Garuda Purana

पितुः पुत्रेण कर्तव्यं न कुर्ब्वीत पिता सुते । अतिस्नेहान्न कर्तव्यं सपिण्डीकरणं सते ॥ २,३४.

The son must perform the rites for the father; the father should not do them for the son. Out of excessive affection, one should not perform the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa for a living son.

बहवोऽपि यदा पुत्रा विधिमेकः समाचरेत् । नवश्राद्धं सपिण्डत्वं श्राद्धान्यन्यानि षोडश ॥ २,३४.

Even if there are many sons, only one should carry out the prescribed rites: the nine śrāddhas, the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the sixteen other śrāddha ceremonies.

एकेनैव तु कार्यांणि अविभक्तधनेष्वपि । अन्त्येष्टिं कुरुते ह्येको मुनिभैः समुदाहृतम् ॥ २,३४.

Even when the inheritance is undivided, only one should perform the rites. The final obsequies are to be conducted by one, as declared by the sages.

विभक्तैश्च पृथक्कार्या क्रिया सांवत्सरादिका । एकैकेन च कर्तव्या पुत्रेण च स्वयंस्वयम् ॥ २,३४.

When the inheritance is divided, the annual and other rites should be performed separately. Each son must perform them individually, on his own.

यस्यैतानि न दत्तानि प्रेतश्राद्धानि षोडश । पिशाचत्वंस्थिरं तस्य कृतैः श्राद्धशतैरपि ॥ २,३४.

For one who has not given these sixteen śrāddhas for the departed, a state of being a piśāca remains fixed, even if hundreds of śrāddhas are performed later.

भ्राता वा भ्रातृपुत्रो वा सपिण्डः शिष्य एव वा । सपिण्डीकरणं कुर्यात्पुत्रहीने खगेश्वर ॥ २,३४.

O King of Birds, if there is no son, a brother, a brother’s son, a sapiṇḍa, or even a disciple should perform the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa.

सर्वेषां पुत्रहीनानां पत्री कुर्यात्सपिण्डनम् । ऋत्विजं करायेद्वाथ पुरोहितमथापि वा ॥ २,३४.

For all those without sons, a relative should perform the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa. Alternatively, one may appoint a priest or a family purohita to do it.

मृते पितर्यब्दमध्ये ह्युपरागो यदा भवेत् । पार्वणं न सुतैः कार्यं श्राद्धं नान्दीमुखं न च ॥ २,३४.

If the father dies and impurity arises within the year, the sons should not perform the fortnightly śrāddha or the nāndīmukha śrāddha.

तीर्थश्राद्धं गयाश्राद्धं श्राद्धमन्यच्च पैतृकम् । अब्दमध्ये न कुर्वीत महागुरुविपत्तिषु ॥ २,३४.

Tīrtha śrāddha, Gayā śrāddha, and other ancestral śrāddhas should not be performed within the year, except in cases of great calamity.

यमके च गजच्छायामन्वादिषु युगादिषु । पितृपिण्डो न दातव्यः सपिण्डीकरणं विना ॥ २,३४.

On the days of the Yama festival, under the shadow of an elephant, during the equinoxes, and at the beginnings of ages, the ancestral offering should not be given without sapiṇḍīkaraṇa.

यज्ञपुरुषस्य यद्दानं देवादीनाञ्च यत्तथा । अपूर्णेऽप्यब्दमध्येपि कर्तव्यमिति के च न ॥ २,३४.

The gifts made to the yajña person and likewise to the gods and others should be performed even if the year is not complete, according to some authorities.

पितृभ्योपि हि यद्दत्तमर्घपिण्डविवर्जितम् । कर्तव्यं तच्च वै सर्वमेष एव विधिः स्मृतः ॥ २,३४.

Whatever is given to the ancestors, except for the argha and piṇḍa offerings, must be performed; this is the rule remembered for all such acts.

देवानां पितरो देवा पितॄणामृषयस्तथा । ऋषीणां पितरो देवाः पिता जयति तेन वै ॥ २,३४.

The ancestors are the gods for the gods, and the sages are the ancestors for the ancestors; for the sages, the ancestors are the gods. Thus, the father prevails by this.

पितृदेवमनुष्याणां यज्ञनथो विभुर्भवेत् । यज्ञनाथस्य यद्दत्तं तद्दत्तं सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥ २,३४.

Among ancestors, gods, and humans, the yajña master is supreme. Whatever is given to the yajña master is given to all embodied beings.

मृते पितर्यब्दमध्ये यः श्राद्धं कारयेत्सुतः । सप्तजन्मकृता धर्माथीयते नात्र संशयः ॥ २,३४.

If a son performs śrāddha for his father within the year of death, the merit of seven births is obtained; there is no doubt about this.

प्रेतीभूतास्तु पितरो लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः । भ्रमन्ति वायुना सर्वे क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां परिपीडिताः ॥ २,३४.

When the ancestors have become departed and the offerings of piṇḍa and water are neglected, they all wander with the wind, afflicted by hunger and thirst.

पितरि प्रेततापन्ने लुप्यते पैतृकी क्रिया । अथ मातुर्विपत्तिः स्यात्पितृकार्यं न लुप्यते ॥ २,३४.

When the father becomes a departed soul, the ancestral rites are interrupted; but if the mother dies, the rites for the father are not interrupted.

मृता माता पिता तिष्ठेज्जीवन्ती च पितामही । सपिण्डनन्तु कर्तव्यं पितामह्या सहैव तु ॥ २,३४.

If the mother has died and the father remains, and the paternal grandmother is alive, then the ritual of joining with the paternal grandmother must be performed.

सत्यंसत्यं पुनः सत्यं श्रूयतां वचनं मम । न पिण्डो मिलितो येषां मृतानान्तु नृणां भुवि ॥ २,३४.

Truly, truly, and again truly, hear my words: for those deceased persons whose ritual joining has not been performed on earth, no offering is united with them.

उपतिष्ठेन्न वे तेषां पुत्रैर्दत्तमनेकधा । हन्तकारस्तदुद्देशे श्राद्धं नैव जलाञ्जलिः ॥ २,३४.

Even if their sons repeatedly make offerings, those deceased do not receive them; the ritual is ineffective in that case, and neither the śrāddha nor the water offering applies.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ३५ तर्क्ष्य उवाच । अपरं मम सन्देहं कथयस्व जनार्दन । पुरुषस्य च कस्यापि मता पञ्चत्वमागता ॥ २,३५.

Tarkṣya said: Tell me, Janārdana, another doubt of mine: when the mother of a man has passed away,

पितामही जीवति च तथा च प्रपितामही । वृद्धप्रपितामही तद्वन्मातृसक्तः पिता तथा ॥ २,३५.

If the paternal grandmother is alive, as well as the great-grandmother, and the aged great-great-grandmother, and likewise the father attached to the maternal side,

प्रमातामहश्च तथा वृद्धप्रमातामहस्तथा । केन सा मेल्यते माता एतत्कथय मे प्रभो ॥ २,३५.

And the maternal great-grandfather, and the aged maternal great-great-grandfather—by whom is the mother joined? Tell me this, O Lord.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । पुनरुक्तं प्रवक्ष्यामि सपिण्डीकरणं खग । उमा लक्ष्मीश्च सावित्रीत्यताभिर्मेलयेद्ध्रुवम् ॥ २,३५.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: I will again explain the ritual of joining (sapiṇḍīkaraṇa), O bird; Uma, Lakṣmī, and Sāvitrī—by these, the joining is certainly accomplished.

त्रयः पिण्डभुजो ज्ञेयास्त्यजाकाश्च त्रयः स्मृताः । त्रयः पिण्डानुलेपाश्च दशमः पङ्क्तिसंन्निधः ॥ २,३५.

Three are known as receivers of the offering, and three are remembered as those who renounce; three are those who apply the offering, and the tenth is present in the row.

इत्येते पुरुषाः ख्याताः पितृमातृकुलेषु च । तारयेद्यजमानस्तु दश पूर्वान् दशावरान् ॥ २,३५.

These persons are recognized in the paternal and maternal lineages; the sacrificer rescues ten ancestors before and ten after.

सपिण्डः स भवेदादौ सपिण्डीकरणे कृते । अन्त्यस्तु त्याजको ज्ञेयो यो वृद्धप्रपितामहः ॥ २,३५.

He becomes joined at first when the ritual of joining is performed; the last is known as the renouncer, who is the aged great-great-grandfather.

अन्तिमस्त्याजको ज्ञेयो लेपकः प्रथमो भवेत् । लेपकस्त्वन्तिमो यस्तु स भवेत्पङ्क्तिसन्निधः ॥ २,३५.

The last renouncer is known, and the first is the applicator; the last applicator is the one who is present in the row.

यजमानो भवेदेको दश पृर्त्वे दशावरे । इत्येते पितरो ज्ञेया एकविंशति संख्यकाः ॥ २,३५.

The sacrificer is one, ten are before, ten are after; thus, these ancestors are to be known as numbering twenty-one.