Garuda Purana

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.

यमदूतोदितं वाक्यं पक्षिन्नैवं त्वया श्रुतम् । एवमुक्तस्ततः सर्वैर्हन्यमानः स मुद्गरैः ॥ २,१६.

The words spoken by the messengers of Yama, O winged one, you have thus heard. Having been addressed in this way, he is then struck by all with clubs.

अत्र दत्तं सुतैः पात्रे (त्रैः) स्नेहाद्वा कृपयाथ वा । मासिकं पिण्डमश्राति ततः सौरिपुरं व्रजेत् ॥ २,१६.

If, out of affection or compassion, the monthly offering of rice balls is given here by sons to a worthy recipient, then he proceeds to the city of Sauri.

तत्र नाम्ना तु राजा वै जङ्गमः कालरूपधृक् । तं दृष्ट्वा भयभीतस्तु विश्रामे कुरुते मतिम् ॥ २,१६.

There, the king named Jaṅgama, who assumes the form of Time, is seen. Upon seeing him, the fearful one becomes anxious and seeks rest for his mind.

उदकं चान्नसंयुक्तं भुङ्क्ते तस्मिन्पुरे गतः । त्रैपक्षिके तु यद्दत्तं तत्पुरं स व्यतिक्रमेत् ॥ २,१६.

Having entered that city, he consumes water mixed with food. Whatever is given as the tri-monthly offering, he passes through that city.

नगेन्द्रनगरे रम्ये प्रेतो याति दिवानिशम् । गच्छन्वनानि रौद्राणि दृष्ट्वा क्रन्दति तत्र सः ॥ २,१६.

In the beautiful city of Nagendra, the departed soul wanders day and night, passing through terrifying forests, and seeing them, he cries out there.

भीषणैः क्लिश्यमानस्तु रुदते च पुनः पुनः । मासद्वयावसाने तु तत्पुरं सोऽतिगच्छति ॥ २,१६.

Tormented by dreadful beings, he weeps again and again. At the end of two months, he passes beyond that city.

भुक्त्वा चान्नं जलं पीत्वा यद्दत्तं वान्धवैरिह । क्लिश्यमानस्ततः पाशैर्नोयते यमकिङ्करैः ॥ २,१६.

Having eaten food and drunk water given here by relatives, he is then afflicted by bonds and led away by the servants of Yama.

तृतीये मासि सम्प्राप्ते गन्धर्वनगरं शुभम् । तृतीयं मासिकं भुक्त्वा तत्र गच्छत्यसौ पुरः ॥ २,१६.

When the third month arrives, he reaches the auspicious city of the Gandharvas. Having consumed the third monthly offering there, he proceeds to that city.

शैलागमं चतुर्थे स मासे प्राप्नोति वै पुरम् । पाषाणास्तत्र वर्षन्ति प्रेतस्योपरि संस्थिताः ॥ २,१६.

In the fourth month, he attains the city of Śailāgama. There, stones rain down upon the departed soul who stands there.

चतुर्थमासिके श्राद्धं भुक्ते तत्र सुखी भवेत् ॥ २,१६.

After consuming the fourth monthly śrāddha offering there, he becomes happy.

ततो याति पुरं प्रेतः क्रूरं मासे तु पञ्चमे । इह दत्तं सुतैर्भुङ्क्ते प्रेतो वै तत्पुरे स्थितः । षष्ठे मासि ततः प्रेतो याति क्रौञ्चाबिधं पुरम् ॥ २,१६.

Then, in the fifth month, the departed soul goes to a cruel city. There, he consumes what is given by sons while residing in that city. In the sixth month, the departed soul then goes to the city called Krauñca.

तत्र दत्तेन पिण्डेन श्राद्धेनाप्यायितः पुरे । मुहूर्तार्धं तु विश्रम्य कम्पमानः सुदुः खितः ॥ २,१६.

There, nourished by the rice ball offering and śrāddha, he rests in the city for half a moment, trembling and greatly distressed.

तत्पुरं स व्यतिक्रम्य तर्जितो यमकिङ्करैः । प्रयाति चित्रनगरं विचित्रो यत्र पार्थिवः ॥ २,१६.

Passing beyond that city, threatened by the servants of Yama, he proceeds to the city of Citrā, where the king is extraordinary.

यमस्यैवानुजः सौरिर्यत्र राज्यं प्रशास्ति हि । मासैस्तु पञ्चभिः सार्धैरूपषाण्मासिकं भवेत् ॥ २,१६.

There, Sauri, the brother of Yama, indeed rules the kingdom. With five and a half months, the sixth monthly offering is made.

ऊनषाण्मासिकं तत्र भुङ्क्ते याम्यसमाहतः । मार्गे पुनः पुनस्तस्य बुभुक्षा पीडयत्यलम् ॥ २,१६.

There, afflicted by Yama’s servants, he consumes the incomplete sixth monthly offering. On the journey, hunger torments him again and again.

सन्तिष्ठते मृते कोऽपि मदीयः सुतबान्धवः । सौख्यं यो मे जनयति पततः शोकसागरे ॥ २,१६.

If any son or relative of mine remains after death, he brings me happiness as I fall into the ocean of sorrow.

एवं मार्गे विलपति वार्यमाणश्च किङ्करैः । आयान्ति संमुखास्तत्र कैवर्तास्तु सहस्रशः ॥ २,१६.

Thus, lamenting on the path and restrained by the servants, thousands of boatmen approach him there.

वयं ते तर्तुकामाय महावैतरणीं नदीम् । शतयोजनविस्तीर्णां पूयशोणितसंकुलाम् ॥ २,१६.

We wish to carry you across the great river Vaitaraṇī, which is a hundred yojanas wide and filled with pus and blood.

नानाझषसमाकीर्णां नानापक्षिगणैर्वृताम् । वयं त्वां तारयिष्यामः सुखेनेति वदन्ति ते ॥ २,१६.

They say, 'We will carry you across with ease, though it is filled with many kinds of fish and surrounded by flocks of various birds.'

अन्तरं देहि भो पान्थ बहुला चेद्रुचिस्तव । तेन तत्र प्रदत्ता गौस्तया नावा प्रसर्पति । मनुजानां हितं दानमन्ते वैतरणी स्मृता ॥ २,१६.

'O traveler, if your sin is great, give us space to pass; for that reason, a cow is given there, and by her, the boat moves forward. The gift made for the benefit of men is remembered at the end as Vaitarani.'