Garuda Purana

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.

प्रतिसंवत्सरं पक्षिन्नेकोद्दिष्टविधानतः । श्राद्धं तत्र प्रकर्तव्यं फलं तस्य शृणुष्व मे ॥ २,८.

Every year, according to the prescribed rule, a śrāddha should be performed there for the departed; listen to the fruit of this.

ब्रह्मेन्द्ररुद्रनासत्यसूर्याग्निवसुमारुतान् । विश्वेदेवान्पितृ गणान्वयांसि मनुजान्पशून् ॥ २,८.

Brahmā, Indra, Rudra, the Aśvins, Sūrya, Agni, the Vasus, the Maruts, all the Viśvadevas, the groups of ancestors, lineages, humans, and animals—

सरीसृपान्मातृगणान्यच्चान्यद्भूतसंज्ञितम् । श्राद्धं श्रद्धान्वितः कुर्वन्प्रीणयत्यखिलं जगत् ॥ २,८.

Serpents, groups of Mothers, and all other beings called bhūtas—by performing śrāddha with faith, one satisfies the entire universe.

ते तृप्तास्तर्पयन्त्येनं पुत्रदारधनैस्तथा । अधिकारः क्रियाभेदः समासात्ते निरूपितः ॥ २,८.

When they are satisfied, they in turn gratify him with sons, wives, and wealth; the eligibility, the distinctions of rites, and the summary have thus been explained.

गरुड उवाच । उक्तेष्वेकोऽपि चेन्न स्यादधिकारी सुरोत्तम । कर्तव्यं किं तदा विष्णो पुरुषेण विजानता ॥ २,८.

Garuda said: If, among those mentioned, not even one eligible person remains, O best of gods, what should a knowledgeable man do then, O Viṣṇu?

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अधिकारो यदा नास्ति यदि नास्ति च निश्चयः । जीविते सति जीवाय दद्याच्छ्राद्धंस्वयं नरः ॥ २,८.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: When there is no eligible person and no certainty, as long as he lives, a man should himself offer śrāddha for the living.

कृतोपवासः सुस्नातः कृष्णासङ्गः समाहितः । कर्तारमथ भोक्तारं विष्णुं सर्वेश्वरं यजेत् ॥ २,८.

Having fasted, bathed well, worn black garments, and being concentrated, he should worship Viṣṇu, the Lord of all, as the performer and the recipient.

सदक्षिणाश्च सतिलास्तिस्त्रश्च जलधेनवः । निवेदयेत्पितृभ्यश्च स्वधेति सुसमाहितः ॥ २,८.

With proper gifts and with sesame, and three water-cows, he should offer to the ancestors, saying 'svadhā,' with full attention.

अग्नये कव्यवाहनाय स्वधा नम इति स्मरन् । सोमायत्वा पितृमते स्वधा नम इति स्मरन् ॥ २,८.

Remembering, 'Obeisance with svadhā to Agni, the carrier of offerings,' and 'Obeisance with svadhā to Soma, the lord of ancestors,' he should recite thus.

दक्षिणेन तु दद्याच्च तृतीयां दक्षिणायुताम् । यमायाङ्गिरसे चाथ स्वधा नम इति स्मरन् ॥ २,८.

He should give the third, accompanied by a gift, to the south; to Yama and Aṅgiras, reciting 'Obeisance with svadhā,' he should offer.

तयोर्मध्ये तु निः क्षिप्य विप्रान्संमन्त्र्य भो जयेत् । प्रथमामुत्तरे न्यस्य द्वितीयां दक्षिणे न्यसेत् ॥ २,८.

Placing them in between, having honored the brāhmaṇas, he should invite them to eat; placing the first to the north, the second to the south.

मध्ये तृतीयां विन्यस्य पश्चादावाहनादिकम् । आवाहनादिना पूर्वं विश्वेदेवान्प्रपूज्यच ॥ २,८.

Placing the third in the middle, then performing the invocation and other rites, he should first worship the Viśvadevas with the invocation and so on.

वसुभ्यस्त्वामहं विप्र रुद्रेभ्यस्त्वामहं ततः । सूर्येभ्यस्त्वामहं विप्र भोजयामीति तान्वदेत् ॥ २,८.

He should say to the brāhmaṇas: 'To the Vasus I offer you, O brāhmaṇa; to the Rudras I offer you; to the Sūryas I offer you; now I feed you.'

आवाहनादिकं शेषं कुर्याच्च पितृशेषवत् । साम्यां धेनुं ततो दद्याद्वसूद्देशं द्विजाय तु ॥ २,८.

He should perform the remaining invocation and other rites as for the ancestors; then give a cow in common, and to a brāhmaṇa for the Vasus' sake.

आग्नेय्यां चाथ रौद्राय याम्यां सूर्यद्विजाय तु । विश्वेभ्यश्चाथ देवेभ्यस्तिलपात्रं निवेदयेत् ॥ २,८.

To the Agneyya, to the Raudra, to the Yāmya, and to the Sūrya-brāhmaṇa, he should offer; and to all the Viśvadevas, he should present a vessel of sesame.

स्वस्तीत्येव तथाक्षय्यं जलं दत्त्वाथ तान्द्विजान् । विसर्जयेत्स्मरन्विष्णुं देवमष्टाक्षरं विभुम् ॥ २,८.

Saying 'svasti' and giving inexhaustible water, he should then dismiss those brāhmaṇas, remembering Viṣṇu, the Lord, with the eight-syllabled mantra.

ततः कामं कुलेशानीं शिवं नारायणं स्मरेत् । चतुर्दश्यां ततो गच्छेद्यथाप्राप्तां सरिद्वराम् ॥ २,८.

Then, as desired, one should remember the Lady of the family, Shiva, and Narayana; on the fourteenth day, one should go to the best river as available.

वस्त्राणि लोहखण्डानि जितं त इति संजपन् । दक्षिणाभिमुखो वह्निं ज्वालयेत्तत्र च स्वयम् ॥ २,८.

Reciting 'these are conquered,' regarding cloths and pieces of iron, one should kindle the fire facing south, doing so oneself.

पञ्चाशता कुशैर्ब्राह्मीं कृत्वा प्रतिकृतिं दहेत् । हुत्वा श्माशानिकं होमं पूर्णाहुत्यन्तमेव हि ॥ २,८.

With fifty blades of kusa grass, making a Brahmi effigy, one should burn it; after offering the funeral oblation, one should complete the full offering.

निरग्रिमथ वा भूमिं यमं रुद्रञ्च संस्मरेत् । हुत्वा प्राधानिके स्थाने पश्चादावाहयेच्च तम् ॥ २,८.

Or, without fire, one should remember Yama and Rudra upon the earth; having offered at the principal place, one should then invoke him afterwards.