Garuda Purana

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.

मम स्वेदसमुद्भूतास्तिलास्तार्क्ष्य पवित्रकाः । असुरा दानवा दैत्यास्तृप्यन्ति तिलदानतः ॥ २,२९.

O Tārkṣya, the sesame seeds that arise from my sweat are pure; by the gift of sesame, the Asuras, Dānavas, and Daityas are satisfied.

तिलाः श्वेतास्तिलाः कृष्णास्तिला गोमूत्रसन्निभाः । ते मे दहन्तु पापानि शरीरेण कृतानि च ॥ २,२९.

White sesame, black sesame, and sesame resembling cow's urine—may these burn away the sins I have committed with my body.

एक एव तिलद्रोणो हेमद्रोणतिलैः समः । तर्पणे दानहोमे च दत्तो भवति चाक्षयः ॥ २,२९.

A single measure of sesame is equal to a measure of gold in merit; when given in offerings, gifts, or oblations, it becomes inexhaustible.

दर्भा मल्लोमसम्भूतास्तिलाः स्वेदसमुद्भवाः । तृप्ताः स्युर्देवता दानैः श्राद्धेन पितरस्तथा । प्रयोगविधिना ब्रह्मा विश्वञ्चाप्युपजीवनात् ॥ २,२९.

Darbha grass born from the hair of Mall, sesame produced from sweat—by gifts of these, the gods and ancestors are satisfied through the proper rite, as is Brahma, who sustains the universe.

सव्ययज्ञोपवीतेन ब्रह्माद्यास्तृप्तिमान्पुयुः । अपसव्येन तृप्यन्ति पितरो दिविदेवताः ॥ २,२९.

With the sacred thread over the right shoulder, Brahma and the others are satisfied; with it over the left, the ancestors and the gods of the underworld are pleased.

अपसव्यादितो ब्रह्मा दर्भमध्ये तु केशवः । दर्भाग्रे शङ्करं विद्यात्त्रयो देवाः [https://vedastudy.yolasite.com/kusha1.php कुशे] स्थिताः ॥ २,२९.

To the left of the darbha sits Brahma; in the middle, Keśava; at the tip of the darbha, one should know Śaṅkara—these three gods reside in the kusa grass.

विप्रा मन्त्राः कुशा वह्निस्तुलसी च खगेश्वर । नैते निर्माल्यतां यान्ति क्रियमाणाः पुनः पुनः ॥ २,२९.

O King of Birds, Brahmins, mantras, kusa grass, fire, and tulasi—these, when properly used again and again, never become impure.

कुशाः पिण्डेषु निर्माल्याः ब्राह्मणाः प्रेतभोजने । मन्त्राः शूद्रेषु पतिताश्चितायाश्च हुताशनः ॥ २,२९.

Kusa grass becomes impure when used in funeral offerings; Brahmins, when eating food for the dead; mantras, when recited by Shudras; and fire, when on the funeral pyre.

तुलसी ब्राह्मणा गावो विष्णुरेकादशी खग । पञ्च प्रवहणान्येव भवाब्धौ मज्जतां सताम् ॥ २,२९.

Tulasi, Brahmins, cows, Vishnu, and the Ekadashi day—these five are like boats for the virtuous who are sinking in the ocean of existence.

विष्णुरेकादशी गीता तुलसीविप्रधेनवः । अपारे दुर्गसंकारे षट्पदी मुक्तिदायिनी ॥ २,२९.

Vishnu, Ekadashi, the Gita, tulasi, Brahmins, and cows—these six, in the impassable and perilous crossing, are givers of liberation.