Garuda Purana

कुमारीं ब्राह्मणानां तु विवाहयति शक्तितः । विद्यादोऽभयदश्चैव न प्रेतो जायते नरः ॥ २,२२.

One who, to the best of his ability, gives a maiden in marriage to Brahmins, imparts knowledge, or grants safety, does not become a spirit.

शूद्रान्नेन तु भुक्तेन जठरस्थेन यो मृतः । दुर्मृत्युना मृतो यश्च स प्रेतो जायते नरः ॥ २,२२.

He who dies with food eaten from Shudras in his stomach, or who dies an inauspicious death, becomes a spirit.

अयाज्ययाजकश्चैव याज्यानां च विवर्जकः । कारुभिश्च रतो नित्यं स प्रेतो जायते नरः ॥ २,२२.

One who performs sacrifices for the unworthy, or neglects those for whom sacrifices should be performed, or who is always engaged with artisans, becomes a spirit.

कृत्वा मद्यपसम्पर्कं मद्यपस्त्रीनिषेवणम् । अज्ञानाद्भक्षयन्मांसं स प्रेतो जायते नरः ॥ २,२२.

One who associates with drunkards, engages with women who drink, or ignorantly eats meat, becomes a spirit.

देवद्रव्यं च ब्रह्मस्वं गुरुद्रव्यं तथैव च । कन्यां ददाति शुल्केन स प्रेतो जायते नरः ॥ २,२२.

One who gives away property belonging to the gods, Brahmins, or teachers, or gives a maiden in marriage for a price, becomes a spirit.

मातरं भगिनीं भार्यां स्नुषां दुहितरं तथाः । अदृष्टदोषास्त्यजति स प्रेतो जादृ ॥ २,२२.

He who abandons his mother, sister, wife, daughter-in-law, or daughter without any fault on their part, becomes a spirit.

न्यासापहर्ता मित्रध्रुक्परदाररतः सदा । विश्वासघाती कूटश्च स प्रेदृ ॥ २,२२.

One who steals deposits, betrays friends, is always engaged with others' wives, breaks trust, or is deceitful, becomes a spirit.

भ्रातृध्रुग्ब्रह्महा गोघ्नः सुरापो गुरुतल्पगः । कुलमार्गं परित्यज्य ह्यनृतोक्तौ सदा रतः । हर्ता हेम्नश्च भूमेश्च स प्रेदृ ॥ २,२२.

He who betrays his brother, kills a Brahmin, slays a cow, drinks liquor, violates his teacher's bed, abandons the path of his lineage, is always engaged in false speech, or steals gold or land—such a one becomes a preta (restless spirit).

भीष्म उवाच । एवं ब्रुवति वै विप्रे आकाशे दुन्दुभिस्वनः । अपतत्पुष्पवर्षं च देवर्मुक्तं द्विजोपरि ॥ २,२२.

Bhishma said: As the Brahmin spoke thus, there was a sound of celestial drums in the sky, and a shower of flowers released by the gods fell upon the Brahmin.

पञ्च देवविमानानि प्रेतानामागतानि वै । स्वर्गं गता विमानैस्ते दिव्यैः संपृच्छ्य तं मुनिम् ॥ २,२२.

Five divine aerial chariots arrived for the pretas, and, ascending those celestial vehicles, they reached heaven after paying respects to the sage.

ज्ञानं विप्रस्य सम्भाषात्पुण्यसंकीर्तनेन च । प्रेताः पापविनिर्मुक्ताः परं पदमवाप्नुयुः ॥ २,२२.

By conversing with the wise Brahmin and by the praise of virtue, the pretas, freed from their sins, attained the supreme state.

सूत उवाच । इदमाख्यानकं श्रुत्वा कम्पितोऽश्वत्थपत्रवत् । मानुषाणां हितार्थाय गरुडः पृष्टवान्पुनः ॥ २,२२.

Suta said: Having heard this tale, trembling like a leaf of the Ashvattha tree, Garuda again questioned for the welfare of mankind.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २३ गरुड उवाच । किङ्किं कुर्वन्ति वै प्रेताः पिशाचत्वेव्यवस्थिताः । वदन्ति वा कदाचित्किं तद्वदस्व सुरेश्वर ॥ २,२३.

Garuda said: What do the pretas do when they exist in the state of pisachas (ghouls)? Do they ever speak? O Lord of the gods, please tell me this.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । तेषां स्वरूपं वक्ष्यामि चिह्नं स्वप्नं यथातथम् । क्षुत्पिपासार्दितास्ते वै प्रविशेयुः स्ववेश्मनि ॥ २,२३.

The Blessed Lord said: I shall describe their form, their signs, and their dreams as they truly are. Afflicted by hunger and thirst, they enter their own homes.

प्रतिष्ठा वायुदेहेषु शयानांस्तु स्ववंशजान् । तत्र यच्छन्ति लिङ्गानि दर्शयन्ति खगेश्वर ॥ २,२३.

They dwell in bodies of air and approach their own descendants as they lie sleeping, and there they display signs, O King of Birds.

स्वपुत्रस्वकलत्राणि स्वबन्धुन्तत्र गच्छति । हयो गजो वृषो मर्त्योदृश्यते विकृताननः ॥ २,२३.

They go to their own sons, wives, and relatives there; a horse, elephant, bull, or mortal with a distorted face is seen.

शयानं विपरीतं तु आत्मानं च विपर्ययम् । उत्थितः पश्यति यस्तु तद्विन्द्यात्प्रेतनिर्मितम् ॥ २,२३.

If one sees himself lying in an inverted position or perceives himself in a reversed state, and upon rising observes this, know it to be caused by a preta.

स्वप्ने नरौ हि निगडैर्बध्यते बहुधा यदि । अन्नं च याचते स्वप्ने कुवेषः पूर्वजो मृतः ॥ २,२३.

If in a dream a man is bound in many ways with chains, or begs for food, or sees a deceased elder in an unclean form,

स्वप्ने यो भुज्यमानस्य गृहीत्वान्नं पलायते । आत्मनस्तु परो वापि तृषार्तस्तु जलं पिबेत् ॥ २,२३.

If in a dream someone steals food from one who is eating and runs away, or if oneself or another, tormented by thirst, drinks water,

वृषभारोहणं स्वप्ने वृषभैः सह गच्छति । उत्पत्य गगनं याति तीर्थे याति क्षुधातुरः ॥ २,२३.

If one rides a bull in a dream, or goes with bulls, or flies into the sky, or visits a sacred place while afflicted by hunger,

स्ववाचा वदते यस्तु गोवृषद्विजावाजिषु । लिङ्गे गजे तथा देवे भूते प्रेते निशाचरे ॥ २,२३.

If one speaks in a dream about cows, bulls, Brahmins, horses, elephants, gods, beings, pretas, or night-wanderers,

स्वप्नमध्ये तु पक्षीन्द्र प्रेतलिङ्गान्यनेकधा । स्वकलत्रं स्वबन्धुं वा स्वसुतं स्वपतिं विभुम् । विद्यमानं मृतं पश्येत्प्रेतदोषेण निश्चितम् ॥ २,२३.

O King of Birds, in the midst of a dream, if one sees many signs of pretas, or sees one's own wife, relatives, son, or husband—whether living or dead—this is certainly due to the influence of pretas.

याचते यः परं स्वप्ने क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां च परिप्लुतः । तीर्थे गत्वा दहेत्पिण्डान्प्रेतदौषैर्न संशयः ॥ २,२३.

If in a dream one begs another for food, overwhelmed by hunger and thirst, or goes to a sacred place and burns offerings of rice balls, it is undoubtedly due to the faults of pretas.

निर्गच्छेद्वा गृहाद्वापि स्वप्ने पुत्रस्तथा पशुः । पिता भ्राता कलत्रं च प्रेतदोषैस्तु पश्यति ॥ २,२३.

If in a dream a son, animal, father, brother, or wife leaves the house, this is seen due to the faults of pretas.

चिह्नान्येतानि पक्षीन्द्र प्रायश्चित्तं निवेदयेत् । कृत्वा स्नानं गृहे तीर्थे श्रीवृक्षे तर्पणं जलैः ॥ २,२३.

O King of Birds, these are the signs; one should perform expiation. After bathing at home or in a sacred place, one should offer water for satisfaction at a holy tree.

कृष्णधान्यानि पूजां च प्रदद्याद्वेदपारगे । होमं कुर्याद्यथाशक्ति सम्पूर्णं वाचयेत्सुधीः ॥ २,२३.

One should offer black grains and worship to a knower of the Vedas, perform a fire offering according to one's ability, and have the entire rite recited by a learned person.

एतद्धि श्रद्धया यस्तु प्रेतलिङ्गनिदर्शनम् । पठते शृणुते वापि प्रेतचिह्नं विनश्यति ॥ २,२३.

Whoever, with faith, reads or hears this indication of the signs of the departed, all marks of death are destroyed for that person.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २४ गरुड उवाच । नाकाले म्रियते कश्चिदिति वेदानुशासनम् । कस्मान्मृत्युमवाप्नोति राजा वा श्रोत्रियोपि वा ॥ २,२४.

Garuḍa said: The Vedas declare that no one dies before their time; then why does death come to a king or even to a learned Brāhmaṇa?

यदुक्तं ब्राह्मणा पूर्वमनृतं तद्धि दृश्यते । वेदैरुक्तं तु यद्वाक्यं शतं जीवति मानुषे ॥ २,२४.

What was previously said by Brāhmaṇas is seen to be untrue; but whatever is spoken by the Vedas, a human lives for a hundred years.