Garuda Purana

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.

अग्नौकरणमुच्छिष्टं श्राद्धं वै वैश्वदैविकम् । विकिरं च स्वधाकारं पितृशब्दं न चोच्चरेत् ॥ २,३५.

One should not perform the offering into fire with impure hands, nor the universal śrāddha; scattering, the act of 'svadhā,' or uttering the word 'pitṛ' should not be done.

अनुशब्दं न कुर्वीत नावाहनमथोल्मुकम् । आसीमान्तं न कुर्वीत प्रदक्षिणविसर्जनम् ॥ २,३५.

One should not use the word 'anu,' nor perform the invocation or the 'holmuka'; nor should one make the boundary or perform circumambulation and dismissal.

न कुर्यात्तिलहोमञ्च द्विजः पूर्णाहुतिं तथा । न कुर्याद्वैश्वदेवं चेत्कर्ता गच्छत्यधोगतिम् ॥ २,३५.

A twice-born should not perform the sesame oblation or the full offering; if he performs the universal offering, the doer goes to a lower state.

मलिनश्राद्धसंज्ञानं पूर्वषोडशकं तथा । स्थाने द्वारे चार्धमार्गे चितायां शवहस्तके ॥ २,३५.

The so-called impure śrāddha, the first sixteen (rites), at the place, at the door, on the way, on the pyre, or in the hand of the corpse—

श्मशानवासिभूतेभ्यः पञ्चमं प्रतिवेश्यकम् । षष्ठं सञ्चयने प्रोक्तं दश पिण्डा दशाहिकाः । श्राद्धषोडषकञ्चैतत्प्रथमं परिकीर्तितम् ॥ २,३५.

Of the offerings, the fifth is for the neighboring souls after those who dwell in the cremation ground; the sixth is said to be for the collectors; ten rice-balls are for the ten-day rites; and this is called the first of the sixteen śrāddhas.

अन्यच्च षोडशं मध्ये द्वितीयं तार्क्ष्य मे शृणु । कर्तव्यानीह विधिना श्राद्धान्येकादशैव तु ॥ २,३५.

And, O Tārkṣya, hear further: among the sixteen, the second is in the middle; here, eleven śrāddhas must be performed according to the prescribed rule.

ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाद्यञ्च तथान्यच्छ्राद्धपञ्चकम् । एवं षोडशकं प्राहुरेतत्तत्त्वविदो जनाः ॥ २,३५.

The offerings to Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others, as well as five additional śrāddhas—thus, those who know the truth declare these to be the sixteen.

द्वादश प्रतिमास्यानि श्राद्धमेकादशे तथा । त्रिपक्षसम्भवञ्चैव द्वे रिक्ते खग षोडश ॥ २,३५.

Twelve are to be performed monthly, and one on the eleventh day; two arise in the three fortnights, and two on the days of the moon’s waning, O bird—thus, there are sixteen.

आद्यं शवविशुद्ध्यर्थं कृत्वान्यच्च त्रिषोडशम् । पितृपाङ्क्तिविशुद्ध्यर्थं शताद्धैंन तु योजयेत् ॥ २,३५.

The first is performed for the purification of the corpse; and the remaining thirteen for the purification of the ancestral line; but one should not add more than a hundred and a half.

शतार्धेन विहीनो यो मिलितः पङ्क्तिभाङ्न हि । चत्वारिंशत्तथैवाष्टश्राद्धं प्रेतत्वनाशनम् ॥ २,३५.

He who is joined with less than a hundred and a half does not share in the ancestral line; forty-eight śrāddhas likewise destroy the state of being a departed spirit.

सकृदूनशतार्धेन सम्भवेत्पङ्क्तिसन्निधः । मेलनीयः शतार्धेन सन्धिः श्राद्धेन तत्त्वतः ॥ २,३५.

If one is short by a hundred and a half in a single instance, he is present in the ancestral line; the joining should be made with a hundred and a half, and the connection is truly established by śrāddha.

(अथ शवाविधिः) । शवस्य शिबिकायां करचरणबन्धनं तत्र कर्तव्यम् । एवं चेन्न विधानं विधीयते तत्पिशाचपरिभवनम् ॥ २,३५.

(Now, the procedure for the corpse:) The hands and feet of the corpse should be bound on the bier; if this procedure is not followed, it becomes subject to the harassment of demons.

संजायते रजन्याञ्च शवनिर्गमने राष्ट्रं भयशून्यम् । शवं न मुञ्चेत मुच्यते चेत्दुः स्पर्शाद्दुर्गतिर्भवेत् ॥ २,३५.

If the corpse is taken out at night, the land becomes free from fear; one should not release the corpse, and if released, misfortune arises from the touch.

ग्राममध्ये स्थिते प्रेते श्रुते भुङ्क्ते यदृच्छया । तदन्नं मांसवज्ज्ञेयं तत्तोयं रुधिरोपमम् ॥ २,३५.

If, while the dead body remains in the village, someone eats after hearing of it, that food should be regarded as meat, and that water as equivalent to blood.

(३५.४५) ज्ञातिसम्बन्धिनामेवं व्यवहारः खगेश्वर । विलुप्य ज्ञातिधर्मञ्च प्रेतपापेन लिप्यते ॥ २,३५.

O Lord of Birds, such is the conduct for relatives and kin; if one violates the duty to kin, he is tainted by the sin of the departed.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ३६ तार्क्ष्यौवाच । कस्मादनशनं पुण्यमक्षय्यगतिदायकम् । स्वगृहन्तु परित्यज्य तीर्थे वै म्रियते यदि ॥ २,३६.

Tārkṣya said: Why is fasting meritorious and bestows an imperishable state? If one abandons his own house and dies at a sacred place, what is the result?

अप्राप्य तीर्थं म्रियते गृहे वा मृत्यु मागतः । बूत्वा कुटीचरो यस्तु स कां गतिमवाप्नुयात् ॥ २,३६.

If, unable to reach a sacred place, one dies at home when death arrives, having become a forest-dweller, what destination does he attain?

संन्यासं कुरुते यस्तु तीर्थे वापि गृहेऽपि वा । कथं तस्य प्रकर्तव्यमप्राप्तनिधनेऽपि वा ॥ २,३६.

If one takes up renunciation, whether at a sacred place or at home, how should his rites be performed, even if death comes before completion?

नियमे चेत्कृते देव चित्तभङ्गो हि जायते । केन तस्य भवेत्सिद्धिः कृतेनाप्यकृतेन वा ॥ २,३६.

If, O god, the vow is undertaken but the mind is disturbed, by what means does he attain success—whether the vow is completed or not?

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । कृत्वा निरशनं यो वै मृत्युमाप्नोति कोऽपि चेत् । मानुपीं तनुमुत्सृज्य मम तुल्यो विराजते ॥ २,३६.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Whoever, having undertaken fasting, meets death—such a one, abandoning the human body, shines equal to me.