Garuda Purana

कन्यां विवाहयेद्यस्तु ब्राह्मणं वेदपारगम् । इन्द्रलोके वसेत्सोऽपि स्वकुलैः परिवेष्टितः ॥ २,३८.

He who gives his daughter in marriage to a Brāhmaṇa versed in the Vedas dwells in Indra's world, surrounded by his own family.

महादानानि दत्वा च नरस्तत्फलमामुयात् ॥ २,३८.

Having given great gifts, a man attains the fruit thereof.

वापी कूपतडागानामारामसुरसद्मनाम् । जीर्णोद्धारं प्रकुर्वाणः पूर्वकर्तुः फलं लभेत् । जीर्णोद्धारेण वा तेषां तत्पुण्यं द्विगुणं भवेत् ॥ २,३८.

One who restores ruined wells, ponds, tanks, gardens, or temples obtains the fruit of the original creator; by restoring them, the merit becomes double.

शीतवा तातपहरमपि पर्णकुटीरकम् । कृत्वा विप्राय विदुषे प्रददाति कुटुम्बिने ॥ २,३८.

One who builds a leaf-hut, which protects from cold and heat, and gives it to a learned Brahmin who has a family,

तिस्रः कोट्योर्धकोटी च नरः स्वर्गे महीयते ॥ २,३८.

That person is honored in heaven for thirty million and half a crore years.

या स्त्री सवर्णा संशुबा मृतं पतिमनुव्रजेत् । सा मृता स्वर्गमाप्नोति वर्षाणां रोमसंख्यता ॥ २,३८.

A woman of the same caste, who is virtuous and follows her deceased husband, attains heaven after death for as many years as there are hairs on her body.

पुत्रपौत्रादिकं त्यक्त्वा स्वपतिं यानुगच्छति । स्वर्गं लभेतां तौ चोभौ दिव्यस्त्रीभिरलङ्कृतौ ॥ २,३८.

She who abandons her sons, grandsons, and others, and follows her own husband, both attain heaven, adorned with divine women.

कृत्वा पापान्यनेकानि भर्तृद्रोहमतिः सदा । प्रक्षालयति सर्वाणि या स्वं पतिमनुव्रजेत् ॥ २,३८.

Even if she has committed many sins and always harbored thoughts of betraying her husband, she washes away all those sins by following her own husband.

महापापसमाचारो भर्ता चेद्दुष्कृती भवेत् । तस्याप्यनुव्रता नारी नारायेत्सर्वकिल्बिषम् ॥ २,३८.

If the husband is engaged in great sins and is wicked, yet the woman remains devoted to him, she removes all his faults.

ग्रासमात्रं नियमतो नित्यदानं करोति यः । चतुश्चामरसंयुक्तविमानेनाधिगच्छति ॥ २,३८.

He who regularly gives just a morsel of food as alms, attains a celestial vehicle adorned with four fans.

यत्कृतं हि मनुष्येण पापमामरणान्तिकम् । तत्सर्वं नाशमायाति वर्षवृत्तिप्रदानतः ॥ २,३८.

Whatever sin a person has committed up to death, all of it is destroyed by giving according to the annual rite.

भूतं भव्यं बविष्यञ्च पापं जन्मत्रयार्जितम् । पक्षालयति तत्सर्वं विप्रकन्योपनायनात् ॥ २,३८.

Sin acquired in the past, present, or future over three births is washed away entirely by the initiation of a Brahmin girl.

दशकूपसमा वापि दशवापीसमं सरः । सरो भिर्दशभिस्तुल्या या प्रपा निर्जले वने ॥ २,३८.

A pond equals ten wells, a lake equals ten ponds, and a lake is equal to ten lakes; but a water-reservoir in a waterless forest is equal to all of these.

या वापी निर्जले देशे यद्दानं निर्धने द्विजे । प्राणिनां यो दयां धत्ते स भवेन्नाकनायकः ॥ २,३८.

A pond in a waterless place, a gift to a destitute Brahmin, and compassion towards living beings—he who practices these becomes a leader in heaven.

एवमादिभिरन्यैश्च सुकृतैः स्वर्गभाग्भवेत् । स तत्सर्वं फलं प्राप्य प्रतिष्ठां परमां लभेत् ॥ २,३८.

By such good deeds and others like them, one becomes a recipient of heaven; having obtained all those fruits, one attains the highest status.

फल्गु कार्यं परित्यज्य सततं धर्मवान् भवेत् । दानं दमो दया चेति सारमेतत्त्रयं भुवि ॥ २,३८.

Abandoning trivial actions, one should always be devoted to dharma; charity, self-restraint, and compassion—these three are the essence on earth.

दानं साधोर्दरिद्रस्य शून्यलिङ्गस्य पूजनम् । अनाथप्रेतसंस्कारः कोटियज्ञफलप्रदः ॥ २,३८.

Charity to the virtuous poor, worship of the empty emblem, and funeral rites for the unprotected dead—these grant the fruit of a crore sacrifices.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ३९ तार्क्ष्य उवाच । सूतकानां विधिं ब्रूहि दयां कृत्वा मयिप्रभो । विवेकाय हि चित्तस्य मानवानां हिताय च ॥ २,३९.

Tārkṣya said: O Lord, kindly explain the rules for impurity after birth and death, out of compassion for me, for the discernment of the mind and the welfare of mankind.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । मृते जन्मनी पक्षीन्द्र सूतकं स्याच्चतुर्विधम् । चतुर्णामपि वर्णानां सामान्यते विवर्जितम् ॥ २,३९.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O king of birds, impurity after birth and death is of four kinds, and is not common to all four castes.

उभयत्र दशाहानि कुलस्यान्नं विवर्जियेत् । दानं प्रतिग्रहो होमः स्वाध्यायश्च निवर्तते ॥ २,३९.

In both cases, for ten days, the family should abstain from food; charity, acceptance of gifts, fire rituals, and study are suspended.

देशं कालं तथात्मानं द्रव्यं द्रव्यप्रयाजनम् । उपपत्तिंव्मवस्थाञ्च ज्ञात्वां कर्म समाचरेत् ॥ २,३९.

Knowing the place, time, oneself, the object, its use, the circumstances, and the situation, one should perform the prescribed action.

गुहावह्निप्रवेसे च देशान्तरमृतेषु च । स्नानं सचेलं कर्तव्यं सद्यः शौचं विधीयते ॥ २,३९.

When entering a cave, fire, or a foreign land, one should bathe with clothes on; immediate purification is prescribed.

आमगर्भाश्च ये जीवा ये च गर्भाद्विनिः सृताः । न तेषामग्निसंस्कारो नाशौचं नोदकक्रिया ॥ २,३९.

For beings who die in the womb or are born prematurely, there is no fire-rite, impurity, or water-offering for them.

शिल्पिनः कारवो वैद्या दासीदासास्तथैव च । राजानः श्रोतियाश्चैव सद्यः शौचाः प्रकीर्तिताः ॥ २,३९.

Artisans, craftsmen, physicians, male and female servants, as well as kings and Vedic reciters, are declared to be immediately pure.

सत्री च (व्रती) मन्त्रपूतश्च आहिताग्निर्नृपस्तथा । एतेषां सूतकं नास्ति यस्य चेच्छन्ति पार्थिवाः ॥ २,३९.

A woman observing a vow, one purified by mantra, a householder with sacred fire, and a king—these have no impurity, if the rulers so desire.

प्रसवे च सपिण्डानां न कुर्यात्सङ्करं द्विजः । दशाहाच्छ्रुध्यते माता अवगाह्य पिता शुचिः ॥ २,३९.

At childbirth, a twice-born should not mix with relatives; after ten days the mother is purified, and the father becomes pure by bathing.

विवाहोत्सवयज्ञेषु अन्तरा मृतसूतके । पूर्वसङ्कल्पितं वित्तं भोज्यं तन्मनुरब्रवीत् ॥ २,३९.

If a death or birth impurity occurs during a wedding, festival, or sacrifice, the previously pledged wealth and food may be used, so says Manu.

सर्वेषामेवमाशौचं मातापित्रोस्तु सूतकम् । सूकतं मातुरेवस्यादुपस्पृश्य पिता शुचिः ॥ २,३९.

For all, impurity is thus; but for the mother and father, only the mother is considered impure, while the father becomes pure after sprinkling water.

अन्तर्दशाहे स्याताञ्चेत्पुनर्मरणजन्मनी । तावत्स्यादशुचिर्विप्रो यावत्तत्स्यादनिर्दशम् ॥ २,३९.

If another death or birth occurs within the ten-day period, the twice-born remains impure until ten days have passed from the latest event.