Garuda Purana

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.

सर्वदानानि देयानि ह्यन्न दानादृते खग । संगृहीतः सुतः कुर्यादेकोद्दिष्टं न पार्वणम् ॥ २,२५.

All gifts should be given, except for the gift of food, O bird; the adopted son should perform only the specified rite, not the full funeral rite.

प्रत्यब्दं पितृमातृभ्यां श्राद्धं दत्त्वा न लिप्यते । एकोद्दिष्टं परित्यज्य पार्वणं कुरुते यदि ॥ २,२५.

By giving the funeral rite each year to father and mother, one is not tainted; if, abandoning the specified rite, one performs the full funeral rite,

आत्मानं च पितॄंश्चैव स नयेद्यममन्दिरम् । संगृहीतस्तु यः केचिद्दासीपुत्त्रादयश्च ये ॥ २,२५.

He leads himself and his ancestors to the abode of Yama; the adopted son and those who are sons of servant women, and others,

तीर्थे कुर्युः पितृश्राद्धं दानं (मासं) दद्युर्द्विजन्मने । संगृहीतसुतो भूत्वा पाकं वा यः प्रयच्छति ॥ २,२५.

They may perform the ancestor rite at a sacred place, give gifts (monthly) to a twice-born; if, having become an adopted son, one offers cooked food,

वृथा श्राद्धं विजानीयाच्छूद्रान्नेन यथा द्विजः । न प्रीणयति तच्छ्राद्धं पितामहमुखान्पितॄन् । एवं ज्ञात्वा स्वगश्रेष्ठ हीनजातीन्सुतांस्त्यजेत् ॥ २,२५.

Know that the funeral rite is fruitless, as food from a Shudra is for a Brahmin; that rite does not please the ancestors headed by the grandfather. Knowing this, O best of the birds, one should abandon sons of inferior birth.

(ब्राह्मण्यां ब्राह्मणाज्जातश्चाण्डालादधमः स्मृतः ) । यस्तु प्रव्रजिताज्जातो ब्राह्मण्यां शूद्रतश्च यः ॥ २,२५.

(One born from a Brahmin woman by a Brahmin is remembered as lowest if from a Chandala); one who is born from a renunciate, or from a Brahmin woman by a Shudra.

द्वावेतौ विद्धि चाण्डालौ सगोत्राद्यस्तु जायते । स्वर्यातिविहितान्पुत्रः समुत्पाद्य खगेश्वर ॥ २,२५.

Know that these two, when born from the same lineage, are considered outcastes; a son produced contrary to prescribed rites, O Lord of Birds.

तैः सुवृत्तैः सुखं प्राप्यं कुवृत्तैर्नरकं व्रजेत् । हीनजातिसमुद्भूतैः सुवृत्तैः सुखमेधते ॥ २,२५.

By those of good conduct, happiness is attained; by those of bad conduct, one goes to hell. Even those born in a low caste, if well-behaved, obtain happiness.

कलिकलुषविमुक्तः पूजितः सिद्धसङ्घैरमरचमरमालावीज्यमानोऽप्सरोभिः । पितृशतमपि बन्धून्पुत्त्रपौत्त्रप्रपौत्त्रानपि नरकनिमग्नानुद्धरेदेक एव ॥ २,२५.

Freed from the impurities of the Kali age, worshipped by assemblies of accomplished beings, fanned with celestial yak-tail whisks by apsaras, a single person can uplift hundreds of ancestors, relatives, sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons who have fallen into hell.

श्रीगरुडमाहपुराणम् २६ गरुड उवाच । सत्यं ब्रूहि सुरश्रेष्ठ कृपां कृत्वा मयि प्रभो । मृतानां चैव जन्तूनां कदा कुर्यात्सपिण्डनम् ॥ २,२६.

Garuḍa said: Speak the truth, O best of gods, show compassion to me, O Lord. When should the sapiṇḍa ceremony be performed for deceased beings?

सपिण्डत्वे कुतो यान्ति असपिण्डे कुतो गतिः । केनैव सहपिण्डत्वं स्त्रीपुसोर्वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ २,२६.

How do they attain sapiṇḍa status, and what is the fate of those who are not sapiṇḍa? By what means does sapiṇḍa relationship between woman and man arise? Please explain.

स्त्रीपुमांशौ सहैकत्वं पाप्नुतः कथमुत्तमम् । जीवेद्भर्तरि नारीणां सपिण्डीकरणं कुतः ॥ २,२६.

How do woman and man together attain the highest unity? If the husband is alive, when is the sapiṇḍa ceremony performed for women?

भर्तृलोकं कथं यान्ति स्वर्गलोकं सुरेश्वर । अग्न्यारोहे कथं श्राद्धं वृषोत्सर्गः कथं भवेत् ॥ २,२६.

How do they reach the husband's realm, O Lord of gods, or the heavenly realm? How is the śrāddha performed at the fire-ascension, and how is the bull-release conducted?

घटदानं कथं कार्यं सपिण्डीकरणे कृते । कथयस्व प्रसादेन हीताय जगतां प्रभो ॥ २,२६.

How should the donation of a pot be carried out when the sapiṇḍa ceremony is done? Please tell me, by your grace, for the benefit of all beings, O Lord.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । यथावत्कथयिष्यामि सपिण्डीकरणं खग । वर्षं यावत्खगश्रेष्ठ यदाचरति मानवः ॥ २,२६.

The Blessed Lord said: I will explain to you in detail the sapiṇḍa ceremony, O Bird. For as long as a man observes it, O best of birds, for that duration—

सपिण्डने ततो वृत्ते पितृलोकं स गच्छति । तस्मात्पुत्त्रेण कर्तव्यं सपिण्डीकरणं पितुः ॥ २,२६.

When the sapiṇḍa ceremony is performed, he attains the realm of the ancestors. Therefore, the son must perform the sapiṇḍa ceremony for his father.

संवत्सरे तु सम्पूर्णे कुर्यात्पिण्ड प्रवेशनम् । पिण्डप्रवेशविधिना तस्य नित्यं मृताह्निकम् ॥ २,२६.

When the year is completed, one should perform the offering of the piṇḍa. By the rite of piṇḍa offering, the daily rites for the deceased are fulfilled.

निश्चितं पक्षिशार्दूल वर्षान्ते पिण्डमेलनम् । सहपिण्डे कृते प्रेतस्ततो याति परां गतिम् । तन्नाम सम्परित्यज्य ततः पितृगणो भवेत् ॥ २,२६.

Certainly, O tiger among birds, at the end of the year, the joining of the piṇḍa occurs. When the joint piṇḍa is performed, the departed attains the highest state. His name is relinquished, and thereafter he becomes one among the ancestors.

त्रिपक्षे वापि षण्मासे मेलयेत्प्रपितामहैः । ज्ञात्वा वृद्धिविवाहादि स्वगोत्रविहितानि च ॥ २,२६.

Or, one may join the piṇḍa after three fortnights, six months, or with great-grandfathers, knowing the customs of growth, marriage, and those prescribed for one's lineage.

विवाहं नैव कुर्वीत मृते च गृहमेधिनि । भिक्षुर्भिक्षां न गृह्णाति यावत्कुर्यात्सपिण्डनम् ॥ २,२६.

One should not perform marriage when the householder has died. A mendicant does not accept alms until the sapiṇḍa ceremony is performed.