Garuda Purana

बहून्यब्दानि विजने वने तस्य गतानि वै । तस्य बुद्धिस्ततो जाता तीर्थानुगमनं प्रति ॥ २,२२.

Many years passed for him in the solitary forest; then his mind turned toward visiting holy places.

पुण्यैस्तीर्थजलैरेव शोषयिष्ये कलेवरम् । स तीर्थेत्वरितं स्नात्वा तपस्वी भास्करोदये । कृतजाप्यनमस्कारो ह्यध्वानं प्रत्यपद्यत ॥ २,२२.

"I will wear out this body with the holy waters of sacred places." Thus, the ascetic, having bathed at sunrise in a holy place, performed his recitations and salutations, and set out on his journey.

एकस्मिन्दिवसे विप्रो मार्गभ्रष्टो महातपाः । ददर्शाध्वनि गच्छन्स पञ्च प्रेतान् सुदारुणान् ॥ २,२२.

One day, the great ascetic brahmin, having lost his way, saw five dreadful pretas as he traveled along the road.

अरण्ये निर्जने देशे संकटे वृक्षवर्जिते । पञ्चैतान्विकृताकारान्दृष्ट्वा वै घोरदर्शनान् । ईषत्सन्त्रस्तहृदयोऽतिष्ठदुन्मील्य लोचने ॥ २,२२.

In a deserted, lonely place in the forest, difficult and devoid of trees, he saw those five with deformed appearances, terrifying to behold; his heart was slightly frightened, and he stood with eyes wide open.

अवलम्ब्य ततो धैर्यं भयमुत्सृज्य दूरतः । पप्रच्छ मधुराभाषी के यूयं विकृताननाः ॥ २,२२.

Then, steadying himself and casting off fear, he spoke sweetly from a distance: "Who are you, with such distorted faces?"

किञ्चाशुभं कृतं कर्म येन प्राप्ताः स्थ वैकृतम् । कथं वा चैकतः कर्म प्रस्थिताः कुत्र निश्चितम् ॥ २,२२.

"What unwholesome deed have you done that you have attained such a condition? And how did you all come together, and where are you certainly going?"

प्रेतराज उवाच । स्वैः स्वैस्तु कर्मभिः प्राप्तं प्रेतत्वं हि द्विजोत्तम । परद्रोहरताः सर्वे पापमृत्युवशं गताः ॥ २,२२.

The king of pretas said: By our own actions, O best of brahmins, we have attained the state of pretas; all of us, addicted to harming others, have fallen under the sway of sinful death.

क्षुत्पिपासार्दिता नित्यं प्रेतत्वं समुपागताः । हतवाक्या हतश्रीका हत संज्ञा विचेतसः ॥ २,२२.

Constantly afflicted by hunger and thirst, we have come to this state of pretas; deprived of speech, deprived of prosperity, deprived of consciousness, and bewildered.

न जानीमो दिशं तात विदिशं चातिदुः खिताः । क्व नु गच्छामहे मूढाः पिशाचाः कर्मजा वयम् ॥ २,२२.

We do not know the direction or the region, O dear one, so distressed are we; where indeed shall we go, we who are deluded, spirits born of our own actions?

न माता न पितास्माकं प्रेतत्वं कर्मभिः स्वकैः । प्राप्ताः स्म सहसा जातदुः खोद्वेगसमाकुलम् ॥ २,२२.

We have no mother or father; by our own actions we have suddenly attained this preta state, filled with newly arisen suffering and agitation.

दर्शनेन च ते ब्रह्मन्मुदिताप्यायिता वयम् । मुहूर्तन्तिष्ठ वक्ष्यामि वृत्तान्तं सर्वमादितः ॥ २,२२.

By seeing you, O brahmin, we have become gladdened and refreshed; stay for a moment, and I will tell you the entire story from the beginning.

अहं पर्युषितो नाम एष सूचीमुखस्तथा । शीघ्रगो रोघ (ह) कश्चैव पञ्चमो लेखकः स्मतृतः ॥ २,२२.

I am called Paryuṣita; this one is Sūcīmukha, and likewise Śīghraga, Rodhaka, and the fifth is known as Lekhaka.

एवं नाम्ना च सर्वे वै संप्राप्ताः प्रेततां वयम् । ब्राह्मण उवाच । प्रेतानां कर्मजातानां कथं वै नामसम्भवः । किञ्चित्कारणमुदिश्य येन ब्रूयाः स्वनामकान् ॥ २,२२.

Thus, by these names, we have all attained the state of pretas. The brāhmaṇa said: How do pretas, born of various actions, come to have such names? Please state some reason by which you each bear your own name.

प्रेतराज उवाच । मया स्वादु सदा भुक्तं दत्तं पर्युषितं द्विज ॥ २,२२.

The king of the pretas said: I always ate and gave away stale food, O brāhmaṇa.

शीघ्रं गच्छति विप्रेण याचितः क्षुधितेन वै । एतत्कारणमुद्दिश्य नाम पर्युषितं मम ॥ २,२२.

When a hungry brāhmaṇa asked, I would quickly go; for this reason, my name is Paryuṣita.

शीघ्रं गच्छति विप्रेण याचितः क्षुधितेन वै । एतत्कारणमुद्दिश्य शीघ्रगोऽयं द्विजोत्तम ॥ २,२२.

When a hungry brāhmaṇa asked, I would quickly go; for this reason, this one is called Śīghraga, O best of brāhmaṇas.

सूचिता बहवोऽनेन विप्रा अन्नाधिकाङ्क्षया । एतत्कारणमुद्दिश्य एष सूचिमुखः स्मृतः ॥ २,२२.

Many brāhmaṇas were pointed out by him, out of excessive desire for food; for this reason, he is known as Sūcīmukha.

एकाकी मिष्टमश्राति पोष्यवर्गमृते सदा । ब्राह्मणानामभावेन रोध (ह) कस्तेन चोच्यते ॥ २,२२.

He always ate sweet food alone, except for those he was obliged to support; in the absence of brāhmaṇas, he is called Rodhaka.

पुरायं मौनमास्थाय याचितो विलिखेद्भुवम् । तेन कर्मविपाकेन लेखको नाम चोच्यते ॥ २,२२.

Formerly, remaining silent, when asked, he would scratch the ground; by the result of that action, he is called Lekhaka.

प्रेतत्वं कर्मभावेन प्राप्तं नामानि च द्विज । मेषाननो लेखकोऽयं रोध (ह) कः पर्वताननः ॥ २,२२.

By the force of our actions, we have attained the state of pretas and these names, O brāhmaṇa: Meṣānana, Lekhaka, Rodhaka, and Parvatānana.

शीघ्रगः पुशुवक्त्रश्च सूचकः सूचिवक्त्रवान् । दुःखिता नितरां स्वमिन्पश्य रूपविपर्ययम् ॥ २,२२.

Śīghraga has the face of a sheep, Puśuvaktra; Sūcaka has the face of a needle; we are exceedingly miserable, master, behold our distorted forms.

कृत्वा मायामयं रूपं विचरामो महीतले । सर्वे च विकृताकारा लम्बोष्ठा विकृताननाः ॥ २,२२.

Having assumed illusory forms, we wander upon the earth; all of us are deformed in appearance, with hanging lips and distorted faces.

बृहच्छरीरिणो रौद्रा जाताः स्वेनैव कर्मणा । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं प्रेतत्वे कारणं मया ॥ २,२२.

With large bodies, fierce in form, we have been born by our own actions; thus I have told you everything, the reason for our state as pretas.

ज्ञानिनोऽपि वयं सर्वे जाताः स्म तव दर्शनात् । यत्र ते श्रवणे श्रद्धा तत्पृच्छ कथयामि ते ॥ २,२२.

Although we are all knowledgeable, we have come into being before you; wherever you have faith in hearing, ask, and I will tell you.

ब्राह्मण उवाच । ये जीवा भुवि जीवन्ति सर्वेऽप्याहारमूलकाः । युष्माकमपिचाहारं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ॥ २,२२.

The brāhmaṇa said: All living beings who live on earth depend upon food; I wish to hear, in truth, about your food as well.

प्रेता ऊचुः । यदि ते श्रवणे श्रद्धा आहाराणां द्विजोत्तम । अस्माकं तु महीभाग शृणुत्वं सुसमाहितः ॥ २,२२.

The pretas said: If you have faith in hearing about our food, O best of brāhmaṇas, then listen attentively, O fortunate one.

ब्राह्मण उवाच । कथयन्तु महाप्रेता आहारं च पृथक्पृथक् । इत्युक्तां ब्राह्मणेनेममूचुः प्रेताः पृथकपृथक् ॥ २,२२.

The brāhmaṇa said: Let the great pretas each describe their food separately. Thus addressed by the brāhmaṇa, the pretas spoke, each in turn.

प्रेता ऊचुः । शृणु चाहारमस्माकं सर्वसत्त्बविगर्हितम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा गर्हसे ब्रह्मन् भूयोभूयश्च गर्हितम् ॥ २,२२.

The pretas said: Hear now of our food, which is despised by all beings; upon hearing it, O brāhmaṇa, you will reproach it, and it is indeed most reproachable.

श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषोत्थं शरीराणां मलैः सह । उच्छिष्टैश्चैव चान्यैश्च प्रेतानां भोजनं भवेत् ॥ २,२२.

The food of pretas consists of phlegm, urine, and feces, together with bodily filth, as well as leftovers and other such things.