Garuda Purana

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.

अश्रद्दधानमशुचिं नास्तिकं त्यक्तमङ्गलम् । परद्रोहानृतरं ब्राह्मणं यत (म) मन्दिरम् ॥ २,२४.

A Brāhmaṇa who is faithless, impure, atheistic, forsaken by auspiciousness, harmful to others, and false—such a one, do not approach his house.

अरक्षितारं राजानं नित्यं धर्मविवर्जितम् । क्रूरं व्यसनिनं मूर्खं वेदवादबहिष्कृतम् । प्रजापीडनकर्तारं राजानं यमशासनम् ॥ २,२४.

A king who does not protect, who always abandons righteousness, who is cruel, addicted to vice, foolish, excluded from Vedic discourse, and oppresses his subjects—such a king is under the rule of Yama.

प्रापयन्ति वशं मृत्योस्ततो याति च यातनाम् । स्वकर्माणि परित्यज्य मुख्यवृत्तानि यानि च ॥ २,२४.

They are delivered into the power of death and then go to suffering, having abandoned their own proper duties and main occupations.

परकर्मरतो नित्यं यमलोकं स गच्छति । शूद्रः करोतिः यत्किञ्चिद्विजशुश्रूषणं विना ॥ २,२४.

One who is always engaged in another's duties goes to the world of Yama; if a Śūdra does anything without serving the twice-born—

उत्तमाधममध्ये वा यमलोके स पच्यते । स्नानं दानं जपो होमो स्वाध्यायो दवर्ताच्चनम् ॥ २,२४.

In Yama's realm, whether one is superior, inferior, or intermediate, he is tormented; bathing, giving, reciting, offering oblations, and self-study are absent there.

यस्मिन्दिने न सेव्यन्ते स वृथा दिवसो नृणाम् । अनित्यमध्रुवं देहमनाधारं रसोद्भवम् ॥ २,२४.

The day on which these are not practiced is wasted for humans; the body is impermanent, unstable, unsupported, and born of essence.

अन्नोदकमये देहे गुणानेतान्वदाम्यहम् । यत्प्रातः संस्कृतं सायं नूनमन्नं विनश्यति ॥ २,२४.

I declare these qualities in the body made of food and water: whatever is prepared in the morning, by evening, that food surely perishes.

तदीयरससम्पुष्टकाये का बत नित्यता । गतं ज्ञात्वा तु पक्षीन्द्र वपुरर्धं स्वकर्मभिः ॥ २,२४.

How can there be permanence in a body nourished by its essence? Knowing this, O king of birds, half the body departs through one's own actions.

नरः पापविनाशाय कुर्वीत परमौषधम् । देहः किमन्नदातुः स्विन्निषेक्तुर्मातुरेव वा ॥ २,२४.

A man should perform the supreme remedy for the destruction of sin; what is the body of the food-giver, the seed-caster, or even the mother?

उभयोर्वा प्रभोर्वापि बालनोग्नेः शुनोऽपि वा । कस्तत्र परमो यज्ञः कृमिविड्भस्मसंज्ञके ॥ २,२४.

Whether of both parents, or either lord, or even of a young fire, or a dog—what is the supreme sacrifice there, among those named worm, excrement, or ashes?