Garuda Purana

गन्तव्यं नैव विप्रेण दातुं शीघ्रं जलाञ्जलिम् । निवृत्ताश्च यदा नार्यो लोकाचारः सदाभवेत् ॥ २,३४.

A Brāhmaṇa should not go to offer water quickly; when the women have withdrawn, then the customary practice should always be observed.

पञ्चत्वञ्च गते शूद्रे यः काष्ठं नयते चिताम् । अनुव्रजेद्यदा विप्रस्त्रिरात्रमशुचिर्भवेत् ॥ २,३४.

When a Śūdra has died and someone carries wood to the funeral pyre, if a Brāhmaṇa follows, he becomes impure for three nights.

त्रिरात्रे च ततः पूर्णे नदीं गच्छेत्समुद्रगाम् । प्राणायामशतं कृत्वा घृतं प्राश्य विशुध्यति ॥ २,३४.

After three nights have passed, he should go to a river that flows to the sea, perform a hundred breath-control exercises, and, having consumed ghee, he becomes purified.

शूद्रो गच्छति सर्वत्र वैश्यस्त्रिषु द्वयोः परः । गच्छति स्वीयवर्णेषु दातुं प्रेते जलाञ्जलिम् ॥ २,३४.

A Śūdra may go everywhere; a Vaiśya may go among three; the other two castes go among their own, to offer water oblations for the deceased.

दत्ते जलाञ्जलौ पश्चाद्विदध्याद्दन्तधावनम् । त्यजन्ति गोत्रिणः सर्वे दिनानि नव काश्यप ॥ २,३४.

After offering the water oblation, one should clean the teeth; all kinsmen, O Kāśyapa, abstain for nine days.

जलाञ्जलिं तथा दातुं गच्छन्ति द्विजसत्तमाः । यत्र स्थाने मृतो यस्तु अध्वन्यपि गृहेऽपि वा । विश्लेषस्तु ततः स्थानान्न क्वचिद्विहितो बुधैः ॥ २,३४.

Thus, the best of twice-born go to offer the water oblation wherever the person has died, whether on the road or at home; but separation from that place is not prescribed by the wise.

स्त्रीजनश्चाग्रतो गच्छेत्पृष्ठतो नवसञ्चयः । आचमनं विधातव्यं पाषाणोपरि संस्थितैः ॥ २,३४.

Women should go in front, and the collection of new mourners behind; those standing on stones should perform purification by sipping water.

यवांश्च सर्षपान् दूर्वाः पूर्णपात्रे विलोकयेत् । प्राशयेन्निम्बपत्राणि स्नेहस्नानं समाचरेत् ॥ २,३४.

One should look at barley, mustard seeds, and dūrvā grass in a full vessel, chew neem leaves, and perform an oil bath.

गोत्रिभिर्न च कर्तव्यं गृहान्नञ्च न भोजयेत् । भुञ्जीत मृन्मये पात्रे उत्तानञ्च विवर्जयेत् ॥ २,३४.

Kinsmen should not cook food, nor should they feed others at home; one should eat from an earthen vessel and avoid turning it upside down.

मृतकस्य गुणा ग्राह्या यमगाथां समुद्गिरेत् । शुभाशुभे च ध्यातव्ये पूर्वकर्मोपसञ्चिते ॥ २,३४.

The virtues of the deceased should be recited, and the song of Yama should be sung; one should contemplate both good and bad deeds accumulated previously.

लब्धेनैव च देहेन भुङ्क्ते सुकृतदुष्कृते । वायुरूपो भ्रमत्येव वायुरूर्ध्वं स गच्छति ॥ २,३४.

With the body thus obtained, one experiences the results of good and bad deeds; the soul, in the form of air, wanders and then ascends as air.

दशाहकर्मक्रियया कुटी निष्पाद्यते ध्रुवम् । नवकैः षोडशश्राद्धैः प्रयाति हि कुटीं नरः ॥ २,३४.

By performing the ten-day funeral rites, a hut is certainly produced; with nine or sixteen śrāddhas, a man attains the hut.

तिलैर्दर्भैश्च भूम्यां वै कुटी धातुमयी भवेत् । पञ्च रत्नानि वक्त्रे तु येन जीवः प्ररोहति ॥ २,३४.

With sesame seeds and darbha grass on the ground, the hut is made of elements; in its mouth are placed five gems, by which the soul grows forth.

यदा पुष्पं प्रनष्टं हि तदा गर्भं न धारयेत् । आदराच्च ततो भूमौ तिलदर्भान्विनिः क्षिपेत् ॥ २,३४.

When the flower is lost, conception does not occur; therefore, with care, one should cast sesame seeds and darbha grass on the ground.

पशुत्वे स्थावरत्वे च यत्र क्वापि स जायते । तत्रैव जन्तुरुत्पन्नः श्राद्धं तत्रोपतिष्ठति ॥ २,३४.

Wherever one is born, whether as an animal or a plant, the being arises there, and the śrāddha offering reaches there.

धन्विना लक्ष्यमुद्दिश्य मुक्तो बाणस्तदाप्नुयात् । यथा श्राद्धं यमुद्दिश्य कृतं तस्योपतिष्ठति ॥ २,३४.

Just as an arrow released by an archer reaches its target, so too does the śrāddha offering reach the one for whom it is performed.

यावन्नोत्पादितो देहस्तावच्छ्राद्धैर्न प्रीणनम् । क्षुधाविभ्रममापन्नो दशाहेन च तर्पितः ॥ २,३४.

Until a new body is produced, the departed is not satisfied by śrāddha offerings; afflicted by hunger, he is appeased by the ten-day rites.

पिण्डदानं न यस्याभूदाकाशे भ्रमते तु सः । दिनत्रयं वसंस्तोये अग्नावपि दिनत्रयम् । आकाशे वसते त्रीणि दिनमेकन्तु वासके ॥ २,३४.

He who has not received the rice-ball offering wanders in the sky; he dwells three days in water, three days in fire, three days in the sky, and one day in cloth.

दग्धे देहे च वह्नौ च जलेनैव तु तर्पितः । स्नेहस्नानं जलेनैव पूपकैः कृशरैर्गृहे ॥ २,३४.

When the body is burned in fire, he is satisfied by water; he bathes with oil and water, and at home with cakes and rice porridge.

प्रथमेऽह्नि तृतीये च पञ्चमे सप्तमेऽपि वा । नवमैकादशे चैव श्राद्धं नवकमुच्यते ॥ २,३४.

On the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh days, the śrāddha performed is called the 'ninefold śrāddha.'

गृहद्वारे श्मशाने वा तीर्थे देवालयेऽपि वा । यत्राद्यो दीयते पिण्डस्तत्र सर्वान् समापयेत् ॥ २,३४.

At the doorway of the house, at the cremation ground, at a sacred ford, or even at a temple—wherever the first offering of the rice-ball is made, there all the rites should be completed.

एकादशाहे यच्छ्राद्धं तत्सामान्यमुदाहृतम् । चतुर्णामेकवर्णानां शुद्ध्यर्थं स्नानमुच्यते ॥ २,३४.

The śrāddha performed on the eleventh day is called the general rite; for the purification of all four classes, bathing is prescribed.

कृत्वा चैकादशाहञ्च पुनः स्नात्वा शुचिर्भवेत् । दद्याद्विप्राय यः शय्यां यथोक्तं प्रेतमोक्षदाम् ॥ २,३४.

Having completed the eleventh day, one should bathe again and become pure; then, as prescribed, one should give a bed to a brāhmaṇa, which grants release to the departed.

न भवेत्यदा स गोत्रो परोऽपि विधिमाचरेत् । भार्या वा पुरुषः कश्चित्तुष्टश्च कुरुते स्त्रियः ॥ २,३४.

If there is no one of the same lineage, then even an outsider should perform the rite; or a wife, or any man who is willing, or a satisfied woman may do it.

प्रथमेऽहनि यः पिण्डो दीयते विधिपूर्वकम् । अन्नाद्येन च तेनैव सर्वश्राद्धानि कारयेत् ॥ २,३४.

The rice-ball that is offered according to rule on the first day—using that same food, all the śrāddha rites should be performed.

अमन्त्रं कारयेच्छ्राद्धं दशाहं नामगोत्रतः । श्राद्धं कृतन्तु यैर्वस्त्रैस्तानि त्यक्त्वा गृहं विशेत् ॥ २,३४.

For ten days, the śrāddha should be performed without mantras, only with the name and lineage; after completing the śrāddha, one should leave behind the garments used and enter the house.

असगोत्रः सगोत्रो वा यदि स्त्री यदि वा पुमान् । प्रथमेऽहनि यः कुर्यात्स दशाहं समापयेत् ॥ २,३४.

Whether of the same lineage or not, whether woman or man, whoever performs the rite on the first day should complete the ten-day observance.

जीवस्य दशभिः पिण्डैर्देहो निष्पाद्यते ध्रुवम् । वृद्धिश्च दशभिर्मासैर्गर्भस्थस्य यथा भवेत् ॥ २,३४.

Certainly, with ten rice-balls, the body of the living is formed, just as the fetus grows in the womb over ten months.

आशौचं यावदेतस्य तावत्पिण्डोदकक्रिया । चतुर्णामपि वर्णानामेष एव विधिः स्मृतः ॥ २,३४.

As long as the period of impurity lasts, so long should the offering of rice-balls and water be performed; this is the rule remembered for all four classes.