Garuda Purana

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.

एकः करोति पापानि फलं भुङ्क्ते महाजनः । भोक्तारो विप्रयुज्यन्ते कर्ता दोषेण लिप्यते ॥ २,१२.

One person commits sins, but the result is enjoyed by many; the enjoyers are separated, but the doer is tainted by the fault.

कोऽपि मृत्युं न जयति बालो वृद्धो युवापि वा । सुखदुः खादिको वापि पुनरायाति याति च ॥ २,१२.

No one conquers death—whether child, old man, or youth; whether happy or unhappy, one comes and goes again.

सर्वेषां पश्यतामेव मृतः सर्वं परित्यजेत् । एकः प्रजायते जन्तुरेक एव प्रलीयते ॥ २,१२.

While all are watching, a person dies and leaves everything behind; one is born alone, and alone one dissolves.

एकोऽपि भुङ्क्ते सुकृतमेक एव च दुष्कृतम् । मृतं शरीरमुत्सृज्य काष्ठलोष्टसमङ्क्षितौ ॥ २,१२.

Alone one enjoys the fruits of good deeds, and alone the fruits of evil; after death, the body is abandoned, lying like wood or clay.

बान्धवा विमुखा यान्ति धर्मस्तमनुगच्छति । गृहेष्वर्था निवर्तन्ते श्मशानान्मित्रबान्धवाः ॥ २,१२.

Relatives turn away and depart, but righteousness follows him; wealth remains in the house, and friends and family go only as far as the cremation ground.

शरीरं वह्निरादत्ते सुकृतं दुष्कृतं व्रजेत् । शरीरं वह्निना दग्धं पुण्यं पापं सह स्थितम् ॥ २,१२.

Fire consumes the body, but good and evil deeds go with the soul; when the body is burned by fire, merit and sin remain together.

शुभं वा यदि वा पापं भुङ्क्ते सर्वत्र मानवः । यदनस्तमिते सूर्ये न दत्तं धनमर्थिनाम् ॥ २,१२.

A person partakes everywhere of what is good or evil, if, before the sun sets, he does not give wealth to those in need.

न जाने तस्य तद्वित्तं प्रातः कस्य भविष्यति । रारटीति धनं तस्य को मे भर्ता भविष्यति ॥ २,१२.

I do not know whose wealth that will be in the morning; the one who says, 'This is my wealth, who will be my master?'

न दत्तं द्विजमुख्येभ्यः परोपकृतये तथा । पूर्वजन्मकृतात्पुण्याद्यल्लब्धं बहु चाल्पकम् ॥ २,१२.

If wealth is not given to the foremost twice-born or for the benefit of others, then whatever is gained, much or little, comes from merit earned in a previous birth.

तदीदृशं परिज्ञाय धर्मार्थे दीयते धनम् । धनेन धार्यते धर्मः श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा ॥ २,१२.

Understanding this, one should give wealth for the sake of righteousness and prosperity; righteousness is upheld by wealth, with a mind purified by faith.

श्रद्धाविरहितो धर्मो नेहामुत्र च तत्फलम् । धर्माच्च जायते ह्यर्थो धर्मात्कामोऽपि जायते ॥ २,१२.

Righteousness without faith bears no fruit here or hereafter; from righteousness comes wealth, and from righteousness, desire is also born.

धर्म एवापवर्गाय तस्माद्धर्मं समाचरेत् । श्रद्धया साध्यते धर्मो बहुभिर्नार्थराशिभिः ॥ २,१२.

Righteousness alone leads to liberation; therefore, one should practice righteousness; righteousness is accomplished by faith, not by heaps of wealth.

अकिञ्चना हि मुनयः श्रद्धावन्तो दिवं गताः । अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् । असदित्युच्यते पक्षिन्प्रेत्य चेह न तत्फलम् ॥ २,१२.

The sages, though possessing nothing, attained heaven through faith; whatever is offered, given, or practiced without faith is called unreal, O Bird, and bears no fruit here or after death.

thumb|500px|ओंकारेश्वर क्षेत्रे नन्दिनः प्रतिमानि। प्रतिमा बाह्यमुखी अथवा अन्तर्मुखी अस्ति। श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् १३ गरुड उवाच । कर्मणा केन देवेश प्रेतत्वं नैव जायते । पृथिव्यां सर्वजन्तूनां तद्ब्रूहि परमेश्वर ॥ २,१३.

Garuḍa said: By what action, O Lord of gods, does one not become a ghost among all creatures on earth? Tell me this, Supreme Lord.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अथ वक्ष्यामि संक्षेपात्क्षयाहादौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । स्वहस्तेनैव कर्तव्यं मोक्षकामैस्तु मानवैः ॥ २,१३.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Now I will briefly explain the rites of decay, consumption, and post-mortem ceremonies, which should be performed by those desiring liberation, with their own hands.

स्त्रीणामपि विशेषेण पञ्चवर्षाधिके शिशौ । वृषोत्सर्गादिकं कर्म प्रेतत्वविनिवृत्तये । वृषोत्सर्गादृते नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति महीतले ॥ २,१३.

Especially for women, and for a child over five years old, the rite of releasing a bull and other ceremonies are to be performed to remove ghosthood; apart from releasing a bull, there is nothing else on earth.

जीवन्वापि मृतो वापि वृषोत्सर्गं करोति यः । प्रेतत्वं न भवेत्तस्य विना दानमखव्रतैः ॥ २,१३.

Whether living or dead, whoever performs the releasing of a bull does not become a ghost, even without gifts or sacrificial rites.

गरुड उवाच । कस्मिन्काले वृषोत्सर्गं जीवन्वापि मृतोऽपि वा । कुर्यात्सुरवरश्रेष्ठ ब्रूहि मे मधुसूदन ॥ २,१३.

Garuḍa said: At what time should the releasing of a bull be performed, whether the person is living or dead? Tell me, best of the gods, O Madhusūdana.

किं फलं तु भवेदन्ते कृतैः श्राद्धैस्तु षोडशैः ॥ २,१३.

What is the result at the end of the sixteen śrāddha rites that are performed?

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अकृत्वा तु वृषोत्सर्गं कुरुते पिण्डपातनम् । नोपतिष्ठति तच्छ्रेयो दातुः प्रेतस्य निष्फलम् ॥ २,१३.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: If the releasing of a bull is not performed, and only the offering of balls of rice is done, that act does not bring benefit to the departed; it is fruitless.