Garuda Purana

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.

गृहे हानिर्भवेत्तस्य ऋक्षेष्वेषु मृतश्च यः । अथवा ऋक्षमध्येऽपि दाहस्तस्य विधीयते ॥ २,३५.

Loss occurs in the house of one who dies during these constellations; however, cremation may be performed even in the midst of these stars.

क्रियते मानुषाणान्तु सद्य आहुतिकारणात् । सद्याहुतिकरं पुण्यं तीर्थे तद्दाह उत्तमः ॥ २,३५.

For humans, immediate oblations are performed as a matter of ritual; performing cremation with such immediate oblation at a sacred place is considered excellent.

विप्रैर्नियमतः कार्यः समन्त्रो विधिपूर्वकः । शवस्य च समीपे तु क्षिप्यन्ते पुत्तलास्ततः ॥ २,३५.

The rites must be performed by Brahmins, with proper recitation of mantras and according to prescribed rules; near the corpse, effigies are then placed.

दर्भमयाश्च चत्वारो विप्रा मन्त्राभिमन्त्रिताः । ततो दाहः प्रकर्तव्यः तैश्च पुत्तलकैः सह ॥ २,३५.

Four effigies made of darbha grass, consecrated by Brahmins with mantras, are to be used; then cremation is to be performed together with those effigies.

सूतकान्ते ततः पुत्रः कुर्याच्छान्तिकमुत्तमम् ॥ २,३५.

After the period of impurity ends, the son should perform the highest rite of pacification.

पञ्चकेषु मृतो योऽसौ न गतिं लभते नरः । तिलान् गाश्च सुवर्णं च तमुद्दिश्य घृतं ददेत् ॥ २,३५.

A man who dies during the five (constellations) does not attain the proper path; for him, one should offer sesame seeds, cows, gold, and ghee.

विप्राणां दीयते दानं सर्वोपद्रवनाशनम् । सूतकान्ते च सत्पुत्रैः स प्रेतो लभते गतिम् ॥ २,३५.

Gifts given to Brahmins remove all afflictions; at the end of the impurity period, the departed attains the proper path through worthy sons.

भाजनोपानहौ च्छत्रं हेममुद्राच वाससी । दक्षिणा दीयते विप्र सर्वपातकमोचनी ॥ २,३५.

A vessel, footwear, umbrella, gold coin, and garments—these gifts, when given as offerings to a Brahmin, free one from all sins.

बालवृद्धातुराणाञ्च मृतानां पञ्चकेषु हि । विधानं यो न कुर्वीत विघ्नस्तस्य प्रजायते ॥ २,३५.

If one does not perform the prescribed rites for children, the elderly, or the sick who die during the five (constellations), obstacles arise for him.

अष्टादशैव वस्तूनि प्रेतश्राद्धे विवर्जयेत् । आशिषो द्विगुणान् दर्भान् प्रणवान्नैकपिण्डताम् ॥ २,३५.

Eighteen items must be avoided in the funeral śrāddha: blessings, double darbha grass, the syllable 'praṇava,' and offering only a single rice-ball.