पृथक्पृथक्च पिण्डेन दम्पती पतिना सह । न लिप्यते महादोषैरेतत्सत्यं वचो मम ॥ २,२६.
By offering separate piṇḍas for husband and wife, together with the husband, one is not tainted by great faults; this is my true statement.
एकचित्यां समारूढौ दम्पती निधनं गतौ । एकपाकं प्रकुर्वीत पिण्डान्दद्यात्पृथक्पृथक् ॥ २,२६.
If husband and wife die and are placed on one funeral pyre, one cooking should be done, but the piṇḍa offerings should be given separately.
एकादशे वृषोत्सर्गं प्रेतश्राद्धानि षोडश । घटादिपददानानि महादानानि यानि च । वर्षं यावत्पृथक्कुर्यात्प्रेतस्तृप्तिं व्रजेच्चिरम् ॥ २,२६.
On the eleventh day, the release of the bull, sixteen funeral śrāddhas, the giving of vessels, food, and great gifts—these should be done separately for a year; the departed will attain satisfaction for a long time.
एकगोत्रे मृतानां तु स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा । स्थण्डिलं चैकतः कुर्याद्धोमं कुर्यात्पृथक्पृथक् ॥ २,२६.
For those who have died in the same lineage, whether woman or man, the funeral ground should be prepared together, but the oblations should be performed separately.
एकादशेऽह्नि यच्छ्राद्धं पृथक्पिण्डाश्च भोजनम् । पाकैरेन पतिस्त्रीणामन्येषां च विगर्हितम् ॥ २,२६.
On the eleventh day, the śrāddha, separate piṇḍas, and meals—if cooked together for wives or others, it is considered improper.
एकेनैव तु पाकेन श्राद्धानि कुरुते सुतः । एकं तु विकिरं कुर्यात्पिण्डान्दद्यद्बहूनपि । तीर्थे चापरपक्षे वा चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहेऽपि वा ॥ २,२६.
But the son may perform the śrāddhas with a single cooking, make one offering, and give many piṇḍas, whether at a sacred place, during the dark fortnight, or at an eclipse of the moon or sun.
नारी भर्तारमासाद्य कुणपं दहते यदा । अग्निर्दहति गात्राणि आत्मानं नैव पीडयेत् ॥ २,२६.
When a woman, having reached her husband, burns the corpse, the fire consumes the body but does not afflict the soul.
दह्यते ध्मायमानानां धातूनां हि यथा मलम् । तथा नारी दहेद्देहं हुताशे ह्यमृतोपमे ॥ २,२६.
Just as fire burns away the impurities of metals being smelted, so does a woman burn her body in the sacred fire, which is like immortality.
दिव्यादौ दिव्यदेहस्तु शुद्धो भवति पूरुषः । तप्ततैलेन लोहेन वह्निना नैव दह्यते ॥ २,२६.
At the beginning of the divine state, a person attains a divine body, pure; he is not burned by heated oil, iron, or fire.
तथा सा पतिसंयुक्ता दह्यते न कदाचन । अन्तरात्मा मृते तस्मिन्मृतोऽप्येकत्वमागतः ॥ २,२६.
In the same way, when united with her husband, she is never burned; even after his death, having attained oneness, the inner self remains.
भर्तृसंगं परित्यज्य अन्यत्र म्रियते यदि । भर्तृलोकं न सा याति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् ॥ २,२६.
If, abandoning her husband, a woman dies elsewhere, she does not attain her husband's world until the end of the cosmic dissolution.
लक्ष्मीयुतान्परित्यज्य मातरं पितरं तथा । मृतं पतिमनुव्रज्य सा चिरं सुखमेधते ॥ २,२६.
But if, forsaking even her wealthy mother and father, she follows her deceased husband, she attains lasting happiness.
दिव्यवर्षप्रमाणेन तिस्रः कोट्योर्ऽद्धकोटयः । तावत्कालं वसेत्स्वर्गे नक्षत्रैः सह सर्वदा ॥ २,२६.
For a period measured by one and a half crore times three crore divine years, she dwells in heaven, always among the stars.
तदन्ते चरते लोके कुले भवति भोगिनाम् । सा हि लब्धमहाप्रीतिर्भर्त्रा सह पतिव्रता ॥ २,२६.
After that, she moves about in the world, is born in the family of the prosperous, and, as a devoted wife, enjoys great happiness together with her husband.
एवं न कुरुते नारी धर्मोढा पतिसंगमम् । जन्मजन्मनि दुः खार्तादुः शीलाप्रियवादिनी ॥ २,२६.
But if a married woman does not act in this way, she suffers pain and misfortune, birth after birth, speaking harshly and delighting in wickedness.
वल्गुली गृहसोधा वा गोधा वा द्विमुखी भवेत् । स्वभर्तारं परित्यज्य परपुंसोनुवर्तिनी ॥ २,२६.
A woman who abandons her own husband and follows another man becomes a monkey, a house lizard, a monitor lizard, or one with two faces.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन स्वपतिं स्त्री निषेवते । मनसा कर्मणा वाचा मृतं जीवन्तमेव वा ॥ २,२६.
Therefore, by every effort, a woman should serve her husband—whether living or dead—with mind, action, and speech.
जीवमाने मृते वापि किल्बिषं कुरुते तु या । स च वैधव्यमाप्नोति जन्मजन्मनि दुर्भगा ॥ २,२६.
She who commits sin, whether her husband is alive or dead, obtains widowhood and misfortune, birth after birth.
यद्देवेभ्यो यत्पितृभ्यः श्रद्धयैव प्रदीयते । तत्फलं भर्तृपूजातः कुर्याद्भर्त्रर्चनं ततः ॥ २,२६.
Whatever is offered with faith to the gods or ancestors, that same fruit is obtained by worshipping the husband; therefore, one should honor the husband.
एवं कृते खगश्रेष्ठ पितृलोके चिरं वसेत् । यावदादित्यचन्द्रौ च तावद्देवसमा दिवि ॥ २,२६.
By acting thus, O best of birds, she dwells long in the world of ancestors, and in heaven she is equal to the gods for as long as the sun and moon endure.
पुनश्चिरायुषो भूत्त्वा जायन्ते विपुले कुले । पतिव्रता यथा नारी भर्तृदुःखं न विन्दति ॥ २,२६.
Then, having long life, she is born in a noble family; a devoted wife does not experience her husband's suffering.
सर्वमेतद्धि कथितं मया तव खगेश्वर । विशेषं कथयिष्यामि मृतस्यैव सुखप्रदम् ॥ २,२६.
All this has been told to you by me, O king of birds; now I will tell you in detail what brings happiness to the dead.
द्वादशाहे कृतं सर्वं वर्षं यावत्सपिण्डनम् । पुनः कुर्यात्सदा नित्यं घटान्नं प्रतिमासिकम् ॥ २,२६.
Whatever is performed on the twelfth day and all the way up to the annual śrāddha, should always be done again every month, with food and water offerings.
कृतस्य करणं नास्ति प्रेतकार्यादृते खग । यः करोति नरः कश्चित्कृत्पूर्वं विनश्यति ॥ २,२६.
There is no benefit in repeating what has already been done, except for the rites for the departed, O bird; whoever repeats what was already performed is ruined.
मृतस्यैव पुनः कुर्यात्प्रेतोऽक्षय्यमवाप्नुयात् । प्रतिमासं घटा देया सोदना जलपूरिताः ॥ २,२६.
One should perform rites again only for the deceased; by doing so, the departed attains inexhaustible merit. Every month, water-filled pots should be offered.
अर्वाक्च वृद्धेः करणाच्च तार्क्ष्य सपिण्डनं यः कुरुते हि पुत्रः । तथापि मासं प्रतिपिण्डमेकमन्नं च कुम्भं सजलं च दद्यात् ॥ २,२६.
If a son performs the sapiṇḍa rite after the prescribed period or after the father’s old age, still, each month, he should give one food offering and a pot filled with water.
श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २७ तार्क्ष्य उवाच । कथं प्रेता वसन्त्यत्र कीदृग्रूपा भवन्ति ते । महाप्रेताः पिशाचाश्च कैःकैः कर्मफलैर्विभो । सर्वेषामनुकम्पार्थं ब्रूहि मे मधुसूदन ॥ २,२७.
Tārkṣya said: How do the departed dwell here, and what forms do they take? And the great pretas and piśācas—by what actions do they become so? For the sake of compassion for all, tell me, O Madhusūdana.
प्रेतत्वान्मुच्यते येन दानेन च शुभे न च । तन्मे कथय देवेश मम चेदिच्छसि प्रियम् ॥ २,२७.
By what gift is one freed from the state of a preta, and by what auspicious act? Tell me that, O Lord of the gods, if you wish to do me a favor.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । साधु पृष्टं त्वया तार्क्ष्य मानुषाणां हिताय वै । शृणुचावहितो भूत्वा यद्वच्मि प्रेतलक्षणम् ॥ २,२७.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Well have you asked, O Tārkṣya, for the benefit of humankind. Now listen attentively as I speak of the marks of the departed.
गुह्यद्गुह्यतरं ह्येतन्नाख्येयं यस्य कस्यचित् । भक्तस्त्वं हि महाबाहो तेन ते कथयाम्यहम् ॥ २,२७.
This is most secret, more hidden than the hidden, and should not be revealed to just anyone. But you are devoted, O mighty-armed one, so I will tell you.