Garuda Purana

क्षुत्तृषाविष्टदेहश्च भक्ष्यं पानं न चाप्नुयाम् । अतो विकृतिरेषा वै कृशात्वादिरमांसका ॥ २,९.

Afflicted by hunger and thirst, I cannot obtain food or drink; thus, this distortion has arisen—emaciation and lack of flesh.

क्षुत्तृड्जन्यं महादुः खमनुभवामि पुनः पुनः । अकल्याणं हि प्रेतत्वं वृषोत्सर्गं विना कृतम् ॥ २,९.

I repeatedly experience great suffering caused by hunger and thirst; indeed, the state of a spirit is inauspicious when the bull-offering is omitted.

तस्माद्राजन्दयासिन्धो प्रार्थयामि तवाग्रतः । राजोवाच । वर्तते मत्कुले प्रेत इति ज्ञेयं कथं नरैः ॥ २,९.

Therefore, O king, ocean of compassion, I beg before you— The king said: How can people know that a spirit exists in my family?

तन्ममाचक्ष्व हि प्रेत प्रेतत्वान्मुच्यते कथम् । प्रेत उवाच । लिङ्गेन पीडया प्रेतोऽनुमातव्यो नरैः सदा ॥ २,९.

So tell me, O spirit, how one is released from the state of a spirit. The spirit said: A spirit is always to be inferred by people through signs of affliction.

वक्ष्यामि पीडास्ता राजन्या वै प्रेतकृता भुवि । ऋतुः स्यादफलः स्त्रीणां यदा वंशो न वर्धते ॥ २,९.

I will tell you, O king, the afflictions caused by a spirit on earth: when women’s cycles are fruitless, when the lineage does not increase—

म्रियन्ते चाल्पवयसः सा पीडा प्रेतसम्भवा । अकस्माद्वृत्तिहरणमप्रतिष्ठा जनेषु वै ॥ २,९.

—when the young die, that is an affliction arising from a spirit; sudden loss of livelihood, and instability among people—

अकस्माद्गृहदाहः स्यात्सा पीडा प्रेतसम्भवा । स्वगेहे कलहो नित्यं स्याच्च मिथ्याभिशंसनम् ॥ २,९.

—when there is a sudden house fire, that is an affliction arising from a spirit; constant quarrels in one’s own house, and false accusations.

राजयक्ष्मादिसम्भूतिः सा पीडा प्रेतसम्भवा । अपि स्वयं धनं मुक्तं प्रयत्नादनवे पथि ॥ २,९.

The affliction arising from royal consumption and similar diseases, that suffering is born from a preta; even if wealth is released by effort, it does not reach its proper path.

नैव लभ्येत नश्येतः सा पीडा प्रेतसंमवा । सुवृष्टौ कृषिनाशः स्याद्वाणिज्याद्वृत्तिनाशनम् ॥ २,९.

That suffering, originating from a preta, cannot be obtained nor does it disappear; in times of good rain, there may be destruction of crops, or loss of livelihood for merchants.

कलत्रं प्रतिकूलं स्यात्सा पीडा प्रेतसम्भवा । एवन्तु पीडया राजन्प्रेतज्ञानं भवेन्नृणाम् ॥ २,९.

A wife may become hostile; that suffering too arises from a preta. In this way, O King, by such afflictions, people come to know of a preta's presence.

वृषोत्सर्गो यदि भवेत्प्रेतत्वान्मुच्यते तदा । तस्मान्नृप त्वमप्येवं वृषोत्सर्गं कुरु प्रभो ॥ २,९.

If the release of a bull is performed, then one is freed from the state of a preta; therefore, O King, you too should perform the release of a bull in this manner, O Lord.

मामुद्दिश्य नृपेऽप्यत्राधिकारोऽत्यनुकम्पया । राजपुत्रो हतः कश्चिन्मयैवाप्तस्ततो मया ॥ २,९.

Even for a king, there is authority here, out of great compassion, to perform it for me; some prince who was slain has been obtained by me, thus I have come.

कुरुष्व त्वं गृहीत्वा मे तद्धनेन वृषोत्सवम् । कार्तिक्यां पौर्णमास्यां वाऽश्वयुङ्मध्येऽथवा नृप ॥ २,९.

You should take my wealth and perform the festival of releasing a bull, either on the full moon of Kārtika, or in the middle of the month of Āśvayuja, O King.

रेवतीयुक्तदिवसे कृषीष्ठा मे वृषोत्सवम् । पुण्यान्विप्रान्समाहूय वह्निं स्थाप्य विधानतः ॥ २,९.

On a day joined with the Revati constellation, perform the festival of releasing a bull for me; summon virtuous Brahmins, and duly establish the fire.

मन्त्रैर्होमस्तथा कार्यः षड्भिर्नृप विधानतः । बहून्विप्रान् भोजयेथास्तद्रत्नाप्तधनेन वै । एवं कृते महीपाल मम मुक्तिर्भविष्यति ॥ २,९.

With six mantras, the oblation should be performed according to the rite, O King; you should feed many Brahmins with the wealth obtained from that jewel. When this is done, O ruler of the earth, my liberation will be attained.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । तथेति प्रतिजग्राह मणिं राजा ततः खग ॥ २,९.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: 'So be it,' and the king then accepted the jewel, O bird.

क्रियाधिकारस्तस्यैव यो धनग्राहको भवेत् । कुर्वतोस्तु तयोर्वार्तामेवं प्रेतमहीक्षितोः ॥ २,९.

The right to perform the rite belongs to the one who receives the wealth; thus was the matter between the preta and the king of the earth.

झणत्कारस्तु घण्टानां भेरीणां भाङ्कृतिस्तथा । जातस्तदा राजसेना चतुरङ्गा समापतत् ॥ २,९.

Then there arose the sound of bells, the beating of drums, and the blaring of conches; at that moment, the royal army with its four divisions assembled.

तस्यामागतमात्रायां प्रेतश्चादृश्यतां गतः । तस्माद्वनाद्विनिःसृत्य राजापि पुरमागमत् ॥ २,९.

As soon as it arrived, the preta became invisible; emerging from that forest, the king too returned to the city.

स कार्तिक्यां पूर्णिमायां प्रेतमुद्दिश्य संव्यधात् । वृषोत्सर्गं विधानेन तन्मण्याप्तधनेन च ॥ २,९.

On the full moon of Kārtika, he performed the release of the bull for the preta, according to the rite, with the wealth obtained from that jewel.

प्रेतोऽप्ययं सपदिलब्धसुवर्णदेहः कर्मान्त आगत इति प्रणनाम भूपम् । देव त्वदीयमहिमायमिति स्तुवन् स यातो दिवं गरुड भूपतिना कृतज्ञः ॥ २,९.

The preta, having obtained a golden body along with his attendants, approached the end of his karma, bowed to the king, and, praising your greatness, O Garuḍa, departed to heaven, grateful to the king.

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथा भूपतिनापि सः । उद्धृतः प्रेतभावाद्वै किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ २,९.

All this has been told to you, how even by a king he was rescued from the state of a preta; what else do you wish to hear?

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् १० गरुड उवाच । सपिण्डीकरण जाते आब्दिके च स्वकर्मभिः । देवत्वं वा मनुष्यत्वं पक्षित्वं वाप्नुयुर्नराः ॥ २,१०.

Garuḍa said: When the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa and the annual rites are performed, by their own actions, people may attain divinity, humanity, or even birdhood.

तेषां विभिन्नाहाराणां श्राद्धं वै तृप्तिदं कथम् । यदप्यन्यैर्द्विजैर्भुक्तं हूयते यदि वानले ॥ २,१०.

How does the śrāddha, which gives satisfaction, benefit those with different kinds of sustenance, whether it is eaten by other twice-born or offered into the fire?

शुभाशुभात्मकैः प्रेतस्तद्दत्तं भुज्यते कथम् । श्राद्धस्यावश्यकत्वन्तु आमावास्यादिषु श्रुतम् ॥ २,१०.

How does a preta, composed of both merit and demerit, partake of what is given? The necessity of śrāddha on new moon days and such has been declared.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । प्रेतानां शृणु पक्षीन्द्र यथा श्राद्धन्तु तृप्तिदम् । देवो यदपि जातोऽयं मनुष्यः कर्मयोगतः ॥ २,१०.

The Blessed Lord said: Hear, O king of birds, how the śrāddha offering brings satisfaction to the departed; even if one has become a god, this being was once a human by the force of karma.

तस्यान्नममृतं भूत्वा देवत्वेऽप्यनुयाति च । गान्धर्व्ये भोगरूपेण पशुत्वे च तृणं भवेत् ॥ २,१०.

For him, the food becomes nectar among the gods, pleasure among the Gandharvas, grass among animals, and so on.

श्राद्धं हि वायुरूपेण नागत्वेऽप्यनुगच्छति । फलं भवति पक्षित्वे राक्षसेषु तथामिषम् ॥ २,१०.

Indeed, the śrāddha, in the form of air, follows even those not yet reborn; it becomes fruit among birds, and flesh among the Rākṣasas.

दानवत्वे तथा मांसं प्रेतत्वे रुधिरं तथा । मनुष्यत्वेऽन्नपानादि बाल्ये भोगरसो भवेत् ॥ २,१०.

Among Dānavas it becomes meat, among the departed it becomes blood; for humans it is food and drink, and for children it is the essence of enjoyment.