Garuda Purana

पीडयन्ति न तं याम्याः पुरुषा भीषणाननाः । न घर्मेण न शीतेन बाध्यते स नरः क्वचित् ॥ २,३४.

The terrifying-faced servants of Yama do not torment him; that man is never afflicted by heat or cold.

शय्यादानप्रभावेण प्रेतो मुच्यते बन्धनात् । अपिः पापसमायुक्तः स्वर्गलोकं स गच्छति ॥ २,३४.

By the power of giving a bed, the departed is released from bondage; even if joined with sin, he attains the world of heaven.

विमानवरमारूढः सेव्यमानोऽप्सरोगणैः । आभूतसंप्लवं यावत्तिष्ठेत्पातकवर्जितः ॥ २,३४.

Mounted on a splendid celestial chariot, attended by hosts of apsaras, he remains free from sin until the end of the cosmic age.

नवकं षोडशश्राद्धं शय्या सांवत्सरं तथा । भर्तुर्या कुरुते नारी तस्याः श्रेयो ह्यनन्तकम् ॥ २,३४.

A woman who performs the nine or sixteen śrāddha rites and arranges a bed for a year for her husband attains endless merit.

उपकाराय सा भर्तुर्जीवन्ती न मृता तथा । उद्धरेज्जीवमाना सा सती सत्यवती प्रियम् ॥ २,३४.

While her husband lives, she acts for his benefit; after his death, likewise, the devoted and truthful wife uplifts her beloved.

स्त्रिया दध्यन्नशयने हेमकुङ्कुममञ्जनम् । वस्त्रभूषा तथा शय्या सर्वमेतद्धि दापयेत् ॥ २,३४.

A woman should provide curd-rice, a bed, gold, saffron, collyrium, clothing, ornaments, and a bed—all these things as offerings.

उपकारकरं स्त्रीणां यद्भवोदिह किञ्चन । भूषणं गात्रलग्नञ्च वस्तु भोग्यादिकञ्च यत् ॥ २,३४.

Whatever is beneficial for women in this world—ornaments, things worn on the body, objects for enjoyment, and the like—

तत्सर्वं मेलयित्वा तु स्वेस्वे स्थाने नियोजयेत् । पूजयेल्लोकपालांश्च ग्रहान् देवीं विनायकम् ॥ २,३४.

All these should be gathered and arranged in their proper places; one should worship the guardians of the worlds, the planets, the goddess, and Vināyaka.

ततः शुक्लाम्बरधरो गृहीतकुसुमाञ्जलिः । इममुच्चारयेन्मन्त्रं विप्रस्य पुरतो बुधः ॥ २,३४.

Then, dressed in white garments and holding a handful of flowers, the wise person should recite this mantra before the brāhmaṇa.

प्रेतस्य प्रतिमा ह्येषा सर्वोपकरणैर्युता । सर्वरत्नसमायुक्ता तव विप्रनिवेदिता ॥ २,३४.

This is the image of the departed, furnished with all accessories and adorned with every kind of jewel, offered to you, O brāhmaṇa.

आत्मा शम्भुः शिवा गौरी शक्रः सुरगणैः सह । तस्माच्छय्याप्रदानेन सैष आत्मा प्रसीदतु ॥ २,३४.

The self is Śambhu, Śivā is Gaurī, and Śakra is with the hosts of gods; therefore, by the gift of this bed, may this self be pleased.

आचार्याय प्रदातव्या ब्राह्मणाय कुटुम्बिने । गृहीते ब्राह्मणस्तत्र कोऽदादिति च कीर्तयेत् ॥ २,३४.

It should be given to an ācārya or a householder brāhmaṇa; when the brāhmaṇa has accepted it, one should announce, 'Who will give?'

ततः प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य प्रणिपत्य विसर्जयेत् । विधिनानेन वै पक्षिन् दानमेकस्य दापयेत् ॥ २,३४.

Then, having circumambulated and bowed, one should dismiss him; O bird, by this procedure, the gift should be given to one person.

बहुभ्यो न प्रदेयानि गौर्गृहं शयनं स्त्रियः । विभक्तदक्षिणा ह्येते दातारं पातयन्ति हि ॥ २,३४.

A cow, a house, a bed, or a woman should not be given to many; if these are given with divided gifts, they bring ruin upon the giver.

एवं यो वितरेत्तार्क्ष्य शृणु तस्य च यत्फलम् । साग्रं वर्षशतं दिव्यं स्वर्गलोके महीयते ॥ २,३४.

Thus, O Tārkṣya, hear the result for one who gives in this way: he is honored in heaven for a full hundred divine years.

यत्पुण्यन्तु व्यतीपाते कार्तिक्यामयनद्वये । द्वारकायान्तु यत्पुण्यं चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहे तथा ॥ २,३४.

Whatever merit arises at the time of Vyatīpāta, during Kārtikī, at both solstices, or at the lunar and solar eclipses in Dvārakā—

प्रयागे नैमिषे यच्च कुरुक्षेत्रे तर्थाबुदे । गङ्गायां यमुनायाञ्च सिन्धुसागरसंगमे ॥ २,३४.

Or at Prayāga, Naimiṣa, Kurukṣetra, Pushkara, at the confluence of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā, or where the Sindhu meets the ocean—

तेषु यद्दीयते दानं तस्मादप्यधिकन्त्विदम् । एतच्छय्याप्रदानस्य नाप्नोति षोडशीं कलाम् ॥ २,३४.

Whatever gifts are given at those places, this surpasses them all; the merit of giving a bed does not reach even a sixteenth part of it.

यत्रासौ जायते प्राणी भुङ्क्ते तत्रैव तत्फलम् । कर्मक्षये क्षितौ याति मानुषः शुभदर्शनः ॥ २,३४.

Wherever that being is born, there he enjoys the fruit; when his karma is exhausted, he is born on earth as a man of auspicious appearance.

महाधनी च धर्मज्ञः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः । पुनः स याति वैकुण्ठं मृतोऽसौ नरपुङ्गवः ॥ २,३४.

He becomes wealthy, righteous, and skilled in all the scriptures; after death, that foremost of men attains Vaikuṇṭha again.

दिव्यं विमानमारुह्य अप्सरोभिः समावृतः । अहोऽसौ हव्यकव्येषु पितृभिः सह मोदते ॥ २,३४.

Ascending a divine aerial chariot, surrounded by apsarās, he delights there with his ancestors in the offerings of oblations and food.

अष्टकासु कृतं श्राद्धममावास्यादिने तथा । मघासु पितृपर्वाणि यानियानि च तेषु च ॥ २,३४.

The śrāddha performed on the day of the new moon, as well as during the aṣṭakā days, and on the pitṛparvan days in the Maghā constellation, and on all such occasions, is to be observed.

शृणु तार्क्ष्य यथान्यायं प्रेतत्वे पितरो यदि । नोपतिष्ठन्ति श्राद्धानि सपिण्डीकरणं विना ॥ २,३४.

Hear, O Tārkṣya, according to proper order: if the ancestors are in the state of departed spirits, they do not accept śrāddha offerings without the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa ceremony.

सपिण्डीकरणं कार्यं पूर्णे वर्षे न संशयः । आद्यन्तु शवशुद्ध्यर्थं कृत्वा चैवाक्ष षोडशीम् ॥ २,३४.

The sapiṇḍīkaraṇa ceremony must be performed at the completion of one year, without doubt; and first, for the purification of the corpse, the sixteen śrāddhas should be conducted.

पितृपाङ्क्तिविशुर्ध्यं शतार्धेन? तु योजयेत् । वृद्धिं प्राप्याग्रतः कुर्याच्छूद्रस्य स्वच्छयैव हि ॥ २,३४.

For purification of the pitṛpāṅkti, one should employ half a hundred (fifty); having attained increase, one should perform it first; for a Śūdra, it is done according to his own discretion.

साम्प्रतं साग्निके कार्यं द्वादशाहे सपिण्डनम् । न चासौ कुरुते यावत्प्रेत एव स वह्निमान् । द्वादशाहे ततः कार्यं साग्निकेन सपिण्डनम् ॥ २,३४.

At present, the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa should be performed with fire on the twelfth day; until then, the departed remains a preta, possessing fire; after the twelfth day, sapiṇḍīkaraṇa with fire must be performed.

अस्थिपोक्षे गयाश्राद्धं श्राद्धञ्चापरपक्षिकम् । अब्दमध्ये न कुर्वीत सपिण्डीकरणं विना ॥ २,३४.

During the asthipokṣa, the Gayā śrāddha and the śrāddha of the other fortnight should not be performed within the year without the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa ceremony.

सपत्न्यो यदि बह्व्यः स्युरेका पुत्रवती भवेत् । सर्वास्ताः पुत्रवत्यः स्युस्तेनैकेनात्मजेन हि ॥ २,३४.

If there are many co-wives and one has a son, then all of them are considered to have sons through that one son.

नासपिण्डोग्निमान् पुत्रः पितृयज्ञं समाचरेत् । समाचाराद्भवेत्पापी पितृहा चापि जायते ॥ २,३४.

A son who is not a sapiṇḍa and who possesses fire should not perform the ancestral sacrifice; by performing it improperly, he becomes sinful and is born as a slayer of ancestors.