Garuda Purana

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.

विधिना कुरुते यस्तु संसारे श्राद्धमुत्तमम् । जायतेऽत्र न सन्देहः शृणु तस्यापि यत्फलम् ॥ २,३५.

Whoever performs the excellent śrāddha in the world according to the prescribed method, is born here—there is no doubt; hear also the fruit of that.

पिता ददाति पुत्त्रान् वै विच्छिन्नसन्ततिः खग । होमदाता भवेत्सोपि यस्तस्य प्रपितामहः ॥ २,३५.

The father gives sons, O bird, even when the lineage is broken; the giver of the oblation is also he whose great-grandfather is involved.

कृते श्राद्धे गुणा ह्येते पितॄणां तपेणे स्मृताः । दद्याद्विपुलमन्नाद्यं वृद्धस्तु प्रपितामहः ॥ २,३५.

When the śrāddha is performed, these virtues of the ancestors are remembered through austerity; the aged great-grandfather should be given abundant food and drink.

यस्य पुंसश्च मर्त्ये वै विच्छिन्ना सन्ततिः खग । स वसेन्नरके घोरे पङ्के मग्नः करी यथा ॥ २,३५.

For the man whose lineage is broken on earth, O bird, he dwells in a terrible hell, sunk in mire like an elephant.

योन्यन्तरेषु जायते यत्र वृक्षसरीसृपाः । न सन्ततिं विना सोऽत्र मुच्यते नरकाद्ध्रुवम् ॥ २,३५.

He is born among other species, where trees and reptiles exist; without a lineage, he is certainly not freed from hell.

आचार्यस्तस्य शिष्यो वा यो दूरेऽपि हि गात्रेजः । नारायणबलिं कुर्यात्तस्याद्देशेन भक्तितः ॥ २,३५.

The teacher or his disciple, even if distant, born of the same body, should perform the offering to Nārāyaṇa for him, with devotion, in that place.

विशुद्धः सर्वपापेभ्यो मुक्तः स नरकाद्ध्रुवम् । निवसेन्नाकलोके च नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥ २,३५.

Freed from all sins, he is certainly released from hell and dwells in the world of the gods; there is no need for further deliberation about this.

आदौ कृत्वा धनिष्ठाञ्च एतन्नक्षत्रपञ्चकम् । रेवत्यन्तं सदा दूष्यमशुभं सर्वदा भवेत् ॥ २,३५.

If, at the outset, the Dhanishtha and this group of five stars ending with Revati are present, it is always inauspicious and brings defilement.

दाह (बलि) स्तत्र न कर्तव्यो विप्रदिसर्वजातिषु । दीयते न जलं तत्र अशुभं जायते ध्रुवम् । लोकयात्रा न कर्तव्या दुः खार्तः स्वजनो यदि ॥ २,३५.

In that period, cremation should not be performed for Brahmins or people of any caste; water should not be offered there, for it certainly produces misfortune; and the funeral procession should not be held, even if the family is afflicted with grief.

पञ्चकानन्तरं तस्य कर्तव्यं सर्वमन्यथा । पुत्राणां गोत्रिणां तस्य सन्तापोऽप्युपजायते ॥ २,३५.

After the passing of the five (stars), all rites should be performed; otherwise, distress arises even for the sons and kinsmen of the deceased.