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.
जीवन्ति मानुषे लोके सर्वे वर्णा द्विजातयः । अन्त्यजाम्लेच्छजाश्चैव खण्डे भारतसंज्ञके ॥ २,२४.
In the world of humans, all castes and twice-born live, as well as those born among outcastes and foreigners, in the land called Bhārata.
न दृश्यते कलौ तच्च कस्माद्देव समादिश । (आधानान्मृत्युमाप्नोति बालो वा स्थविरो युबा ॥ २,२४.
But this is not seen in the present age; why is this so, O god? (Whether a child, an old man, or a youth, death comes at the time of initiation.)
सधनो निर्धनो वापि सुकुमारः सुरूपवान् । अविद्वांश्चैव विद्वांश्च ब्राह्मणस्त्वितरो जनः ॥ २,२४.
Whether wealthy or poor, delicate or handsome, ignorant or learned, Brāhmaṇa or someone else—
तपोरतो योगशीलो महाज्ञानी च यो नरः । सर्वज्ञानरतः श्रीमान्धर्मात्मातुलविक्रमः ॥ २,२४.
A man devoted to austerity, skilled in yoga, a great knower, absorbed in all knowledge, prosperous, righteous, and of incomparable valor—
) सर्वमेतदशषेण जायते वसुधातले । कस्मान्मृत्युमवाप्नोति राजा वा श्रोत्रियोऽपि वा ॥ २,२४.
All of these are born on the surface of the earth; then why does death come to a king or even to a learned Brāhmaṇa?
श्रीभगवानुवाच । साधुसाधु महाप्राज्ञ यस्त्वं भक्तोऽसि मे प्रियः । श्रूयतां वचनं गुह्यं नानादेशविनाशनम् ॥ २,२४.
The Blessed Lord said: Well asked, O great wise one, you are my devoted and dear one. Listen to this secret teaching, which destroys all kinds of misfortune.
विधातृविहितो मृत्युः शीघ्रमादाय गच्छति । ततो वक्ष्यामि पक्षीन्द्र काश्यपेय महाद्युते ॥ २,२४.
Death, ordained by the Creator, swiftly takes away life. Therefore, O king of birds, descendant of Kaśyapa, of great splendor, I will explain.
मानुषः शतजीवीति पुरा वेदेन भाषितम् । विकर्मणः प्रभावेण शीघ्रं चापि विनश्यति ॥ २,२४.
It was formerly declared in the Veda that a human lives for a hundred years; but due to the influence of wrong actions, he quickly perishes.
वेदानभ्यसनेनैव कुलाचारं न सेवते । आलस्यात्कर्मणां त्यागो निषिद्धेऽप्यादरः सदा ॥ २,२४.
By not studying the Vedas, not following family customs, abandoning actions out of laziness, and always showing respect for what is forbidden—
यत्र तत्र गृहेऽश्राति परक्षेत्ररतस्तथा । एतैरन्यैर्महादोषैर्जायते चायुषः क्षयः ॥ २,२४.
Dwelling in any house, delighting in another's field, and through these and other great faults, there arises a decline of lifespan.