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,
अदर्शयमहं रूपं तदा तार्क्ष्येदमेव वै । स तु दृष्ट्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठो हृद्गतं पुरुषं पुरः ॥ २,७.
I then revealed that form to Tārkṣya; and seeing it, the foremost Brahmin beheld the person within his heart before him.
स्तोत्रैस्तुष्टाव पक्षीश दण्डवत्प्रणनाम माम् । तेऽपि तेपुस्ततः प्रेता आश्चर्योत्फुल्लचक्षुषः ॥ २,७.
The lord of birds praised me with hymns and bowed to me in reverence; the ghosts too were amazed, their eyes wide with wonder.
प्रणयेन स्खलद्वाचः खग नोचुः किमप्युत । रजसा गोरचित्तानां तमसा मूढचेतसाम् । कृपया यः समुद्धारं कुरुषे वै नमोऽस्त ते ॥ २,७.
With affection and faltering speech, the birds said nothing; for those whose minds are clouded by passion and darkness, you, by compassion, grant deliverance—salutations to you.
एवं द्विजातौ ब्रुवति प्रभू तप्रभैश्च मुख्यांबरचारियुक्तैः । तदा मदिच्छाप्रभवैर्विमानैः षड्भिः समन्ताद्रुरुचे गिरिः सः ॥ २,७.
As the twice-born spoke thus, the mountain shone all around with six celestial chariots, arising from my will, accompanied by the chief attendants of the mighty.
इत्थं विमानेन मदीयलोकं गतो द्विजरसोऽप्यथ पञ्चमिस्तैः । प्रेता ययुः स्वर्गमगण्यपुण्यं सत्सङ्गसंसर्गवशात्सुपर्णम् ॥ २,७.
Thus, in a celestial chariot, the twice-born went to my world with five others; the ghosts attained heaven, immeasurable merit, through the influence of association with the virtuous, O Suparṇa.
प्रेताः संगवशेन नाकमवन्सन्तप्तको ब्राह्मणो विष्वक्सन इति प्रसिद्धविभवो नाम्ना गणे मेऽभवत् । एतत्ते सकलं मया निगादितं यश्चैतदुत्कीर्तयेद्यश्चेदं शृणुयान्न सोऽपि पुरुषः प्रेतत्वमाप्नोति हि ॥ २,७.
By the power of association, the ghosts ascended to heaven; the Brahmin, known as Viṣvaksena, renowned for his wealth, became one among my retinue. All this I have told you; whoever recites or hears this will not attain ghosthood.
श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ८ गरुड उवाच । स्वामिन्कस्याधिकारोऽत्र सर्व एवौर्ध्वदेहिके । क्रियाः कतिविधाः प्रोक्ता वदैतत्सर्वमेव मे ॥ २,८.
Śrī Garuḍa Mahāpurāṇa 8 Garuḍa said: Who has authority here over all matters concerning the departed? How many kinds of rites are prescribed? Tell me everything.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । पुत्रः पौत्रः प्रपौत्रो वा तद्भ्राता भ्रातृसन्ततिः । सपिण्डसन्ततिर्वापि क्रियार्हाः खग ज्ञातयः ॥ २,८.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Son, grandson, great-grandson, brother, brother's descendants, or those of the same lineage, O bird, are eligible to perform the rites.
तेषामभावे सर्वेषां समानोदकसन्ततिः । कुलद्वयेऽपि चोच्छिन्ने स्त्रीभिः कार्याः क्रियाः खग ॥ २,८.
If none of them are present, the same water-offering lineage applies to all; and even when both family lines are extinct, the rites should be performed by women, O Bird.
इच्छयोच्छिन्नबन्धश्च कारयेदवनीपतिः । पूर्वाः क्रिया मध्यमाश्च तथा चैवोत्तराः क्रियाः ॥ २,८.
If the connection is severed by choice, the king should arrange for the earlier, intermediate, and later rites to be performed.