Garuda Purana

दीपमन्नं जलं वस्त्रं यत्किञ्चिद्वस्तु दीयते । प्रेतशब्देन तद्देयं मृस्यानन्ददायकम् ॥ २,१५.

A lamp, food, water, cloth, or any object that is given—should be given with the word 'preta'; it brings joy to the departed.

त्रयोदशेऽह्नि स प्रेतो नीयते च महापथे । पिण्डजं देहमाश्रित्य दिवा नक्तं बुभुक्षितः ॥ २,१५.

On the thirteenth day, the departed is led along the great path, taking on a body made of the offerings, hungry by day and night.

शीतोष्णशङ्कुक्रव्यादवह्निमार्गस्तु पापिनाम् । क्षुधा तृष्णात्मिका चैव सव्व सौम्यं कृतात्मनाम् ॥ २,१५.

For sinners, the path is filled with cold, heat, spears, wild beasts, and fire, and is made of hunger and thirst; for the virtuous, it is gentle.

मार्गे चैतानि दुः खानि असिपत्रवनान्विते । क्षुत्पिपासार्दितो नित्यं यमदृतैः प्रपीडितः ॥ २,१५.

On the path, there are these sufferings, with forests of sword-leaves; constantly tormented by hunger and thirst, and afflicted by Yama's servants.

अहन्यहनि वै प्रेतो योजनानां शतद्वयम् । चत्वारिंशत्तथा सप्त अहोरात्रेण गच्छति ॥ २,१५.

Day by day, the departed travels two hundred and forty-seven yojanas in a single day and night.

गृहीतो यमपाशैश्च हाहेति रुदिते तु सः । स्वगृहं तु परित्यज्य याम्यं पुरमनुव्रजेत् ॥ २,१५.

Seized by Yama's nooses, crying 'Alas!', he leaves his own house and follows the path to Yama's city.

क्रमेण याति स प्रेतः पुरं याम्यं शुभाशुभम् । अतीत्य तानितान्येव मार्गे पुरवराणि च ॥ २,१५.

Gradually, the departed goes to Yama's city, whether auspicious or inauspicious, passing through those various cities along the way.

याम्यं सौरिपुरं नगेन्द्रभवनं गन्धर्वशैलागमौ । क्रोञ्चं क्रूरपुरं विचित्रभवनं बह्वापदं दुः खदम् ॥ २,१५.

Yama's city, the city of the Sun, the abode of the Lord of Mountains, the Gandharva mountains, Kroñca, the cruel city, the city of strange dwellings, full of dangers and suffering.

नानाक्रन्दपुरं सुतप्रभवनं रौद्रं पयोवर्षणं शीताढ्यं बहुधर्मभीतभवनं याम्यं पुरं चाग्रतः ॥ २,१५.

The city of many cries, the abode of sons, the fierce city, the city where water rains, the city full of cold, the city where many fear righteousness, and Yama's city ahead.

त्रयोदशेऽह्नि स प्रेतो गृहीतो यमकिङ्करैः । तस्मिन्मार्गे ब्रजत्येको गृहीत इव मर्कटः ॥ २,१५.

On the thirteenth day, the departed is seized by Yama's attendants; on that path, he goes alone, as if captured like a monkey.

तथव स व्रजन्मार्गे पुत्रपुत्रेति च ब्रुवन् । हाहेति क्रन्दते नित्यं कीदृशं तु मया कृतम् ॥ २,१५.

Thus, as he travels the path, he calls out 'Son! Son!' and always cries 'Alas!', lamenting, 'What have I done?'

मानुष्यं लभ्यते कस्मादिति ब्रूते प्रसर्पति । महता पुण्ययोगेन मानुष्यं जन्म लभ्यते ॥ २,१५.

He asks, 'Why is a human birth obtained?' It is attained only through the accumulation of great merit.

न तत्प्राप्य प्रदत्तं हि याचकेभ्यः स्वकं धनम् । पराधीनं तदभवदिति ब्रूते (रौति) सगद्गदः ॥ २,१५.

Having gained it, he did not give his own wealth to those who begged; he laments, stammering, 'It became dependent on others.'

किङ्करैः पीड्यतेऽत्यर्थं स्मरते पूर्वदैहिकम् ॥ २,१५.

He is tormented excessively by the attendants and remembers his previous embodiment.

सुखस्य दुः खस्य न कोपि दाता परो ददातीति कुबुद्धिरेषा । पुरा कृतं कर्म सदैव भुज्यते देहिन्क्वचिन्निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,१५.

No one else is the giver of happiness or suffering; this is a false notion. One always experiences the results of one's own past actions—wherever you are, embodied one, you must endure what you have done.

मया न दत्तं न हुतं हुताशने तपो न तप्तं हिमशैलगह्वरे । न सेवितं गाङ्गमहो महाजलं देहिन्क्वचिन्निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,१५.

I did not give, nor did I offer oblations into the fire; I did not perform austerities in the caves of snowy mountains; I did not serve the sacred Ganges or its great waters—wherever you are, embodied one, you must endure what you have done.

न नित्यदानं न गावाह्निकं कृतं न वेददानं न च शास्त्रपुस्तकम् । पुरा नदृष्टं न च सेवितोऽध्वा देहिन्क्वचिन्निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,१५.

I did not perform daily charity, nor the daily service to cows; I did not give the Vedas or sacred texts; I did not see or serve the holy paths—wherever you are, embodied one, you must endure what you have done.

जलाशयो नैव कृतो हि निर्जले मनुष्यहेतोः पशुपक्षिहेतवे । गोतृप्तिहेतोर्न कृतं हि गोचरं देहिन्क्वचिन्नस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,१५.

I did not create a reservoir of water in a waterless place for the sake of humans, animals, or birds; I did not provide pasture for the satisfaction of cows—wherever you are, embodied one, you must endure what you have done.

मया न भुक्तं पतिसङ्गसौख्यं वह्निप्रवेशो न कृतो मृते सति । तस्मिन्मृते तद्व्रतपालनं वा देहिन्क्वचिन्निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,१५.

I did not enjoy the happiness of union with my husband; I did not enter the fire after his death; nor did I observe the vow after his passing—wherever you are, embodied one, you must endure what you have done.

मासोपवासैर्न विशोषितं वपुश्चान्द्रायणैर्वा नियमैश्च संहतैः । नारीशरीरं बहुदुः खभाजनं लब्धं मया पूर्वकृतैर्विकर्मभिः ॥ २,१५.

My body was not emaciated by monthly fasts, nor by the observance of the Cāndrāyaṇa or other strict vows; I have obtained a woman's body, a vessel of much suffering, because of my previous misdeeds.

उक्तानि वाच्यानि मया नराणामतः शृणुष्वावहितोऽपि पक्षिन् । स्त्रीणां शरीरं प्रतिलभ्य देही ब्रवीति कर्माणि कृतानि पूर्वम् ॥ २,१५.

The words spoken by men have been said; now listen attentively, O bird. Having obtained a woman's body, the embodied soul recounts the deeds done previously.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् १६ श्रीभगवानुवाच । एवं विलपतस्तस्य प्रेतस्यैवं खगेश्वर । क्रन्दमानस्य नितरां पीडितस्य च किङ्करैः ॥ २,१६.

The Blessed Lord said: Thus, as that departed soul laments, O King of Birds, crying out and being greatly tormented by the attendants—

सप्तदश दिनान्येको वायुमार्गे विकृष्यते । अष्टादशे त्वहोरात्रे पूर्वं याम्यपुरं व्रजेत् ॥ २,१६.

For seventeen days he is dragged along the path of the wind; on the eighteenth day and night, he first reaches the city of Yama.

तस्मिन्पुरवरे रम्ये प्रेतानां च गणो महान् । पुष्पभद्रा नदी तत्रन्यग्रोधः प्रियदर्शनः ॥ २,१६.

In that beautiful and excellent city, there is a great host of departed souls; there flows the river Puṣpabhadrā, and there stands a pleasing banyan tree.

पुरे स तत्र विश्रामं प्राप्यते यमकिङ्करैः । जायापुत्रादिकं सौख्यं स्मरेत्तत्र सुदुः खितः ॥ २,१६.

There, in that city, he finds rest, brought by Yama's attendants; deeply distressed, he remembers the happiness of wife, children, and others.

रुदते करुणैर्वाक्यै स्तृषार्तः श्रमपीडितः । स्वधनं स्वकलत्राणि गृहं पुत्राः सुखानि च ॥ २,१६.

Weeping with pitiful words, tormented by thirst and exhaustion, he grieves for his wealth, his wife, his home, his children, and his pleasures.

भृत्यमित्राणि चान्यच्च सर्वं शोचति वै तदा । क्षुधार्तस्य पुरे तस्मिन्किङ्करैस्तस्य चोच्यते ॥ २,१६.

He also mourns his servants, friends, and all else; then, in that city, as he suffers from hunger, the attendants say to him:

किङ्करा ऊचुः । क्व धनं क्व सुता जाया क्व गृहं क्व त्वमीदृशः । स्वकर्मोपार्जितं भुङ्क्ष्व चिरं गच्छ महापथे ॥ २,१६.

The attendants said: Where is your wealth, where are your sons, your wife, your home, and where are you now like this? Enjoy what you have earned by your own actions, and proceed long on the great path.

जानासि शंबलवशं बलमध्वगानां नो शंबलः प्रयतते परलोकपान्थ । गन्तव्यमस्ति तव निश्चितमेव तेन मार्गेण यत्र भवतः क्रयविक्रयौ न ॥ २,१६.

Do you know the power of the staff, the force that drives travelers? No staff-bearer strives for the traveler to the next world. You must certainly go by that path, where there is neither buying nor selling for you.