७.

Because what is given is stale, it is called 'stale'; Sūcīmukha said: Once, a certain Brahmin woman went to the holy place Bhadravaṭa.

पञ्चवर्षसुता वृद्धा पुत्रमात्रैकजीविता । अहं क्षत्त्रियदायादस्तस्या रोधमकारिषम् ॥ २,७.

She was old, with a five-year-old son, and her life depended solely on him; I, a kṣatriya by lineage, caused her to weep.

वने तु विजने तत्र पापाध्वगगतिं गतः । तस्याः सवस्त्रं पाथेयं तत्सूनोर्वसनानि च ॥ २,७.

In that lonely forest, I, following a sinful path, took her clothing, provisions, and her son's garments as well.

गृहीतानि मया विप्र शिरस्यापीड्य मुष्टिना । तृषार्तस्तत्क्षणं बालः पात्रसंस्थं जलं पिबन् ॥ २,७.

I seized them, O Brahmin, striking her on the head with my fist; at that moment, her thirsty child was drinking water from a vessel.

तावन्मात्रोदके देशे मया हुङ्कृत्य वारितः । मयाथ सकलं पीतं जलं पात्रात्तृषावता ॥ २,७.

Just then, as the boy was at the water, I shouted and drove him away; then, driven by thirst, I drank all the water from the vessel.

बालोऽपि भयसन्त्रस्तः पिपासुर्व्यसुरापतत् । पुत्रशोकान्मृता माता कूपे प्रास्य निजं वपुः ॥ २,७.

The boy, terrified and desperate with thirst, fell lifeless; the mother, stricken with grief for her son, cast herself into a well and died.

एतस्मात्पातकाद्विप्र प्रेतत्वं प्राप्तवानहम् । सूच्यग्रप्रायविवरमुखः पर्वतदेहवान् ॥ २,७.

Because of this sin, O Brahmin, I attained the state of a preta, with a body like a mountain and a mouth as small as a needle's eye.

यद्यपि प्राप्नुयां भक्ष्यं भक्षितुन्तु न शक्यते । मया क्षुधानलेनापि ज्वलतास्यं निकोचितम् ॥ २,७.

Even if I obtain food, I am unable to eat it; though my mouth burns with the fire of hunger, it is pinched shut.

अत आस्ये तु विवरं सूच्यग्रेण समं मम । एतस्मात्कारणाद्विप्र नाम्ना सूचीमुखोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ २,७.

Therefore, my mouth is as narrow as a needle's tip; for this reason, O Brahmin, I am called Sūcīmukha by name.

शीघ्रग उवाच । पुराहं वैश्यजातीयः साकं सख्या च केनचित् । वाणिज्यं कर्तुमगमं देशमन्यं महाधनः ॥ २,७.

Śīghraga said: Formerly, I was born in the Vaiśya caste; together with a certain friend, I went to another country, being very wealthy, to conduct trade.

मित्रं च मे बहुधनं तस्य लोभो महांस्ततः । जातोऽप्यदृष्टवैमुख्यान्मे नष्टं मूलमप्युत ॥ २,७.

My friend was also very wealthy, but then great greed arose in me; because of unseen misfortune, I even lost my capital.

ततस्तस्मात्तु निष्क्रान्तावावां नावाथ निम्नगाम् । मार्गगां तर्तुमारब्धौ लोहितायति भास्करे ॥ २,७.

Then, the two of us departed from there and boarded a boat on the river; as the sun reddened, we began to cross the stream.

सखा स च मदुत्सङ्गे सुष्वापाध्वक्लमाकुलः । अभूत्तदाति पापस्य क्रूरा मतिरतीव मे ॥ २,७.

My friend, exhausted from the journey, slept in my lap; at that time, my mind became extremely cruel because of sin.

तमुत्सङ्गगतं सूरे नष्टे पूरेऽक्षिपं तदा । तत्कृत्यं कुर्वतो नावि लोकैस्तु ज्ञातमेव न ॥ २,७.

When the sun had set and darkness fell, I threw him, who was lying in my lap, into the water; as I did this, no one on the boat noticed.