Garuda Purana

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.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अपुत्त्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गो नैव च नैव च । तस्मात्केनाप्युपायेन पुत्त्रस्य जननं चरेत् ॥ २,१३.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: For one without a son, there is no path, no heaven at all; therefore, by any means, one should strive for the birth of a son.

यानि कानि च दानानि स्वयं दत्तानि मानवैः । तानितानि च सर्वाणि तूपतिष्ठन्ति चाग्रतः ॥ २,१३.

Whatever gifts are given personally by men, all those indeed stand before them.

व्यञ्जनानि विचित्राणि भक्ष्यभोज्यानि यानि च । स्वहस्तेन प्रदत्तानि देहान्ते चाक्षयं फलम् ॥ २,१३.

Various condiments and foods, whatever is given by one's own hand, yield inexhaustible fruit at the end of the body.

गोभूहिरण्यवासांसि भोजनानि पादनि च । यत्रयत्र वसेज्जन्तुस्तत्रतत्रोपतिष्ठति ॥ २,१३.

Cows, land, gold, garments, food, and water—wherever a being resides, there those gifts stand by him.

यावत्स्वस्थं शरीरं हि तावद्धर्मं समाचरेत् । अस्वस्थः प्रेरितश्चान्यैर्नाकिञ्चित्कर्तुमर्हति ॥ २,१३.

As long as the body is healthy, one should practice dharma; when unwell and compelled by others, one is not fit to do anything.

जीवतोऽपि मृतस्येह न भूतं चौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । वायुभूतः क्षुधाविष्टो भ्रमते च दिवानिशम् ॥ २,१३.

Even while alive, for one who is dead here, there is no post-funeral offering; having become like air and seized by hunger, he wanders day and night.

कृमिः कीटः पतङ्गो वा जायते म्रियते पुनः । असद्गर्भे भवेत्सोऽपि जातः सद्यो विनश्यति ॥ २,१३.

He is born again as a worm, insect, or moth, and dies again; if born in a false womb, he perishes immediately upon birth.

यावत्स्वस्थमिदं शरीरमरुजं यावज्जरा दूरतो यावच्चेन्द्रियशक्तिरप्रतिहता यावत्क्षयो नायुषः । आत्मश्रेयसि तावदेव विदुषा कार्यः प्रयत्नो महान्सन्दीप्ते भवने तु कूपखननं प्रत्युद्यमः कीदृशः ॥ २,१३.

As long as this body is healthy, free from disease, while old age is far off, while the power of the senses is unimpaired, and while life is not exhausted, so long should a wise person make great effort for his own highest good; for what use is digging a well when the house is already on fire?

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् १४ गरुड उवाच । आर्तेन म्रियमाणेन यद्दत्तं तत्फलं वद । स्वस्थावस्थेन दत्तेन विधिहीनेन वा विभो ॥ २,१४.

Garuḍa said: Tell me, what is the fruit of a gift made by one who is afflicted and dying, or by one who is healthy, or given without proper procedure, O Lord?

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । एका गौः स्वस्थचित्तस्य ह्यातुरस्य च गोशतम् । सहस्रं म्रियमाणस्य दत्तं वित्तविवर्जितम् ॥ २,१४.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: One cow given by a person of sound mind equals a hundred cows given by a sick person, and a thousand given by one who is dying but destitute.

मृतस्यैव पुनर्लक्षं विधिपूतं च तत्समम् । तीर्थपात्रसमायोगादेका गौर्लक्षपुण्यदा ॥ २,१४.

A hundred thousand given after death, with proper rites, is equal to that; and if a cow is given at a holy place, it bestows the merit of a hundred thousand.

पात्रे दत्ते खगश्रेष्ठ अहन्यहनि वर्धते । दातुर्दानमपापाय ज्ञानिनां च प्रतिग्रहः ॥ २,१४.

When a gift is made to a worthy recipient, O best of birds, it increases day by day; the donor incurs no sin, and the wise accept it without fault.

विषशीतापहो मन्त्रवह्निः किं दोषभाजनम् । दातव्यं प्रत्यहं पात्रे निमित्तेषु विशेषतः ॥ २,१४.

Just as a mantra-fire removes poison and cold, what fault is there in the vessel? One should give daily to a worthy recipient, especially on auspicious occasions.

नापात्रे विदुषा किञ्चिदात्मनः श्रेय इच्छता । अपात्रे जातु गौर्दत्ता दातारं नरकं नयेत् ॥ २,१४.

One who desires their own welfare should never give anything to an unworthy person; if a cow is ever given to the unworthy, the donor is led to hell.

कुलैकविंशतियुतं ग्रहीतारं च पातयेत् । देहान्तरं परिप्राप्य स्वहस्तेन कृतं च यत् ॥ २,१४.

The recipient too falls, along with twenty-one generations of his family; after taking another body, whatever was done by one's own hand brings its result.

धनं भूमिगतं यद्वत्स्वहस्तेन निवेशितम् । तद्वत्फलमवाप्नोति ह्यहं वच्मि खगेश्वर ॥ २,१४.

Just as wealth invested in land by one's own hand yields fruit, so too does a gift given personally, O lord of birds, this I declare.

अपुत्रोऽपि विशेषेण क्रियां चैवान्ध्वदौहिकीम् । प्रकुर्यान्मोक्षकामश्च निर्धनश्च विशेषतः ॥ २,१४.

Even one without a son should especially perform the rite for ancestors, and one who desires liberation, or is poor, should do so as well.

स्वल्पेनापि हि वित्तेन स्वयं हस्तेन यत्कृतम् । अक्षयं याति तत्सर्वं यथाज्यं च हुताशने ॥ २,१४.

Even with little wealth, whatever is given by one's own hand becomes imperishable, just as ghee offered into fire.

एका चैकस्य दातव्या शय्या कन्या पयस्विनी । सा विक्रीता वा दहत्यासप्तमं कुलम् ॥ २,१४.

A single bed, a maiden, or a milch cow should be given only once to one person; if sold, she burns up to the seventh generation of the family.

तस्मात्सर्वं प्रकुर्वीत चञ्चले जीविते सति । गृहीतदानपाथेयः सुखं याति महाध्वनि ॥ २,१४.

Therefore, while life is uncertain, one should do all these acts; one who departs with the merit of gifts travels happily on the great journey.