Garuda Purana

स्वस्थावस्थे शरीरेऽत्र वैतरण्या व्रतं चरेत् । देया च विदुषे धेनुस्तां नदीं तर्तुमिच्छता ॥ २,१६.

While the body is still healthy here, one should undertake the vow of Vaitarani; and one who wishes to cross that river should give a cow to a learned person.

अवदन्मज्जमानस्तु निन्दत्यात्मानमात्मना । पाथेयार्थं मया किञ्चिन्न प्रदत्तं द्विजायच ॥ २,१६.

But as he sinks, he blames himself, saying, 'I did not give anything for provisions, nor did I give to a Brahmin.'

न दत्तं न हुतं जप्तं न स्नातं न कृतं स्तुतम् । यादृशं कर्म चरितं मूढ भुङ्क्ष्वेति तादृशम् ॥ २,१६.

'I did not give, nor offer oblations, nor recite, nor bathe, nor perform praise; whatever deeds I have done, O fool, you must now endure their results.'

तदैव हृदि संमूढस्ताडितो भाषते भटैः । वैतरण्याः परतटे भुङ्क्ते दत्तं घटादिकम् ॥ २,१६.

Then, bewildered in his heart and struck by the attendants, he speaks; on the far shore of Vaitarani, he enjoys whatever was given, even a pot or the like.

ऊनषाण्मासिकश्राद्धं भुक्त्वा गच्छति चाग्रतः । तार्क्ष्य तत्र विशेषेण भोजयीत द्विजाञ्छुभान् ॥ २,१६.

Having eaten the offering of the incomplete six-month śrāddha, he goes forward; O Tārkṣya, there especially, one should feed worthy Brahmins.

चत्वारिंशत्तथा सप्त योजनानि शतद्वयम् । प्रयाति प्रत्यहं तार्क्ष्य अहोरात्रेण कर्शितः ॥ २,१६.

He travels, O Tārkṣya, forty-seven and two hundred yojanas each day, exhausted by day and night.

सप्तमे मासि सम्प्राप्ते पुरं बह्वापदं व्रजेत् । तत्र भुक्त्व प्रदत्तं यच्छ्राद्धं सप्तममासिकम् ॥ २,१६.

When the seventh month arrives, he reaches the city of many dangers; there, having eaten the śrāddha offered for the seventh month, he proceeds.

अष्टमे मासि सम्प्राप्ते नानाक्रन्दपुरं व्रजेत् । नानाक्रन्दगणान्दृष्ट्वा क्रन्दमानान्सुदारुणम् ॥ २,१६.

When the eighth month arrives, he reaches the city of many cries; seeing the hosts of wailing beings, crying terribly.

स्वयं च शून्यहृदयः समाक्रन्दति दुः खितः । तन्मासिकं च यच्छ्राद्धं भुक्त्वा तत्र सुखी भवेत् ॥ २,१६.

He himself, with an empty heart, cries out in distress; but having eaten the monthly śrāddha offered there, he becomes happy.

विहाय तत्पुरं प्रेतो याति तप्तपुरं प्रति । सुतप्तनगरं प्राप्य नवमे मासि सोऽश्नुते । द्विजभोज्यं पिण्डदानं कृतं श्राद्धं सुतेन यत् ॥ २,१६.

Leaving that city, the departed goes towards the city of heat; reaching the well-heated city in the ninth month, he partakes of the rice-ball offering and śrāddha performed by his son for feeding Brahmins.

मासि वै दशमे प्राप्ते रौद्रं स्थानं स गच्छति । दशमे मासि यद्दत्तं तद्भुक्त्वा च प्रयाति सः ॥ २,१६.

When the tenth month arrives, he goes to the dreadful place; having eaten what is given in the tenth month, he proceeds onward.

दशैकमासिकं भुक्त्वा पयोवर्षणमृच्छति । मेघास्तत्र प्रवर्षन्ति प्रेतानां दुः खदायकाः ॥ २,१६.

Having eaten the offering for the eleventh month, he reaches the place where it rains milk; there, clouds pour down, causing suffering to the departed.

(ततः प्रचलितो पोतो बहुर्घमतृषार्दितः) । द्वादशे मासि यच्छ्राद्धं तत्र भुङ्क्ते सुदुः शितः ॥ २,१६.

Then, as the boat moves on, greatly afflicted by thirst, in the twelfth month, he eats the śrāddha offered there, though greatly distressed.

किञ्चिन्न्यूने ततो वर्षे सार्धे चैकादशेऽथ वा । याति शीतपुरं तत्र शीतं यत्रातिदुः खदम् ॥ २,१६.

When the year is slightly incomplete, or in the eleventh and a half month, he goes to the city of cold, where the cold is extremely painful.

शीतार्तः क्षुधितः सोऽथ वीक्षते हि दिशो दश । तिष्ठेत्तु बान्धवः कोऽपि यो मे दुःखं व्यपोहति ॥ २,१६.

Afflicted by cold and hunger, he looks in all ten directions, wondering if any relative will stand by to remove his suffering.

किङ्करास्तं वदन्त्येवं क्व ते पुण्यं हि तादृशम् । श्रुत्वा तेषां तु तद्वाक्यं हा दैव इति भाषते ॥ २,१६.

The attendants say to him thus: 'Where is that merit of yours?' Hearing their words, he laments, 'Alas, fate!'

दैवं हि पूर्वसुकृतं तन्मया नैव सञ्चितम् । एवं सञ्चिन्त्य बहुशो धैर्यमालम्बते पुनः ॥ २,१६.

For fate is previous good deeds, and I have not accumulated them.' Thinking thus again and again, he regains his composure.

चत्वारिंशद्योजनानि चतुर्युक्तानि वै ततः । धर्मराजपुरं रम्यं गन्धर्वाप्सराकुलम् ॥ २,१६.

Then, forty yojanas in extent, is the delightful city of Dharmaraja, filled with Gandharvas and Apsaras.

चतुरशीतिलक्षैश्च मूर्तामूर्तैरधिष्ठितम् । त्रयोदश प्रतीहारा धर्मराजपुरे स्थिताः ॥ २,१६.

It is inhabited by eighty-four lakhs of beings, both embodied and disembodied; thirteen gatekeepers stand in the city of Dharmaraja.

शुभाशुभं तु यत्कर्म ते विचार्य पुनः पुनः । श्रवणा ब्रह्मणः पुत्रा मनुष्याणां च चेष्टितम् । कथयन्ति तदा लोके पूजिताः पूजिताः स्वयम् ॥ २,१६.

They repeatedly examine the good and bad deeds performed; the sons of Brahma, called Shravanā, recount the actions of humans in the world, honored and honored themselves.

नरैस्तुष्टैश्च पुष्टैश्च यत्प्रोक्तं च कृतं च यत् । सर्वमावेदयन्ति स्म चित्रगुप्ते यमे च तत् ॥ २,१६.

Whatever is spoken or done by satisfied and nourished men, all this they report to Chitragupta and Yama.

दूराच्छ्रवणविज्ञाना दूराद्दर्शनगोचराः । एवञ्चेष्टास्तु ते ह्यष्टौ स्वर्भूपातालचारिणः ॥ २,१६.

They possess knowledge of hearing from afar and are visible from a distance; these eight, moving among heaven, earth, and the netherworld, act in this way.

तेषां पत्न्यस्तथै वोग्रा श्रवण्यः पृथगाह्वयाः । एवं तेषां शक्तिरस्ति यर्त्ये मर्त्याधिकारिणः ॥ २,१६.

Their wives, too, are fierce, known separately as Shravanis; such is their power over mortals.

व्रतैर्दानैस्तवैर्यश्च पूजयेदिह मानवः । जायन्ते तस्य ते सौम्याः सुखमृत्युप्रदायिनः ॥ २,१६.

If a man honors them here with vows, gifts, and worship, they become gentle to him, bestowing an easy death.

श्रीगरुडमाहापुराणम् १७ गरुड उवाच । एको मे संशयो देव हृदये सम्प्रबाधते । श्रमणाः कस्य पुत्राश्च कथं यमपुरे स्थिताः ॥ २,१७.

Garuḍa said: 'O Lord, one doubt troubles my heart: whose sons are the Shravanās, and how do they reside in Yama's city?'

मानुषैश्च कृतं कर्म कस्माज्जानन्ति ते प्रभो । कथं शृण्वन्ति ते सर्वे कस्माज्ज्ञानं समागतम् ॥ २,१७.

And how, O Lord, do they know the actions performed by humans? How do they all hear, and how does knowledge come to them?

कुत्र भुञ्जन्ति देवेश क्रथयस्व प्रसादतः । पक्षिराजवचः श्रुत्वा भगवान्वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ २,१७.

Where do they dwell, O Lord of the gods? Kindly explain. Having heard the words of the king of birds, the Blessed Lord spoke.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । शृणुष्व वचनं सत्यं सर्वेषां सौख्यदायकम् । तदहं कथयिष्यामि श्रवणानां विचेष्टितम् ॥ २,१७.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: 'Listen to my true words, which bring happiness to all. I shall tell you of the activities of the Shravanās.'

एकीभूतं यदा सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । क्षीरोदसागरे पूर्वं मयि सुप्ते जगत्पतौ ॥ २,१७.

When all the world, moving and unmoving, was united as one, in the past, in the ocean of milk, while I, the Lord of the universe, slept—