Garuda Purana

गरुड उवाच । मृते बाले कथं कुर्यात्पिण्डदानादिकाः क्रियाः । गर्भेषु च विपन्नानामाचूडाकरणाच्छिशोः ॥ २,२४.

Garuda said: When a child dies, how should one perform rites such as offering balls of rice? And for those who perish in the womb, or before the first shaving of the child's head?

कथं किं केन दातव्यं मृतान्ते को विधिः स्मृतः । गरुडोक्तमिति श्रुत्वा विष्णुर्वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् ॥ २,२४.

How, what, and by whom should offerings be made at the time of death? What is the prescribed rite? Hearing Garuḍa’s words, Viṣṇu then spoke as follows:

श्रीविष्णुरुवाच । यदि गर्भो विपद्यते स्त्रवते वापि योषितः । यावन्मासं स्थितो गर्भस्तावद्दिनमशौचकम् ॥ २,२४.

Śrī Viṣṇu said: If a pregnancy is lost or a woman miscarries, for as many months as the fetus remained, that many days of impurity are observed.

तस्य किञ्चिन्न कर्तव्यमात्मनः श्रेय इच्छता । ततो जाते विपन्ने तु आ चूडाकरणाच्छिशोः ॥ २,२४.

Nothing should be done by one who desires their own welfare in such a case; but if the child is born and then dies, rites are performed up to the time of the child’s first tonsure.

दुग्धं भोज्यं ताशक्ति बालानां च प्रदीयते । आ चूडात्पञ्चवर्षे तु देहदाहो विधीयते ॥ २,२४.

Milk and food, according to ability, are to be given for children; up to the tonsure or five years, cremation of the body is prescribed.

दुग्धं तस्य प्रदेयं स्याद्बालानां भोजनं शुभम् । पञ्चवर्षाधिके प्रेते स्वजातिविहितानि च ॥ २,२४.

Milk should be offered for them, and wholesome food for children; if one dies after five years, the rites prescribed for their own caste should be performed.

कुर्यात्कर्माणि सर्वाणि चोदकुम्भादि पायसम् । दातव्यं तु खगश्रेष्ठ ऋणसम्बन्धकस्तु सः ॥ २,२४.

All the rites should be performed, including the water-pot and rice pudding; these should be given, O best of birds, for he is bound by the debt of birth.

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च । कर्तव्यं पक्षिशार्दूल पुनर्देहक्षयाय वै ॥ २,२४.

For one who is born, death is certain, and for the dead, birth is certain; therefore, O tiger among birds, the rites must be performed for the dissolution of the body.

तस्मै यद्रोचते देयमदत्त्वा निर्धने कुले । स्वल्पायुर्निर्धनो भूत्वा रतिभक्तिविवर्जितः ॥ २,२४.

Whatever pleases him should be given; if not given in a poor family, one becomes short-lived, impoverished, and deprived of pleasure and devotion.

पुनर्जन्माप्नुयान्मर्त्यस्तस्माद्देयमृते शिशोः । पुराणे गीयते गाथा सर्वथा प्रतिभाति मे ॥ २,२४.

A mortal is reborn if he does not give for the deceased child; this is declared in the Purāṇas, and it is clear to me in every way.

मिष्टान्नं भोजनं देयं दाने शक्तिस्तु दुर्लभा । भोज्ये भोजनशक्तिश्च रतिशक्तिर्वरस्त्रियः ॥ २,२४.

Sweet food should be given, but the ability to give is rare; the power to eat is in food, the power of enjoyment is in noble women.

विभवे दानशक्तिश्च नाल्पस्य तपसः फलम् । दानाद्भोगानवाप्नोति सौख्यं तीर्थस्य सेवनात् । सुभाषणान्मृतो यस्तु स विद्वान्धर्मवित्तमः ॥ २,२४.

The power to give is in wealth; the fruit of austerity is not for the poor. By giving, one attains enjoyment; by visiting holy places, happiness; by speaking well, the dead becomes wise and most learned in dharma.

अदत्तदानाच्च भवेद्दरिद्रो दरिद्रभावाच्च करोतिपापम् । पापप्रभावान्नरकं प्रयाति पुनर्दरिद्रः पुनरेव पापी ॥ २,२४.

From not giving what should be given, one becomes poor; from poverty, one commits sin; from the power of sin, one goes to hell, and again becomes poor and sinful.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २५ श्रीविष्णुरुवाच । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि पुरुषस्त्री विनिर्णयम् । जीवन्वापि मृतो वापि पञ्चवर्षाधिकोऽपि वा ॥ २,२५.

Śrī Viṣṇu said: Now I will explain the rules for men and women, whether living or dead, even if they are over five years old.

पूर्णे तु पञ्चमे वर्षे पुमांश्चैव प्रतिष्ठितः । सर्वैन्द्रियाणि जानाति रूपारूपविपर्ययौ ॥ २,२५.

When the fifth year is completed, a boy is established; he knows all the senses and the difference between form and formlessness.

पूर्वकर्मविपाकेन प्राणिनां वधबन्धनम् । विप्रादीनन्त्यजान्सर्वान्पापं मारयति ध्रुवम् ॥ २,२५.

Because of the results of previous actions, living beings are subject to killing and bondage; among all, from Brāhmaṇas to outcastes, sin certainly destroys.

गर्भे नष्टे क्रिया नास्ति दुग्धं देयं मृते शिशौ । परं च पायसं क्षीरं दद्याद्वलविपत्तितः ॥ २,२५.

If the fetus is lost, no rites are performed; milk should be given for a dead child, and rice pudding or milk should be given if a child dies young.

एकादशाहं द्वादशाहं वृषं वृषविधिं विना । महादानविहीनं च कुमारे कृत्यमादिशेत् ॥ २,२५.

On the eleventh or twelfth day, without the bull or the rites for the bull, and without the great gifts, the prescribed rites for a boy should be performed.

कुमाराणां चैव बालानां भोजनं वस्त्रवेष्टनम् । बाले वा तरुणे वृद्धे घटो भवति वै मृते ॥ २,२५.

For boys and children, food and clothing should be given; whether the deceased is a child, youth, or elder, the water-pot rite is to be performed.

भूमौ विनिः क्षिपेद्बालं द्विमासोनं द्विवार्षिकम् । ततः परं खगश्रेष्ठ देहदाहो विधोयते ॥ २,२५.

One should place a child of two months or two years upon the ground; after that, O best of birds, the burning of the body is prescribed.

शिशुरा दन्तजननाद्बालः स्याद्यावदाशिखम् । कथ्यते सर्वशास्त्रेषु कुमारो मौञ्जिबन्धनात् ॥ २,२५.

A child is so called until teething, and is referred to as such until the tuft of hair is grown; in all scriptures, a youth is said to begin from the tying of the sacred thread.

शूद्रादीनां कथं कुर्यात्संशयो मौञ्जिवर्जनात् । गर्भाच्च नवमं हित्वा शिशुरामासषोडशम् ॥ २,२५.

How should one act for Śūdras and others, since the sacred thread is omitted? After leaving the ninth month from conception, the child is considered up to sixteen months.

बालश्चाथ परञ्ज्ञेय आमाससप्तविंशति । आ पञ्च वर्षात्कौमारः पौगण्डो नवहांयनः ॥ २,२५.

Then, O bird, know that the term 'child' applies up to twenty-seven months; 'boyhood' lasts until five years, and 'pauganda' up to nine years.

किशोरः षोडशाब्दः स्यात्ततो यौवनमादिशेत् । मृतोऽपि पञ्चमे वर्षे अवृतः सवृतोऽपि वा ॥ २,२५.

A 'kishora' is sixteen years old; after that, youth is declared. If one dies in the fifth year, whether uninitiated or initiated, the same applies.

पूर्वोक्तमेव कर्तव्यमीहते दशपिण्डकम् । स्वल्पकर्मप्रसङ्गाच्च स्वल्पाद्विषयबन्धनात् ॥ २,२५.

The previously mentioned rites must be performed, including the offering of ten rice balls, due to the limited scope of actions and the small extent of worldly ties.

स्वल्षाद्वपुषि वस्त्राच्च क्रियां स्वल्पामपीच्छति । यावदुपचयो जन्तुर्यावद्विषयवेष्टितः ॥ २,२५.

Because of the smallness of the body and the clothing, only minimal rites are desired, as long as the being is growing and bound by worldly matters.

यद्यद्यस्योपजीव्यं स्यात्तत्तद्देयमिहेच्छति । ब्रह्मबीजोद्भवाः पुत्रा देवर्षोणां च वल्लभाः ॥ २,२५.

Whatever sustains each individual, that should be given here; sons born from the seed of Brahma are dear to the gods and sages.

यमेन यमदूतैश्च शास्यन्ते निश्चितं खग । बालो वृद्धो युबा वापि घटमिच्छन्ति देहिनः ॥ २,२५.

They are certainly governed by Yama and his messengers, O bird; whether child, elder, or youth, embodied beings desire union.

सुखं दुः खं सदा वेत्ति देही वै सर्वगस्त्विह । परित्यज्य तदात्मानं जीर्णां त्वचमिवोरगः ॥ २,२५.

The embodied soul always experiences pleasure and pain here; abandoning itself like a snake sheds its worn skin.