Garuda Purana

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.

एकादशाहे प्रेतस्य यस्य नोत्सृज्यते वृषः । प्रेतत्वं सुस्थिरं तस्य दत्तैः श्राद्धशतैरपि ॥ २,१३.

If, on the eleventh day, the bull is not released for the departed, his state as a departed soul remains firm, even with a hundred śrāddha offerings given.

गरुड उवाच । सर्पाद्धि प्राप्तमृत्यूनामग्निदाहादि न क्रिया । जलेन शृङ्गिणा वापि शस्त्राद्यैर्म्रियते यदि ॥ २,१३.

Garuḍa said: For those who have died from snakebite, fire, or similar causes, if the rites are not performed, whether they die by water, horned animals, or weapons—

असन्मृत्युमृतानां च कथं शुद्धिर्भवत्प्रभो । एतन्मे संशयं देव च्छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः ॥ २,१३.

How does purification occur, Lord, for those who have died unnatural deaths? Please dispel this doubt of mine completely, O God.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । षण्मासैर्ब्राह्मणः शुध्येद्युग्मे सार्धे तु बाहुजः । सार्धमासेन वैश्यस्तु शूद्रो मासेन शुध्यति ॥ २,१३.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: A brāhmaṇa is purified in six months; a kṣatriya in a year and a half; a vaiśya in one and a half months; a śūdra is purified in one month.

दत्त्वा दानान्यशेषाणि सुतीर्थे म्रियते यदि । ब्रह्मचारी शुचिर्भूत्वा न स यातीह दुर्गतिम् ॥ २,१३.

If, after giving all kinds of gifts, one dies at a sacred place, being a celibate and pure, he does not go to a bad state here.

वृषोत्सर्गादिकं कृत्वा यतिधर्मं समाचरेत् । यतित्वे मृत्युमाप्नोति स गच्छेद्ब्रह्मशाख्वतम् ॥ २,१३.

Having performed the release of the bull and similar rites, one should observe the duties of a renunciant; if he dies in the state of renunciation, he attains the highest branch of Brahman.

विकर्म कुरुते यस्तु शिष्टाचारविवर्जितः । वृषोत्सर्गादिकं कृत्वा न गच्छेद्यमशासनम् ॥ २,१३.

But one who acts wrongly, disregarding the conduct of the virtuous—if he performs the release of the bull and similar rites, he does not go to the realm of Yama.

पुत्त्रो वा सोदरो वापि पौत्रो बन्धुजनस्तथा । गोत्रिणश्चार्थभागी च मृते कुर्याद्वृषोत्सवम् ॥ २,१३.

A son, brother, grandson, relative, kinsman, or co-heir should perform the bull-release ceremony for the deceased.

पुत्राभावे तु पत्नी स्याद्दौहित्त्रो दुहीतापि वा । पुत्त्रेषु विद्यमानेषु वृषं नान्येन कारयेत् ॥ २,१३.

If there is no son, then the wife, daughter's son, or even the daughter may do it; but if there are sons, no one else should cause the bull to be released.

गरुड उवाच । पुत्त्रा यस्य न विद्यन्ते नरा नार्यः सुरेश्वर । एतन्मे संशयं देव च्छेतुमर्हस्यशेषतः ॥ २,१३.

Garuḍa said: O Lord of the gods, if a man has neither sons nor women, please dispel this doubt of mine completely.