Garuda Purana

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.

अन्यथा क्लिश्यते जन्तुः पाथेयरहितः पथि । एवं ज्ञात्वा खगश्रेष्ठ वृषयज्ञं समाचरेत् ॥ २,१४.

Otherwise, a being suffers on the path, lacking the merit of gifts; knowing this, O best of birds, one should perform the bull-sacrifice.

अकृत्वा म्रियते यस्तु अपुत्रो नैव मुक्तिभाक् । अपुत्रोऽपि हि यः कुर्यात्सुखं याति महापथे ॥ २,१४.

He who dies without performing it, if sonless, does not attain liberation; but even a sonless man who performs it travels happily on the great path.

अग्निहोत्राधिभिर्यज्ञैर्दानैश्च विविधैरपि । न तां गतिमवाप्नोति वृषोत्सर्गेण या गतिः ॥ २,१४.

Not by Agnihotra, other sacrifices, or various gifts does one attain that state which is gained by the offering of a bull.

यज्ञानां चैव सर्वेषां वृषयज्ञस्तथोत्तमः । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन वृषयज्ञं समाचरेत् ॥ २,१४.

Of all sacrifices, the bull-sacrifice is the highest; therefore, with all effort, one should perform the bull-sacrifice.

गरुड उवाच । कथयस्व प्रसादेन क्षयाहं चौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । कस्मिन्काले तिथौ कस्यां विधिना केन तद्भवेत् ॥ २,१४.

Garuḍa said: Out of your grace, tell me about the time, date, rite, and manner in which the bull-sacrifice should be performed after death.

कृत्वा किं फलमाप्नोति एतन्मे वद साम्प्रतम् । त्वत्प्रसादेन गोविन्द मुक्ते भवति मानवः ॥ २,१४.

What result is obtained by performing it? Tell me this now. By your grace, O Govinda, a man attains liberation.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । कार्तिकादिषु मासेषु याम्यायतगते रवौ । शुक्लपक्षे तथा पक्षिन्द्वादश्यादितिथौ शुभे ॥ २,१४.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: In the months beginning with Kārtika, when the sun is in the southern course, during the bright fortnight, and on auspicious lunar days such as the twelfth,

शुभे लग्ने मुहूर्ते वा शुचौ देशे समाहितः । ब्राह्मणं तु समाहूय विधिज्ञं शुभलक्षणम् ॥ २,१४.

At an auspicious ascendant or moment, in a pure place, with a focused mind, one should invite a learned Brāhmaṇa of good qualities who knows the proper rites.

जपहोमैस्तथा दानैः कुर्याद्दहेस्य शोधनम् । पुण्येऽभिजित्सुनक्षत्रे ग्रहान्देवान्समर्चयेत् ॥ २,१४.

With recitations, fire offerings, and gifts, one should perform the purification of the offering; on a sacred Abhijit or other auspicious star, one should worship the planets and deities.

होमं कुर्याद्यथाशक्ति मन्त्रैश्च विविधैरपि । ग्रहाणां स्थापनं कुर्यात्पूर्वं चैव खगेश्वर ॥ २,१४.

One should perform the fire offering to the best of one's ability, using various mantras; first, O Lord of Birds, one should establish the planets.