Garuda Purana

पुष्पं यत्र न दृश्येन फलं तथा । विरहो भार्यया यत्र सा पीडा प्रेतसग्भवा ॥ २,२०.

Where flowers and fruits are not seen, and there is separation from one's wife, such affliction arises from the presence of departed spirits.

येषां वै जायते चिह्नं सदोच्चाटपरं नृणाम् । स्वक्षेत्रे निष्फलं तेजः सा पीडा प्रेतसम्भवा ॥ २,२०.

For those in whose family signs of severe disturbance appear, and whose own field yields no fruit, such affliction arises from the presence of departed spirits.

स्वगोत्रघातकश्चैव हन्ति शत्रुमिवात्मजम् । न प्रीतिर्नापि सौख्यं च सा पीडा प्रेतसम्भवा ॥ २,२०.

One who destroys his own lineage, kills his own son as if he were an enemy, and finds neither affection nor happiness—such affliction arises from the presence of departed spirits.

पितृवाक्यं न कुरुते स्वपत्नीं च न सेवते । सदा क्रूरमतिर्व्यग्रः सा पीडा प्रेतसम्भवा ॥ २,२०.

One who does not obey his father's words, does not serve his own wife, and is always of cruel and restless mind—such affliction arises from the presence of departed spirits.

विकर्मा जायते प्रेतो ह्यविधिक्रियया तथा । तत्कालदुष्टसंसर्गाद्वृषोत्सर्गादृते तथा ॥ २,२०.

A departed spirit arises from improper actions, from impure rituals, from association with the wicked at the wrong time, and except for the release of the bull.

दृष्टगृत्युवशाद्वापि अदग्धवपुषस्तथा । प्रेतत्वं जायते तार्क्ष्य पीड्यन्ते येन जन्तवः ॥ २,२०.

Even through the influence of what is seen or heard, or when the body is not cremated, the state of a departed spirit arises, O Tārkṣya, by which beings are afflicted.

एवं ज्ञात्वा खगश्रेष्ठ प्रेतमुक्तिं समाचरेत् । यो वै न मन्यते प्रेतान्मृतः प्रेतत्वमाप्नुयात् ॥ २,२०.

Thus understanding, O best of birds, one should perform the rites for the release of departed spirits. Whoever does not regard the departed, upon dying, attains the state of a departed spirit.

प्रेतदोषः कुले यस्य सुखं तस्य न विद्यते । मतिः प्रीती रतिर्बुद्धिर्लक्ष्मीः पञ्चविनाशनम् ॥ २,२०.

In the family where the fault of departed spirits exists, happiness is not found; intellect, affection, pleasure, and prosperity—all five are destroyed.

तृतीये पञ्चमे पुंसि वंशच्छेदो हि जायते । दरिद्रो निर्धनश्चैव पापकर्मा भवेभवे ॥ २,२०.

In the third or fifth generation, the family line is broken; poverty and destitution arise, and evil deeds occur in every birth.

ये केचित्पेतरूपा विकृतमुखदृशो रौद्ररूपाः कराला मन्यन्ते नैव गोत्रं सुतदुहितृपितॄन् भ्रातृजायां वधूं वा । कृत्वा काम्यं च रूपं सुखगतिरहिता भाषमाणा यथेष्टं हा कष्टं भोक्तुकामा विधिवशपतिताः संस्मरन्ति स्वपाकम् ॥ २,२०.

Those who take on forms of ghosts, with distorted faces, fierce and terrible in appearance, do not recognize family, sons, daughters, fathers, brothers, wives, or brides. Having assumed forms at will, devoid of happiness, they speak as they please—alas, in their desire to consume, fallen under the power of fate, they remember their own suffering.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २१ गरुड उवाच । मुक्तिं यान्ति कथं प्रेतास्तदहं प्रष्टुमुत्सुकः । यन्मुक्तौ च मनुष्याणां न पीडा जायते पुनः ॥ २,२१.

Garuḍa said: How do the spirits attain liberation? I am eager to ask this, for when liberation is gained by people, suffering does not arise again.

एतैश्च लक्षणैर्देव पीडोक्ता प्रेतजा त्वया । तेषां कदा भवेन्मुक्तिः प्रेतत्वं न कथं भवेत् ॥ २,२१.

And, O Lord, you have described the suffering of spirits with these characteristics. When will their liberation occur, and how will their state as spirits come to an end?

प्रेतत्वे हि प्रमाणं च कति वर्षाणि संख्यया । चिरं प्रेतत्वमापन्नः कथं मुक्तिमवाप्नुयात् ॥ २,२१.

What is the measure of time for being a spirit—how many years, by count? Having long fallen into the state of a spirit, how does one attain liberation?

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । मुक्तिं प्रायन्ति ते प्रेतास्तदहं कथयामि ते । यदैव मनुजोऽवैति मम पीडा कृता त्वियम् ॥ २,२१.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Those spirits do indeed attain liberation; I shall tell you this. When a person realizes, 'This suffering has been caused by me,'

पृच्छार्थं हितमन्विच्छन्दै वज्ञे विनिवदयेत् । स्वप्ने दृष्टः शुभो वृक्षः फलितश्चूतचम्पकः ॥ २,२१.

Desiring the welfare of the departed, one should ask and perform the prescribed rites. If, in a dream, an auspicious tree is seen, bearing mangoes or campaka flowers,

विप्रो वा वृषभो देवो भ्रमते तीर्थगो यदि । एवं दृष्टो यदा स्वप्नो मृतः कोऽपिस्वगोत्रजः ॥ २,२१.

Or if a brāhmaṇa, a bull, or a deity is seen wandering, or someone is seen going to a sacred place—if, in a dream, a deceased relative appears,

स्वप्ने सत्यं परिज्ञाय दृष्टं प्रेतप्रभावतः । अद्भुतानि प्रदृश्यन्ते प्रेतदोषाद्विनिश्चितम् ॥ २,२१.

Recognizing the truth in a dream, seen through the influence of the spirit, marvelous things are revealed—these are certainly due to the fault of the spirit.

तीर्थस्नाने मतिर्यावच्चित्तं धर्मपरायणम् । धर्मापायं प्रकुरुते प्रेतपीडा तदा व्रजेत् ॥ २,२१.

As long as the mind is intent on bathing at sacred places and devoted to righteousness, if one acts contrary to dharma, then the suffering of the spirit arises.

तदा तत्र विनाशाय चित्तभङ्गं करोति सा । श्रेयांसि बहुविघ्नानि सम्भवन्ति पदेपदे ॥ २,२१.

At that time, to bring about destruction, it causes disturbance of mind; many obstacles to auspicious things arise at every step.

अश्रेयसि प्रवृत्ति च प्रेरयन्ति पुनः पुनः । उच्चाटनं च क्रूरत्वं सर्वं प्रेतकृतं खग ॥ २,२१.

Again and again, they prompt engagement in inauspicious acts, and all forms of expulsion and cruelty—O bird—are caused by spirits.

सर्वविघ्नानि सन्त्यज्य मुक्त्युपायं करोति यः । तस्य कर्मफलं साधु प्रेतवृत्तिश्च शाश्वती ॥ २,२१.

Whoever, abandoning all obstacles, performs the means of liberation, for him the fruit of action is good, and the spirit's condition is made lasting.

स भवेत्तेन मुक्तस्तु दत्तं श्रेयस्करं परम् । स्वयं तृप्यति भोः पक्षिन्यस्योद्देशेन दीयते ॥ २,२१.

By that, he becomes liberated; the supreme, auspicious gift is given. He himself is satisfied, O bird, for whom the offering is made.

शृणु सत्यमिदं तार्क्ष्य यद्ददाति भुनक्ति सः । आत्मानं श्रेयसा युञ्ज्यात्प्रेतस्तृप्तिं चिरं व्रजेत् ॥ २,२१.

Hear this truth, O Tārkṣya: whatever one gives and enjoys, one should dedicate oneself to auspiciousness, and the spirit attains satisfaction for a long time.

ते तृप्ताः शुभमिच्छन्ति निजबन्धुषु सर्वदा । अज्ञातयस्तु ये दुष्टाः पीडयन्ति स्ववंशजान् ॥ २,२१.

Those who are satisfied always wish well for their own relatives; but those unknown and wicked spirits afflict their own descendants.

निवारयन्ति तृप्तास्ते जायमानानुकम्पकाः । पश्चात्ते मुक्तिमायन्ति काले प्राप्ते स्वपुत्रतः । सदा बन्धुषु यच्छन्ति वृद्धिमृद्धिं खगाधिप ॥ २,२१.

Those who are satisfied restrain and show compassion to those being born; later, at the proper time, they attain liberation through their own sons. They always bestow growth and prosperity upon their relatives, O lord of birds.

दर्शनाद्भाषणाद्यस्तु चेष्टातः पीडनाद्गतिम् । न प्रापयति मूढात्मा प्रेतशापैः स लिप्यते ॥ २,२१.

But the deluded one who, by sight, speech, action, or affliction, does not bring about their progress, is bound by the curses of spirits.

अपुत्रकोऽपशुश्चैव दरिद्रो व्याधितस्तथा । वृत्तिहीनश्च हीनश्च भवेज्जन्मनिजन्मनि ॥ २,२१.

He becomes without sons, without cattle, poor, diseased, lacking livelihood, and deficient, birth after birth.

एवं ब्रुवन्ति ते प्रेताः पुनर्याभ्यं समाश्रिताः । तत्रस्थानां भवेन्मुक्तिः स्वकाले कर्मसंक्षये ॥ २,२१.

Thus, those departed souls who speak in this way and again take refuge with you, will attain liberation from that place at the proper time, when their karmic bonds are exhausted.

गरुड उवाच । नाम गोत्रं न दृश्येत प्रतीतिर्नैव जायते । केचिद्वदन्ति दैवज्ञाः पीडां प्रेतसमुद्भवाम् ॥ २,२१.

Garuḍa said: The name and lineage are not seen, nor does certainty arise; some astrologers say that the affliction is caused by spirits of the dead.