Garuda Purana

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.

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो वायुभृतः क्षुधान्वितः । तस्माद्देयानि दानानि मृते बाले सुनिश्चितम् ॥ २,२५.

The person, the size of a thumb, sustained by air and driven by hunger, therefore, offerings must certainly be given when a child dies.

जन्मतः पञ्च वर्षाणि भुङ्क्ते दत्तमसंस्कृतम् । पञ्चवर्षाधिके बाले विपत्तिर्यदि जायते ॥ २,२५.

From birth, for five years, one enjoys what is given without rites; if a child older than five years dies, adversity arises.

वृषोत्सर्गादिकं कर्म सपिण्डीकरणं विना । द्वादशे हनि सम्प्राप्ते कुर्याच्छ्राद्धानि षोडश ॥ २,२५.

The rites such as releasing the bull, except for the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, should be performed; when the twelfth day arrives, sixteen śrāddha ceremonies are to be done.

पायसेन गुडेनापि पिण्डान्दद्याद्यथाक्रमम् । उदकुम्भप्रदानं च पद (उप) दानानि यानि च ॥ २,२५.

One should offer rice balls with milk or even with jaggery, in proper order; the giving of water pots and other offerings as appropriate.

भोजनानि द्विजे दद्यान्महादानादि शक्तितः । दीपदानादि यत्किञ्चित्पञ्चवर्षाधिके सदा ॥ २,२५.

One should give food to twice-borns, and great gifts as able; always, after five years, even small gifts like lamps should be given.

कर्तव्यं च खगश्रेष्ठ व्रतात्प्राक्प्रेततृप्तये । यदा नक्रियते सर्वं मुद्गलत्वं स गच्छति ॥ २,२५.

O best of birds, rites must be performed before the vow, for the satisfaction of the departed; if nothing is done, he attains the state of Mudgala.

व्रतात्प्राङ्गेव देयं तु ततः पितृगणस्य च । स्वाहाकारेण वै कुर्यादेकोद्दिष्टानि षोडश ॥ २,२५.

Offerings should be made before the vow, and then to the group of ancestors; one should perform sixteen specified rites with the svāhā invocation.

ऋजुदर्भैस्तिलैः शुक्लैः प्राचीनावीति निश्चितम् । अपसव्यं च कर्तव्यं कृते यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥ २,२५.

Using straight darbha grass and white sesame seeds, with the cloth facing east, certainly; the rites should be performed with the thread over the left shoulder, and when done, they attain the highest state.

पुनश्चिरायुषो भूत्वा जायन्ते स्वकुले ध्रुवम् । सर्वसौख्यप्रदः पुत्रः पित्रोः प्रीतिविवर्धनः ॥ २,२५.

Again, having become long-lived, they are certainly born in their own family; a son grants all happiness, increases the affection of his parents.

आकाशमेकं हि यथा चन्द्रादित्यौ यथैकतः । घटादिषु पृथक्सर्वं पश्य रूपं च तत्समम् ॥ २,२५.

Just as there is one sky, and the moon and sun are united in it, so too, observe that in pots and other vessels, the forms are distinct, yet the essence is the same.

आत्मा तथैव सर्वेषु पुत्त्रेषु विचरेत्सदा । या यस्य प्रकृतिः पूर्वं शुक्रशोणितसङ्गमे ॥ २,२५.

In the same way, the self always moves among all sons; whatever nature belonged to each previously, at the union of semen and blood,

सा (स) तेन भावयोगेन पुत्त्रास्तत्कर्मकारिणः । पितृरूपं समादाय कस्यचिज्जायते सुतः ॥ २,२५.

That nature, through the power of that union, causes the sons to act accordingly; taking on the form of the father, a son is born to someone.

पितृतः कोऽपि रूपाढ्यो गुणज्ञो दानतत्परः । सदृशः कोऽपि लोकेऽस्मिन्न भूतो न भविष्यति ॥ २,२५.

From the father, one may be endowed with beauty, knowledgeable of virtues, devoted to giving; one may be similar, but in this world, none has been nor will be exactly the same.

अन्धादन्धो न भवति मूकान्मूको न जायते । बधिराद्बधिरो नैव विद्यावान्विदुषो न हि । अनुरूपा न दृश्यन्ते मदीयं वचनं शृणु ॥ २,२५.

The blind does not beget the blind, the mute does not beget the mute, nor does the deaf beget the deaf, nor the learned beget the learned; matching forms are not observed. Listen to my statement.

गरुड उवाच । औरसक्षेत्रजाद्याश्च पुत्त्रा दशविधाः स्मृताः । संगृहीतः सुतो यस्तु दासीपुत्त्रश्च तेन किम् ॥ २,२५.

Garuda said: Sons born from the womb, from the field, and others are remembered as ten kinds; what of the son who is adopted, and the son of a servant woman?

काङ्कां गतिमवाप्नोति जायो मृत्युवशं गतः । भवेन्न दुहिता यस्य न दौहित्रो न वा सुतः ॥ २,२५.

He attains the desired state when his wife has passed away; one who has neither daughter nor grandson nor son,

श्राद्धं तस्य कथं कार्यं विधिना केन तद्भवेत् । श्रीभगवानुवाच । मुखं दृष्ट्वा तु पुत्रस्य मुच्यते पैतृकादृणात् ॥ २,२५.

How should the funeral rite be performed for him, and by what procedure? The Blessed Lord said: By seeing the face of the son, one is released from the father's debt.

पौत्त्रस्य दर्शनाज्जन्तुर्मुच्यते चः ऋणत्रयात् । लोकानन्त्यं दिवः प्राप्तिः पुत्त्रपौत्त्र प्रपौत्त्रकैः ॥ २,२५.

By seeing the grandson, a person is freed from the three debts; endless worlds and attainment of heaven come through sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons.

अन्यक्षेत्रोद्भवाद्या ये भुक्तिमात्रप्रदाः सुताः । कुर्वीत पार्वणं श्राद्धमारैसो विधिवत्सुतः ॥ २,२५.

Those sons born from other fields grant only enjoyment; the legitimate son should perform the funeral rite according to proper procedure.

कुर्वन्त्यन्ये सुताः श्राद्धमे कोद्दिष्टं न पार्वणम् । ब्राह्मोढाजस्तून्नयति संगृहीतस्त्वधो नयेत् । श्राद्धं सांवत्सरं कुर्वञ्जायते नरकाय वै ॥ २,२५.

Other sons perform only the specified rite, not the full funeral rite; the son born of a Brahmin wife leads upward, the adopted son leads downward; performing the annual rite leads to hell.