Garuda Purana

तत्सर्वं स्वगृहे मुक्त्वा तस्य पत्न्यै न्यवेदयम् । दस्युभिर्मे हतो भ्राता धनमाच्छिद्य वै पथि ॥ २,७.

Leaving all of it at home, I told his wife: 'My brother was killed by robbers on the road, who took his wealth.'

प्रजावति प्रद्रुतोऽहं मा रोदीत्येवमब्रवम् । शोकार्ता सापि तत्कालं ममत्वं गृहबन्धुषु ॥ २,७.

I, seized by the lord of creatures, said, 'Do not weep.' At that moment, she, afflicted by grief, abandoned her attachment to home and kin.

त्यक्त्वा चाति प्रियान्प्राणाञ्जुहावाग्नौ यथाविधि । ततो निष्कण्टकं तद्धि वीक्ष्य हृष्टो गतो गृहम् ॥ २,७.

Then, giving up even her most beloved life, she offered herself into the fire according to the proper rites. Seeing that place now free of obstacles, I joyfully returned home.

अभुञ्जं सर्वमागत्य यावज्जीवं तु तद्धनम् । मित्रं पूरे हि निःक्षिप्य यदहं शीघ्रमागतः ॥ २,७.

Having returned, I enjoyed all that wealth for the rest of my life, after depositing what I had with a friend in the city, for I had come back quickly.

एतस्मात्कारणात्प्रेतः शीघ्रगोऽहं तु नामतः । रोधक उवाच । अहन्तु शूद्रजातीयः पुराभूवं मुनीश्वर ॥ २,७.

For this reason, I am called 'the swift-going departed.' The Restrainer said: I was once born of the Śūdra caste, O best of sages.

राजप्रसादाप्तमहाशतग्रामाधिकारवान् । वृद्धौ मे पितरावास्तां लघुरेकः सहोदरः ॥ २,७.

By royal favor, I obtained authority over a hundred great villages. In my old age, my parents remained, and I had one younger brother.

शीघ्रं स च मया भ्राता लुब्धेनैकः पृथक्कृतः । आप्तवान्परमं दुःखं सोन्नवस्त्रविवर्जितः ॥ २,७.

That brother, separated by me out of greed, quickly fell into great misery, lacking food and clothing.

अदत्तां पितरौ च्छन्नं किञ्चित्किञ्चित्तु तस्य च । तस्मै पितृभ्यां यद्दत्तमाप्तेभ्यस्तन्मया श्रुतम् ॥ २,७.

My parents secretly gave him a little, and I learned from trusted people what had been given to him by our parents.

तत्सर्वं तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा पित्रो रोधमकारयम् । शून्यमन्दिर एकस्मिन्बद्ध्वा तु निगडैर्दृढैः ॥ २,७.

Knowing all this as it truly was, I confined my parents, binding them firmly with chains in an empty house.

ततस्तौ जहतुः प्राणान्दुःखितौ विषपानतः । सोसौ बालोऽपि बभ्राम पितृभ्यां रहितो द्विज ॥ २,७.

Then, suffering, they gave up their lives by drinking poison. That boy, deprived of his parents, wandered about, O twice-born one.

पुरः पत्तनखर्वाटान् खेटानपि मृतः क्षुधा । एतस्मात्पातकाद्विप्र मृतः प्रेतत्वमागतः ॥ २,७.

He died of hunger in towns, cities, villages, and hamlets. Because of this sin, O Brāhmaṇa, I died and became a departed spirit.

रुद्धौ तु पितरौ यस्मान्नाम्नाहं रोधकस्ततः । लेखक उवाच । अहं विप्र पुराभूवमवन्त्यां द्विजसत्तमः ॥ २,७.

Because I confined my parents, I am called 'the Restrainer' by name. The Scribe said: I was once a Brāhmaṇa in Avanti, O best of Brāhmaṇas.

भद्रस्य राज्ञो देवानां पूजनेऽधिकृतो ह्यहम् । बह्व्यस्तु प्रतिमास्तत्र बभूवुर्बहुनामिकाः ॥ २,७.

I was appointed by the righteous king to worship the gods. There were many images there, bearing many names.

हेम्नस्तदङ्गेषु बहु रत्नजातं बभूव ह । तासां मे कुर्वतः पूजां पापा मतिरजायत ॥ २,७.

On those images, there was much gold and many kinds of jewels. While performing worship for them, an evil thought arose in me.

अखिलं तीक्ष्णलोहेन तासामङ्गं विशीर्य च । उल्लेखनञ्च रत्नानां नेत्रादिभ्यः कृतं मया ॥ २,७.

With a sharp iron tool, I broke apart all their limbs and extracted the jewels from their eyes and other parts.

तथाकृतान्यथाङ्गानि प्रतिमानां निरीक्ष्य च । नेत्राणि च विरत्नानि नृपश्चुक्रोध वह्निवत् ॥ २,७.

Having thus mutilated the images, when the king saw their jewel-less eyes and altered forms, he became angry like fire.

प्रतिजज्ञे नृपः पश्चादेष ब्राह्मणपुङ्गवः । आभ्यो रत्नं सुवर्णञ्च हृतं येन भविष्यति ॥ २,७.

Afterwards, the king vowed: 'Whoever has stolen the jewels and gold from these images—this Brāhmaṇa—'

ज्ञातश्च स हि मे वध्यो भविष्यति न संशयः । अहं तत्सकलं ज्ञात्वा रात्रावसिधरो गृहम् ॥ २,७.

'Once he is discovered, he will surely be executed—of this there is no doubt.' Knowing all this, I spent the night at home with a sword.

राज्ञः प्रविश्य राजानं पशुमारममारयम् । गृहीत्वाथ मणीन् स्वर्णं निशीथेऽहं गतोऽन्यतः ॥ २,७.

Entering the king's palace, I killed the king's animal for sacrifice, and then, taking the jewels and gold, I left elsewhere in the middle of the night.

व्याघ्रेण महातारण्ये नखटङ्कैर्विटङ्कितः । लेखनात्प्रतिमाया यन्मया लोहेन कर्तितम् ॥ २,७.

Marked by the claws of a tiger in the great forest, I engraved with iron what was drawn for an image.

एतस्मात्पातकात्प्रेतो लेखको नामतोऽस्म्यहम् । आसीन्नरकभोगान्ते नः प्रेतत्वमिदं द्विज ॥ २,७.

Because of this sin, I am called 'Lekhaka' among the departed; at the end of my experience in hell, this ghosthood has come to me, O twice-born.

ब्राह्मण उवाच । संज्ञास्तादृश्य आख्याता यथैता भवता दशाः । वदन्त्वाचारमात्रं मे प्रेता आहारमप्युत ॥ २,७.

The Brahmin said: Such names and conditions as you have described, tell me only of your conduct, O ghosts, and also of your food.

प्रेता ऊचुः । वेदमार्गानुसरणं लज्जा धर्मो दमः क्षमा । धृतिर्ज्ञानं नैव यत्र वयं तत्र वसामहे ॥ २,७.

The ghosts said: Where there is no following of the Vedic path, no modesty, no righteousness, no self-restraint, no patience, no fortitude, no knowledge, there we dwell.

तस्य पीडां वपं कुर्मो नैव श्राद्धं न तर्पणम् । यस्य गेहे तदङ्गात्तु मांसञ्च रुधिरं क्रमात् ॥ २,७.

We inflict suffering upon his body, and neither śrāddha nor libation is performed; from the limbs in his house, gradually, flesh and blood.

जक्षामश्च पिबामश्च उक्त आचार एष नः । शृणु चाहारमस्माकं सर्वलोकविगर्हितम् ॥ २,७.

We eat and drink thus; this is our conduct. Listen to our food, which is despised by all the worlds.

दृष्टस्त्वया च किञ्चिद्वै ब्रूमोज्ञातं त्वयानघ । वमनं विडू दूषिका च श्लेष्मा मूत्राश्रुणी तथा ॥ २,७.

You have seen something, and we tell you what you know, O sinless one: vomit, excrement, filth, phlegm, urine, and tears as well.

एतद्भक्ष्यञ्च पानञ्च मा पृच्छातः परं द्विज । लज्जा नो जायते स्वामिन्नाहारं वदतां स्वकम् ॥ २,७.

This is our food and drink; do not ask further, O twice-born. Shame arises in us, master, when speaking of our own sustenance.

अज्ञानास्तामसा मन्दा कान्दिशीका वयं विभो । अकस्माज्जन्मनां विप्र स्मृतिः प्राप्ता तु पौर्विकी ॥ २,७.

We are ignorant, dull, and of dark nature, O lord; by chance, O Brahmin, memory of previous births has come to us.

विनीतत्वाविनीतत्वे जानीमो नैव नः प्रभो । श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । एवं वदत्सु प्रेतेषु तथा श्रुतवति द्विजे ॥ २,७.

We do not know the distinction between humility and lack of humility, O lord. Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: While the ghosts spoke thus, and the twice-born listened,