Garuda Purana

प्रसादं कुरु मे मोहं छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः । काश्यपोऽहं सुरश्रेष्ठ विनतागर्भ संभवः । यमलोकं कथं यान्ति विष्णुलोकं च मानवाः ॥ २,११.

Be gracious to me and cut away my delusion completely. I am Kaśyapa’s son, O best of the gods, born of Vinatā. How do humans go to the realm of Yama and to the world of Viṣṇu?

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । परस्य योषितं हृत्वा ब्रह्मस्वमपहृत्य च ॥ २,११.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Having stolen another’s wife or having taken the wealth of a brāhmaṇa—

अरण्ये निर्जने देशे जायते ब्रह्मराक्षसः । हीनजातौ प्रजायेत रत्नानामपहारकः ॥ २,११.

Such a one is born as a brahmarākṣasa in a lonely forest; one who steals jewels is born in a low caste.

यंयं काममभिध्यायेत्स तल्लिङ्गोऽभिजायते । नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः ॥ २,११.

Whatever desire one dwells upon, one is born with that mark; weapons do not cut him, nor does fire burn him.

न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः । वाक्चक्षुर्नासिका कर्णौ गुदं मूत्रस्य सञ्चरः ॥ २,११.

Nor do waters moisten him, nor does wind dry him. The mouth, eyes, nose, ears, anus, and the passage of urine—

अण्डजादिकजन्तूनां छिद्राण्येतानि सर्वशः । आनाभेर्मूर्धपर्यन्तमूर्ध्वच्छिद्राणि चाष्ट वै ॥ २,११.

These are the openings of all creatures born from eggs and otherwise; from the navel to the crown of the head, there are indeed eight upward openings.

सन्तः सुकृतिनो मर्त्या ऊर्ध्वच्छिद्रेण यान्ति वै । मृताहे वार्षिकं यावद्यथोक्तविधिना खग ॥ २,११.

The virtuous mortals depart through the upper opening; until the day of death or the annual ceremony, according to the prescribed rite, O bird—

कुर्यात्सर्वाणि कर्माणि निर्धनोऽपि हि मानवः । देहे यत्र वसेज्जन्तुस्तत्र भुङ्क्ते शुभाशुभम् ॥ २,११.

A person, even if destitute, should perform all actions; wherever the soul dwells in the body, there it experiences good and evil.

मनोवाक्कायजान्दोषांस्तथां भुङ्क्ते खगेश्वर । मृतः स सुखमाप्नोति मायापाशैर्न बध्यते । पाशबद्धो नरो यस्तु विकर्मनिरतो भवेत् ॥ २,११.

O lord of birds, one experiences the faults arising from mind, speech, and body in that way; when dead, he attains happiness and is not bound by the snares of illusion. But a man bound by the snares, who is devoted to unrighteous acts—

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् १२ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । एवं ते कथितस्तार्क्ष्य जीवितस्य विनर्णयः । मानुषाणां हितार्थाय प्रेतत्वविनिवृत्तये ॥ २,१२.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Thus, O Tārkṣya, the outcome of life has been explained to you, for the welfare of humans and to prevent their becoming ghosts.

चतुरशीतिलक्षाणि चतुर्भेदाश्च जन्तवः । अण्डजाः स्वेदजाश्चैव उद्भिज्जाश्च जारायुजाः ॥ २,१२.

There are eighty-four hundred thousand living beings of four kinds: those born from eggs, from sweat, from seeds, and from wombs.

एकविंशतिलक्षाणि अण्डजाः परिकीर्तिताः । स्वेदजाश्च तथा प्रोक्ता उद्भिज्जाश्च क्रमेण तु ॥ २,१२.

Twenty-one hundred thousand are said to be born from eggs; similarly, those born from sweat and from seeds are described in order.

जरायुजास्तथा प्रोक्ता मनुष्याद्यास्तथा परे । सर्वेषामेव जन्तूनां मानुषत्वं हि दुर्लभम् ॥ २,१२.

Those born from wombs are likewise described, such as humans and others; among all beings, human birth is indeed difficult to attain.

पञ्चेन्द्रियनिधानत्वं महापुण्यैरवाप्यते । ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्त्रिया वैश्याः शूद्रास्तत्परजातयः ॥ २,१२.

The possession of the five senses is attained through great merit; Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and their sub-castes are so distinguished.

रजकश्चर्मकारश्च नटो बुरुड एव च । कैवर्तमेदभिल्लाश्च सप्तैते ह्यन्त्यजाः स्मृताः ॥ २,१२.

The washerman, the leather-worker, the actor, the buruḍa, the boatman, the Meda, and the Bhilla—these seven are known as the lowest castes.

म्लेच्छतुम्बविभेदेन जातिभेदास्त्वनेकशः । जन्तूनामेव सर्वेषां जातिभेदाः सहस्रशः ॥ २,१२.

Due to differences among foreigners and others, there are many distinctions of caste; among all creatures, there are thousands of differences in birth.

जन्तूनामेव सर्वेषां भेदाश्चैव सहस्रशः । आहारो मैथुनं निद्रा भयं क्रोधस्तथैव च ॥ २,१२.

Among all creatures, there are also thousands of differences; food, sexual union, sleep, fear, and anger are common to all.

सर्वेषा मेव जन्तूनां विवेको दुर्लभः परः । एकपादादिरूपेण देहभेदास्त्वनेकशः ॥ २,१२.

For all creatures, true discernment is exceedingly rare; bodily forms are manifold, such as those with one foot and so on.

कृष्णसारो मृगो यत्र धर्मदशः स उच्यते । ब्रह्माद्या देवताः सर्वास्तत्र तिष्ठन्ति सर्वशः ॥ २,१२.

Where the black antelope dwells, that is called the place of righteousness; all the deities, beginning with Brahma, reside there completely.

भूतानां प्राणिनः श्रेष्ठाः प्राणिनां मतिजीविनः । मतिमत्सु नराः श्रेष्ठा नरेषु ब्राह्मणाः स्मृताः ॥ २,१२.

Among beings, those with life are the highest; among the living, those endowed with intellect; among the intelligent, humans are the highest; among humans, Brahmins are said to be the highest.

मानुष्यं यः समासाद्य स्वर्गमेक्षैकसाधकम् । तयोर्न साधयेदेकं तेनात्मा वञ्चितो ध्रुवम् ॥ २,१२.

Whoever, having attained human birth, which alone is the means to heaven, does not strive for either, surely deceives himself.

इच्छति शती सहस्रं सहस्री लक्षमीहते कर्तुम् । लक्षाधिपती राज्यं राजापि सकलां धरां लब्धुम् ॥ २,१२.

One who has a hundred desires wishes for a thousand; one with a thousand strives for a hundred thousand; the lord of a hundred thousand desires a kingdom; even a king wishes to possess the whole earth.

चक्रधरोऽपि सुरत्वं सुरभावे सकलसुरपतिर्भवितुम् । सुरपतिरूर्ध्वगतित्वं तथापि ननिवर्तते तृष्णा ॥ २,१२.

Even the wielder of the discus desires to become a god; as a god, to become the lord of all gods; as the lord of gods, to ascend higher—yet, desire never ceases.

तृष्णया चाभिभूतस्तु नरकं प्रतिपद्यते । तृष्णामुक्तास्तु ये केचित्स्वर्गवासं लभन्ति ते ॥ २,१२.

Overpowered by desire, one attains hell; but those who are freed from desire attain residence in heaven.

आत्माधीनः पुमांल्लोके सुखी भवति निश्चितम् । शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धश्च तद्गुणाः ॥ २,१२.

A person who is self-controlled is certainly happy in this world; sound, touch, form, taste, and smell are their qualities.

तथा च विषयाधीनो दुः खी भवति निश्चितम् ॥ २,१२.

Likewise, one who is controlled by the senses is certainly unhappy.

कुरङ्गमताङ्गपतङ्गभृङ्गमीना हताः पञ्चभिरेव पञ्च । एकः प्रमादी स कथं न हन्यते यः सेवते पञ्चभिरेव पञ्च ॥ २,१२.

The deer, the elephant, the moth, the bee, and the fish are destroyed by just one of the five; how then is a reckless man not destroyed, who indulges in all five?

पितृमातृमयो बाल्ये यौवने दयितामयः । पुत्रपौत्रमयश्चान्ते मूढो नात्ममयः क्वचित् ॥ २,१२.

In childhood, one is attached to parents; in youth, to a beloved; in the end, to children and grandchildren; the deluded is never attached to the self.

लोहदारुमयैः पाशैः पुमान्बद्धो विमुच्यते । पुत्रदारमयैः पाशैर्नैव बद्धो विमुच्यते ॥ २,१२.

A man bound by chains of iron or wood can be freed; but bound by the ties of children and wife, he is never freed.