Garuda Purana

एवं पिण्डः समाख्यातो वैभवं सम्प्रचक्ष्महे । सुखं दुः खं भयं क्षेमं कर्मणैव हि प्राप्यते ॥ २,३२.

Thus the body has been described; now I will explain its prosperity. Happiness, suffering, fear, and safety are all attained through action.

अधोमुखं चोर्ध्वपादं गर्भाद्वायुः प्रकर्षति । तले तु करयोर्न्यस्य वर्धते जानुपार्श्वयोः ॥ २,३२.

The wind draws the fetus from the womb, head downward and feet upward; when the hands are placed on the soles, it grows at the sides of the knees.

अङ्गुष्ठौ चोपरि न्यस्तौ जान्वोरथ कराङ्गुली । जानुपृष्ठे तथा नेत्रे जानुमध्ये च नासिका ॥ २,३२.

The big toes are placed above, as are the fingers of the hands at the knees; the eyes are on the back of the knees, and the nose is in the middle of the knees.

एवं वृद्धिं क्रमाद्याति जन्तुः स्त्रीगर्भसंस्थितः । काठिन्यमस्थीन्यायान्ति भुक्तपीतेन जीवति ॥ २,३२.

In this way, the creature situated in the womb of a woman grows gradually; the hardness of the bones develops, and it lives by what is eaten and drunk.

नाडी वाप्यायनी नाम नाभ्यां तत्र निबध्यते । स्त्रीणां तथान्त्रसुषिरे स निबद्धः प्रजायते ॥ २,३२.

There is a channel called Vāpyāyanī, which is attached at the navel; in women, it is fixed in the hollow of the intestine, and from there, birth occurs.

क्रामन्ति भुक्तपीतानि स्त्रीणां गर्भोदरे तथा । तैराप्यायितदेहोऽसौ जन्तुर्वृद्धिमुपैति च ॥ २,३२.

The food and drink consumed by women enter the womb; by these, the embodied being within is nourished and grows.

स्मृत्यस्तत्र प्रयान्त्यस्य बह्व्यः संसारभूतयः । ततो निर्वेदमायाति पीड्यमान इतस्ततः ॥ २,३२.

There, many memories arise for him, the roots of worldly existence; thus, tormented here and there, he comes to feel disillusionment.

पुनर्नैवं करिष्यामि भुक्तमात्र इहोदरात् । तथातथा यतिष्यामि गर्भं नाप्नोम्यहं यथा ॥ २,३२.

"I will not act in this way again," he thinks, as soon as he has eaten in the womb; "I will strive in every way so that I do not enter the womb again."

इति सञ्चिन्तयञ्जीवो स्मृत्वा जन्मशतानि वै । यानि पूर्वानुभूतानि देवभूतात्मजानि वै ॥ २,३२.

Thus reflecting, the soul recalls hundreds of births previously experienced, whether as gods, spirits, or humans.

ततः कालक्रमाज्जन्तुः परिवर्त्यत्वधोमुखः । नवमे दशमे वापि मासि संजायते ततः ॥ २,३२.

Then, in due course, the being turns downward; in the ninth or tenth month, he is born.

निष्क्रम्यमाणो वातेन प्राजापत्येन पीड्यते । निष्क्रमते च विलपंस्तदा दुःखनिपीडितः ॥ २,३२.

As he is being expelled by the wind of Prajapati, he is afflicted; he emerges, crying, pressed by suffering.

निष्क्रामंश्चोदरान्मूर्छामसह्यां प्रतिपद्यते । प्राप्नोति चेतनां चासौ वायुस्पर्शसुखान्वितः ॥ २,३२.

Emerging from the womb, he experiences unbearable faintness; then, touched by the wind, he regains consciousness, accompanied by the comfort of air.

ततस्तं वैष्णवी माया समास्कन्दति मोहिनी । तया विमोहितात्मासौ ज्ञानभ्रंशमवाप्नुते ॥ २,३२.

Then, the enchanting Māyā of Viṣṇu envelops him; deluded by her, he falls from knowledge.

भ्रष्टज्ञानं बालभावे ततो जन्तुः प्रपद्यते । ततः कौमारकावस्थां यौवनं वृद्धतामपि ॥ २,३२.

Deprived of knowledge, the being enters infancy; then he attains childhood, youth, and even old age.

पुनश्च तद्वन्मरणं जन्म प्राप्नोति मानवः । ततः संसारचक्रेऽस्मिन् भ्राम्यते घटयन्त्रवत् ॥ २,३२.

Again, in the same way, a person attains death and birth; thus, in this cycle of existence, he wanders like a wheel driven by a machine.

कदाचित्स्वर्गमाप्नोति कदाचिन्निरयं नरः । स्वर्गं च निरयं चैव स्वकर्मफलमश्नुते ॥ २,३२.

Sometimes a man attains heaven, sometimes hell; he experiences heaven and hell as the result of his own actions.

कदाचिद्भुक्तकर्मा च भुवं स्वल्पेन गच्छति । स्वर्लोके नरके चैव भुक्तप्राये द्विजोत्तमाः ॥ २,३२.

Sometimes, having exhausted his deeds, he comes to earth for a short time; when his experiences in heaven or hell are nearly finished, O best of twice-born, he returns.

नरकेषु महद्दुःखमेतद्यत्स्वर्गवासिनः । दृश्यते नात्र मोदन्ते पात्यमानास्तु नारकैः ॥ २,३२.

In the hells, there is great suffering, as seen by those who dwell in heaven; they do not rejoice there, being cast down among the denizens of hell.

स्वर्गेऽपि दुः खमतुलं यदारोहणकालतः । प्रभृत्यहं पतिष्यामीत्येतन्मनसि वर्तते ॥ २,३२.

Even in heaven, there is incomparable suffering from the time of ascent, for the thought persists: "From here, I will fall."

नारकांश्चैव सम्प्रेक्ष्य महद्दुःखमवाप्यते । एवं गतिमहं गन्तेत्यहर्निशमनिर्वृतः ॥ २,३२.

Seeing the inhabitants of hell, one experiences great suffering; thinking, "I will go there," he remains day and night without peace.

गर्भवासे महद्दुःखं जायमानस्य योनिजम् । जातस्य बालभावेऽपि वृद्धत्वे दुःखमेव च ॥ २,३२.

In the womb, there is great suffering for the one being born; even after birth, in childhood and old age, there is only suffering.

कामेर्ष्याक्रोधसम्बन्धाद्यौवनेऽपि च दुः सहम् । दुःस्वप्नं या वृद्धता च मरणे दुःखमुत्कटम् ॥ २,३२.

Because of desire, envy, and anger, there is suffering even in youth; old age is like a bad dream, and at death, the suffering is intense.

कृष्यमाणश्च याम्यैः स नरकेऽपि च यात्यधः । पुनश्च गर्भाज्जन्म स्यान्मरणं दुष्करं तथा ॥ २,३२.

Dragged by the servants of Yama, he goes to even lower hells; again, there is birth from the womb, and death, which is difficult to endure.

एवं संसारचक्रेऽस्मिज्जन्तवो घटयन्त्रवत् । भ्राम्यन्ते प्राक्तनैर्बधैर्बद्धा विध्यन्ति चासकृत् ॥ २,३२.

Thus, in this cycle of worldly existence, beings, bound by previous fetters, are whirled about like the wheels of a machine, and are struck again and again.

नास्ति पक्षिन्सुखं किञ्चित्क्षेत्रे दुः खशताकुले । विनतासुत मोक्षाय यतितव्यं ततो नरैः ॥ २,३२.

There is no happiness for birds in a field filled with suffering and distress; therefore, O son of Vinatā, humans must strive for liberation.

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथा गर्भस्य संस्थितिः । कथयामि क्रमप्रश्रं पृष्टं वा वर्तते स्पृहा ॥ २,३२.

All this has been explained to you—how the fetus abides; I will narrate further in sequence, or answer what you desire to ask.

गरुड उवाच । मध्ये कृतमहाप्रश्नद्वयस्याप्तं मयोत्तरम् । प्रश्नस्यापि तृतीयस्य उत्तरं च विधीयताम् ॥ २,३२.

Garuda said: In the midst of your two great questions, I have received the answers; now, let the answer to the third question also be given.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । म्रियमाणस्य किं कृत्यमिति त्वं पृष्टवानसि । शृणु तत्रोत्तरं तूक्तं कथयामि समासतः ॥ २,३२.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: You have asked, 'What should be done for one who is dying?' Listen, I will briefly tell you the answer to that.

आसन्नमरणं ज्ञात्वा पुरुषं स्नापयेत्ततः । गोमूत्रगोमयसुमृत्तीर्थोदककुशोदकैः ॥ २,३२.

Knowing that death is near, one should bathe the person with cow urine, cow dung, pure clay, holy water, and water with kuśa grass.