Garuda Purana

व्रजंस्तिष्ठन्पदैकेन यथैवैकेन गच्छति । यथा तृणजलौकेव देही कर्मानुगोऽवशः ॥ २,१८.

Going or standing, he moves with one foot, just as with one foot he walks; like a grasshopper on water, the embodied soul, bound by karma, is helpless.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि । तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ॥ २,१८.

Just as a man, discarding worn-out garments, takes up new ones, so the embodied soul, leaving behind worn-out bodies, enters new ones.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् १९ श्रीभगवानुवाच । वायुभूतः क्षधाविष्टः कर्मजं देहमाश्रितः । ते देहं स समासाद्य यमेन सह गच्छति ॥ २,१९.

The Blessed Lord said: Having become like wind, seized by hunger, and taking up the body born of karma, he reaches that body and goes together with Yama.

चित्रगुप्तपुरं तत्र योजनानां तु विंशतिः । कायस्थास्तत्र पश्यन्ति पापपुण्यानि सर्वशः ॥ २,१९.

There is the city of Citragupta, twenty yojanas away; there the Kāyasthas observe all the merits and sins.

महादानेषुदत्तेषु गतस्तत्र सुखी भवेत् । योजनानां चतुर्विंशत्पुरं वैवस्वतं शुभम् ॥ २,१९.

He who has given great gifts becomes happy there; the auspicious city of Vaivasvata is twenty-four yojanas away.

लोहं लवणकार्पासं तिलपात्रं च यैर्नरैः । दत्तं तेनैव तृप्यन्ति यमस्य पुरचारिणः ॥ २,१९.

By those men who have given iron, salt, cotton, or a vessel of sesame, the attendants of Yama are satisfied with those very things.

गत्वा च तत्र ते सर्वे प्रतीहारं वदन्ति हि । धर्मध्वजप्रतीहारस्तत्र तिष्ठति सर्वदा ॥ २,१९.

Having arrived there, all of them announce themselves to the gatekeeper; the gatekeeper of the banner of Dharma always stands there.

सप्तधान्यस्य दानेन प्रीतो धर्मध्वजो भवेत् । तत्र गत्वा प्रतीहारो ब्रूते तस्य शुभाशुभम् ॥ २,१९.

By the gift of the seven grains, the banner of Dharma is pleased; having arrived there, the gatekeeper declares his merit and demerit.

धर्मराजस्य यद्रूपं सन्तः सुकृतिनो जनाः । पश्यन्ति च दुरात्मानो यमरूपं सुभीषणम् ॥ २,१९.

The virtuous see the form of the King of Dharma, while the wicked see the terrifying form of Yama.

तं दृष्ट्वा भयभीतस्तु हाहेति वदते जनः । कृतं दानं च यैर्मर्त्यैस्तेषां नास्ति भयं क्वचित् ॥ २,१९.

Seeing him, people cry out in fear, 'Alas!'; but for those mortals who have given gifts, there is no fear anywhere.

प्राप्तं सुकृतिनं दृष्ट्वा स्थानाच्च लति सूर्यजः । एष मे मण्डलं भित्त्वा ब्रह्मलोकं प्रयास्यति ॥ २,१९.

Seeing the virtuous one who has arrived, the son of the Sun departs from his place, saying, 'He will pierce my sphere and go to the world of Brahma.'

दानेन सुलभो धर्मो यममार्गः सुखावहः । एष मार्गो विशालोऽत्र न केनाप्य नुगम्यते । दानपुण्यं विना वत्स न गच्छेद्धर्ममन्दिरम् ॥ २,१९.

By giving, righteousness is easily attained, and the path of Yama brings happiness; this path is vast here, but is not followed by anyone without the merit of giving. Without the merit of charity, O child, one does not reach the abode of Dharma.

तस्मिन्मार्गे तु रौद्रे वै भीषणा यमकिङ्कराः । एकैकस्य पुरस्याग्रे तिष्ठत्येकसहस्रकम् ॥ २,१९.

On that dreadful path, the fearsome attendants of Yama stand, a thousand at the entrance of each city.

पचन्ति पापिनं प्राप्य उदके यातनाकराः । गृह्णन्ति मासमासान्ते पादशेषं तु तद्भवेत् ॥ २,१९.

Having seized the sinner, the agents of torment cook him in water; at the end of each month, only a remnant of his foot remains.

और्ध्वदैहिकदानानि यैर्न दत्तानि काश्यप । महाकष्टेन ते यान्ति तस्माद्देयानि शक्तितः । अदत्त्वा पशुवद्यान्ति गृहीतो वन्धबन्धनैः ॥ २,१९.

O Kāśyapa, those who have not given post-funeral gifts go with great suffering; therefore, they should be given according to one's ability. Not having given, they go like cattle, bound and seized with ropes.

एवं कृतेन सम्पश्येत्स नरः भूतकर्मणा । दैविकीं पैतृकीं योनिं मानुषीं वाथ नारकीम् ॥ २,१९.

Thus, by actions performed, a person perceives for himself a birth among beings, a divine, ancestral, human, or even hellish womb.

धर्मराजस्य वचनान्मुक्तिर्भवति वा ततः । मानुष्यं तत्त्वतः प्राप्य स पुत्त्रः पुत्त्रतां व्रजेत् ॥ २,१९.

By the command of Dharmarāja, liberation may occur; or, having truly attained a human birth, he becomes a son and attains sonship.

यथायथा कृतं कर्म तान्तां योनिं व्रजेन्नरः । तत्तथैव च भुञ्जानो विचरेत्सर्वलोकगः ॥ २,१९.

According to the actions performed, a man enters that very womb; and, experiencing accordingly, he moves among all the worlds.

अशाश्वतं परिज्ञाय सर्वलोकोत्तरं सुखम् । यदा भवति मानुष्यं तदा धर्मं समाचरेत् ॥ २,१९.

Recognizing all worldly happiness as impermanent and transcendent, when one attains a human birth, then one should practice righteousness.

कृमयो भस्म विष्ठा वा देहानां प्रकृतिः सदा । अन्धकूपे महारौद्रे दीपहस्तः पातेत्तु वै ॥ २,१९.

Worms, ashes, or excrement are always the nature of bodies; in a dreadful, dark pit, one may indeed fall, holding a lamp.

महापुण्यप्रभावेण मानुष्यं जन्म लभ्यते । यस्तत्प्राप्य चरेद्धर्मं स गच्छेत्परमां गतिम् ॥ २,१९.

By the power of great merit, a human birth is obtained; whoever, having attained that, practices righteousness, reaches the supreme state.

अपि जानन्वृथा धर्मं दुः खमायाति याति च ॥ २,१९.

Even knowing righteousness in vain, one comes and goes in suffering.

जातीशतेन लभते किल मानुषत्वं तत्रापि दुर्लभतरं खग भो द्विजत्वम् । यस्तत्र पालयति लालयति व्रतानि तस्यामृतं भवति हस्तगतं प्रसादात् ॥ २,१९.

After a hundred births, one may indeed obtain humanity; but, O bird, among humans, twice-born status is even more difficult to attain. Whoever there observes and cherishes vows, for him, by grace, immortality is as if placed in his hand.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २० गरुड उवाच । ये केचित्प्रेतरूपेण कुत्र वासं लभन्ति ते । प्रेतलोकाद्विनिर्मुक्ताः कथं कुत्र व्रजन्ति ते ॥ २,२०.

Garuḍa said: Those who, in the form of spirits, dwell somewhere—when freed from the world of spirits, how and where do they go?

चतुर्युक्ताशीति लक्षैर्नरकैः पर्युपासिताः । यमेन रक्षितास्तत्र भूतैश्चैव सहस्रशः ॥ २,२०.

Surrounded by eighty-four hundred thousand hells, they are guarded there by Yama and by thousands of spirits.

विचरन्ति कथं लोके नरकाच्च विनिर्गताः । गरुडोदीरितं श्रुत्वा लक्ष्मीनाथोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥ २,२०.

How do those who have departed from hell wander in the world? Hearing Garuḍa’s question, Lakṣmī’s Lord spoke this.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । पक्षिराज शृणुष्व त्वं यत्र प्रेताश्चरन्ति वै । परार्थदारग्रहणाच्छ (ब) लाद्द्रोहान्निशाचराः ॥ २,२०.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O king of birds, listen as I tell you where spirits wander—those who, by taking another’s wife, by theft, or by betrayal, become night-wanderers.

तथैव सर्वपापिष्ठः स्वात्मजान्वेषणे रताः । विचरन्त्यशरीरास्ते क्षुप्तिपासार्दिता भृशम् ॥ २,२०.

Likewise, all the most sinful, intent on seeking their own children, wander bodiless, tormented greatly by hunger and thirst.

बन्दीगृहवि निर्मुक्ता येभ्यो नश्यन्ति जन्तवः । ते व्यवस्यन्ति च प्रेता वधोपायं च बन्धुषु ॥ २,२०.

Freed from prison, those by whom creatures perish, those spirits plot the destruction of their relatives.