Garuda Purana

किं तत्प्रदीयते तस्य पिण्डदानादनन्तरम् । अस्थिसञ्चयनं चैव शय्यादानं किमर्थकम् ॥ २,२८.

What is given after the offering of rice balls, and for what reason is the gathering of bones and the preparation of a bed performed?

द्वितीयेऽह्नि कुतः स्नानं चतुर्थे साग्निके द्विजे । दशमे किं मलस्नानं कार्यं सर्वजनैः सह ॥ २,२८.

Why is there bathing on the second day, and for the twice-born with fire on the fourth day? On the tenth day, why should all people bathe to remove impurity?

कस्मात्तैलोद्वर्तनं च स्कन्धवाहान् गृहं नयेत् । तैः समुद्वर्तनं चापि दद्युः स्थलजलाश्रये ॥ २,२८.

For what reason should oil be applied, and the bearers of the body brought home? Why should they be anointed by them at a place with earth and water?

देशमेऽहनि यः पिण्डस्तं दद्यादामिषेण तु । पिण्डं चैकादशे कस्माद्वृषोत्सर्गः कथं भवेत् ॥ २,२८.

On which day should the rice ball be given with meat, and why is the rice ball offered on the eleventh day? How is the release of a bull performed?

श्राद्धानि षोडशैतानि अब्दं यावत्कुतो वद । अन्नादिचोदकेनैव षष्ट्यधिकशतत्रयम् ॥ २,२८.

Tell me, why are these sixteen śrāddha rites performed for a year? And why are one hundred and sixty-three offerings of food and water made?

दिनेदिने च दातव्यं घटान्नं प्रेततृप्तये । प्राप्ते काले च म्रियते अनित्यो मानवः प्रभो ॥ २,२८.

Why should cooked food be given daily in a pot for the satisfaction of the departed? O Lord, when the time comes, mortal man dies, being impermanent.

छिद्रं तु नैव पश्यामि कुतो जीवः स निर्गतः । कुतो गच्छन्ति भूतानि पृथिव्यापो मनस्तथा ॥ २,२८.

I do not see any opening—so from where does the soul depart? Where do the elements—earth, water, and mind—go?

तेजो वदस्व मे नाथ वायुराकाशमेव च । वायवश्चैव पञ्चैते कथं गच्छन्ति चाप्तये ॥ २,२८.

O Lord, tell me about fire, wind, and space, and also about the five winds—how do they depart at the time of death?

लोभमोहादयः पञ्च शरीरे चैव तस्कराः । तृष्णा कामोऽप्यहङ्कारः कुतो यान्ति जनार्दन ॥ २,२८.

The five thieves in the body—greed, delusion, thirst, desire, and ego—O Janardana, where do they go?

पुण्यं वाप्यथ वापुण्यं यत्किञ्चित्सुकृतं तथा । नष्टे देहे कुतो यान्ति दानानि विविधानि च ॥ २,२८.

Whatever merit or demerit, or any good deed, and the various gifts—when the body is destroyed, where do they go?

सपिण्डनं किमर्थं च पूर्णे संवत्सरेऽपि वा । प्रेतस्य मेलनं सार्धं कैः समं तत्र को विधिः ॥ २,२८.

What is the purpose of the sapiṇḍa ceremony, whether at the completion of a year or earlier? With whom is the departed joined there, and what is the rule?

ये दग्धा ये त्वदग्धाश्च पतिता ये नराभुवि । यानि चान्यानि भूतानि तेषामन्ते भवेच्च किम् ॥ २,२८.

Those men who are burned, those who are not, those who have fallen on earth, and other beings—what becomes of them in the end?

पापिनो ये दुराचारा मुद्गलत्वं च ये गताः । आत्मघाती ब्रह्महा च स्तेयी विश्वासघातकः ॥ २,२८.

What is the fate of sinners, those of evil conduct, those who have become outcastes, suicides, slayers of Brahmins, thieves, and betrayers of trust?

कपिलां यः पिबेच्छूद्रो यः पठेद्वैदिकाक्षरम् । धारयेद्वा ब्रह्मसूत्रं का गतिस्तस्य माधव ॥ २,२८.

What is the destiny, O Mādhava, of a Śūdra who drinks the milk of a tawny cow, who recites Vedic syllables, or who wears the sacred thread?

विप्रस्य ब्राह्मणी भार्या संगृही ता यदा भवेत् । तस्मात्पापाच्च भीतोऽहं तन्मे वद जगत्पते । सर्वमेतन्मया पृष्टो वद लोकहिताय वै ॥ २,२८.

When a Brahmin's wife is taken by another, what is the sin, O Lord of the world? I am afraid of that sin—tell me. I have asked all this; speak for the good of all people.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् २९ श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । साधु पृष्टं त्वया भद्र मानुषाणां हिताय वै । शृणुष्वावहितो भूत्वा सर्वमेवौर्ध्वदैहिकम् ॥ २,२९.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Well asked by you, O fortunate one, for the welfare of humanity. Listen attentively as I explain all the rites after death.

कम्यग्विभेदरहितं श्रुतिस्मृतिसमुद्धृतम् । यन्न दृष्टं सुरैः सेन्द्रैर्योगिभिर्योगचिन्तकैः ॥ २,२९.

What I will tell you is free from selfish motive, drawn from the Vedas and Smṛtis, and not seen even by the gods with Indra, nor by yogis absorbed in meditation.

गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं वत्स नाख्यातं कस्यचित्क्वचित् । भक्तस्त्वं हि महाभाग सर्वं ते कथयाम्यहम् ॥ २,२९.

This is more secret than the most secret, my child, never revealed to anyone, anywhere. Because you are a devoted and blessed one, I will tell you everything.

अपुत्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गो नैव च नैव च । येन केनाप्युपायेन कार्यं जन्म सुतस्य च ॥ २,२९.

One without a son has no path, no heaven at all. By any means, the birth of a son must be ensured.

तारयेन्नरकात्पुत्रो यदि मोक्षो न विद्यते । दाहः पुत्रेण कर्तव्यो देयः पौत्रेण पावकः ॥ २,२९.

If liberation is not attained, a son should rescue his father from hell. The son must perform the burning, and the grandson should offer the fire.

तिलैर्दर्भैश्च भूम्यां वै कुटी धातुमती भवेत् । पञ्चरत्नानि वक्त्रे तु येन जीवः प्ररोहति ॥ २,२९.

With sesame seeds and darbha grass, the ground should be made pure, and a hut constructed with metals. By placing the five gems in the mouth, the soul ascends.

लिप्यात्तु गोमयैर्भूमिं तिलान्दर्भांश्च निः क्षिपेत् । तस्यामेवातुरो मुक्तः सर्वं दहति पातकम् ॥ २,२९.

The ground should be smeared with cow dung, sesame and darbha scattered. There, the dying person, when released, is freed from all sin.

दर्भमूलीनयेत्स्वर्गं संस्थितं नात्र संशयः । दर्भांस्तत्र हि ये भूम्यां तिलयुक्तान संशयः ॥ २,२९.

If darbha grass is placed at the base, the deceased attains heaven—there is no doubt. Where darbha with sesame is placed on the ground, there is no doubt.

सर्वत्र वसुधा पूता यत्र लेपो न विद्यते । यत्र लेपः स्थितस्तत्र पुनर्लेपेन शुध्यति ॥ २,२९.

Everywhere the earth is pure where there is no smearing. Where smearing is present, it is purified again by smearing.

यातुधानाः पिशाचाश्च राक्षसाः क्रूरकर्मिणः । अलिप्ते आतुरं मुक्तं विशन्त्येते न संशयः ॥ २,२९.

Flesh-eating spirits, ghosts, and cruel demons—these certainly enter the unsmeared and unprotected dying person.

नित्यहोमं तथा श्राद्धं विप्राणां पादशोधनम् । मण्डलेन विना भूम्यां कुर्वन्त्येतच्च निष्फलम् ॥ २,२९.

Daily fire offerings, ancestral rites, and the washing of Brahmins' feet—if performed on the ground without a mandala, these acts bear no fruit.

आतुरो मुच्यते नैव मण्डलेन विना भुवि । ब्रह्मा रुद्रश्च विष्णुश्च श्रीर्हुताशन एव च । मण्डले चोपतिष्ठन्तस्तस्मात्कुर्वीत मण्डलम् ॥ २,२९.

A sick person is not released without a mandala on the ground; Brahma, Rudra, Vishnu, Lakshmi, and Agni are all present in the mandala—therefore, one should make a mandala.

अन्यथा म्रियते यस्तु बालो वृद्धो युवापि वा । योन्यन्तरं स वै गच्छेत्क्रीडते वायुना सह ॥ २,२९.

Otherwise, whoever dies—be it child, elder, or youth—goes to another womb or wanders about with the wind.

मिश्रितं लोहताम्रं तु तथैव जन्म जायते । तस्मैवं वायुभूतस्य न श्राद्धं नोदक क्रिया ॥ २,२९.

When iron and copper are mixed, a new birth arises likewise; thus, for one who has become like the wind, neither ancestral rites nor water offerings are proper.