Garuda Purana

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.

पुरा त्रेतायुगे तात राजासीद्बभ्रुवाहनः । महोदयपुरे रम्ये धर्मनिष्ठो महाबलः ॥ २,२७.

Long ago, in the Tretā Yuga, dear one, there was a king named Babhruvāhana, steadfast in righteousness and great in strength, ruling in the beautiful city of Mahodaya.

यज्वा दानपतिः श्रीमान्ब्रह्मण्यः साधुसंमतः । शीलाचारगुणोपेतो दयादाक्षिण्यसंयुतः ॥ २,२७.

He was a performer of sacrifices, a lord of charity, prosperous, devoted to the Brāhmaṇas, esteemed by the virtuous, endowed with good conduct and character, and full of compassion and generosity.

प्रजाः पालयते नित्यं पुत्रानिव महाबलः । क्षत्त्रधर्मरतो नित्यं स दण्ड्यान्दण्डयन्नृपः ॥ २,२७.

That mighty king always protected his subjects like his own children, ever devoted to the duty of a kṣatriya, punishing those who deserved punishment.

स कदाचिन्महाबाहुः ससैन्योमृगयां गतः । वनं विवेश गहनं नानावृक्षसमन्वितम् ॥ २,२७.

Once, that mighty-armed king, accompanied by his army, went on a hunt and entered a dense forest filled with many kinds of trees.

शार्दूलशतसंजुष्टं नानापक्षिनिनादितम् । वनमध्ये तदा राजा मृगं दूरादपश्यत ॥ २,२७.

The forest was inhabited by hundreds of tigers and resounded with the cries of many birds. There, in the midst of the woods, the king saw a deer from afar.

तेन विद्धो मृगोऽतीव बाणेन सुदृढेन च । बाणमादाय तं तस्य स वनेऽदर्शनं ययौ ॥ २,२७.

Struck by a strong arrow, the deer, taking the arrow with it, disappeared into the forest.

कक्षे तच्छोणितस्त्रावात्स राजानुजगाम तम् । ततो मृगप्रसङ्गेन वनमन्यद्विवेश सः ॥ २,२७.

The king followed the trail of blood left by the deer, and in pursuit of it, entered another part of the forest.

क्षुत्क्षामकण्ठो नृपतिः श्रमसन्तापमूर्छितः । जलस्थानं समासाद्य साश्व एवावगाहत ॥ २,२७.

Parched with hunger and thirst, exhausted and faint, the king reached a water source and, still on horseback, plunged in.

पीत्वा तदु दकं शीतं पद्मगन्धाधिवासितम् । तत उत्तीर्य सलिलाद्विमलाद्बभ्रुवाहनः ॥ २,२७.

Drinking that cool water, fragrant with the scent of lotuses, Babhruvāhana then emerged from the pure water.

न्यग्रोधवृक्षमासाद्य शीतच्छायं मनोहरम् । महाविटपिनं हृद्यं पक्षिसङ्घातनादितम् ॥ २,२७.

He came to a banyan tree, with cool, delightful shade, vast branches, and pleasing, resounding with the calls of flocks of birds.