Garuda Purana

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.

स्वगोत्रेऽप्यशुचिस्तावद्यावत्पिण्डं न मेलयेत् । मेलनात्प्रेतशब्दस्तु निवर्तेत खगेश्वर ॥ २,२६.

Even within one's own lineage, one remains impure until the piṇḍa is joined. Upon joining, the term 'preta' ceases, O Lord of Birds.

आनन्त्यात्कुलधर्माणां पुंसाञ्चैवायुषः क्षयात् । अस्थिरत्वाच्छरीरस्य द्वादशाहः प्रशस्यते ॥ २,२६.

Because of the endlessness of family duties and the decline of men's lifespan, and due to the instability of the body, twelve days are recommended.

निरग्निकः साग्निको वा द्वादशाहे सपिण्डयेत् ॥ २,२६.

Whether one is without fire or with fire, the sapiṇḍa ceremony should be performed on the twelfth day.

द्वादशाहे त्रिपक्षे वा षण्मासे वत्सरेऽपि वा । सपिण्डीकरणं प्रोक्तमृषिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥ २,२६.

On the twelfth day, or after three fortnights, six months, or even a year, the sapiṇḍa ceremony is prescribed by the sages who perceive the truth.

सपुत्त्रस्य न कर्तव्यमेकोद्दिष्टं कदाचन । सपिण्डीकरणादूर्ध्वं यत्रयत्र प्रदीयते ॥ २,२६.

One should never perform a single-offering (ekoddiṣṭa) rite for someone who has a son, at any time, wherever the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa has been completed.

तत्रतत्र त्रयं कार्यमन्यथा पितृघातकः । त्रिभिः कुर्यादशक्तश्च पार्वणं मुनिनोदितम् ॥ २,२६.

In every such case, three rites must be performed; otherwise, one becomes a slayer of ancestors. If unable, one should perform the fortnightly (pārvaṇa) rite as prescribed by the sages.

तद्दिने तद्दिने कुर्यात्पितामहमुखान्यतः । अज्ञानाद्दिनमासानां तस्मात्पार्वणमिष्यते ॥ २,२६.

On each corresponding day, one should perform the rites for the paternal ancestors; but if the exact day or month is unknown, the fortnightly rite is considered acceptable.

अनुत्पन्नशरीरस्य न दानं पितृभिः सह । एतैः षोडशभिः श्राद्धैः प्रेतो मुक्तस्तु जायते ॥ २,२६.

For one whose body has not been born, no offerings are to be made together with the ancestors; but by these sixteen śrāddha rites, the departed is indeed liberated.

अपुत्त्रस्य सपिण्डत्वं नैव कुर्यात्स्त्रियोऽपि वा । यावज्जीव च सद्भत्र्या न कुर्यात्सहपिण्डताम् ॥ २,२६.

For one without a son, sapiṇḍa-relationship should not be established, nor even for women; and as long as a virtuous wife lives, she should not be made a sapiṇḍa.

ब्राह्मादिषु विवाहेषु या वधूरिह संस्कृता । भर्तृगोत्रेण कर्तव्यास्तस्याः पिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥ २,२६.

In marriages of the Brāhma and other types, the bride who is consecrated here should have her piṇḍa and water rites performed according to her husband's lineage.