Garuda Purana

मृन्मयेन तु पात्रेण तिलैर्मिश्रजलैः सह । मृत्तिकया तथान्ते च नरः स्नात्वा शुचिर्भवेत् ॥ २,३९.

With an earthen vessel and water mixed with sesame seeds, and finally with clay, after bathing, a man becomes pure.

दानं परिषदे दद्यात्सुवर्णं गोवृषं द्विजे । क्षत्त्रियो द्विगुणं चैव वैश्यस्तु त्रिगुणं तथा ॥ २,३९.

One should give in an assembly: gold or a bull to a Brahmin; a Kshatriya should give double, and a Vaishya triple that amount.

चतुर्गुणन्तु शूद्रेण दातव्यं ब्राह्मणे धनम् । एव मनुक्रमेणैव चातुर्वर्ण्यं विशुध्यति ॥ २,३९.

A Shudra should give four times as much wealth to a Brahmin; thus, according to Manu’s order, all four classes are purified.

सप्ताष्टमान्तरै शीर्णे गृह्यसंस्कारवर्जिते । अहस्तु सूतकं तस्य त्वब्दानां संख्यया स्मृतम् ॥ २,३९.

When the seventh or eighth interval passes without domestic rites, impurity lasts for as many years as the number of years elapsed.

ब्राह्मणार्थे विपन्ना ये नारीणां गोग्रहेषु च । आहवेषु विपन्नानामेकरात्त्रमशौचकम् ॥ २,३९.

For those who die for the sake of Brahmins, for women in protecting cows, or in battle, impurity lasts only one night.

न तेषामशुभं किञ्चिद्विप्राणां शुभकर्मणि । अनाथप्रेतसंस्कारं ये कुर्वन्तु नरोत्तमः ॥ २,३९.

For those Brahmins engaged in auspicious acts, there is no impurity at all; those who perform the rites for unclaimed dead are considered noble.

न तेषामशुभङ्किञ्चिद्विप्रेण सहकारिणा । जलावगाहनात्तेषां सद्यः शुद्धिरुदाहृता ॥ २,३९.

For those who assist a Brahmin, there is no impurity; by bathing in water, their purification is immediate.

विनिवृत्ता यदा शूद्रा उदकान्तमुपस्थिताः । तदाविप्रेणद्रष्टव्या इति वेदविदोविदुः ॥ २,३९.

When Shudras have withdrawn and reached the water’s edge, then a Brahmin may see them—so say the knowers of the Veda.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ४० तार्क्ष्य उवाच । भगवन्ब्राह्मणाः केचिदपमृत्युवशं गताः । कथं तेषां भवेन्मार्गः किं स्थानं का गतिर्भवेत्

Tarkshya said: O Lord, when Brahmins die an untimely death, what is their path, what place do they attain, and what is their destination?

किञ्च युक्तं भवेत्तेषां विधानं वापि कीदृशम् । तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि ब्रूहि मे मधुसूदन

Moreover, what is proper for them, and what kind of procedure should be followed? I wish to hear this; tell me, O Madhusudana.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । प्रेतीभूते द्विजातीनां सम्भूते मृत्युवैकृते । तेषां मार्गगतिस्थानं विधानं कथयाम्यहम्

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: When twice-born men become deceased, when death has occurred, I shall explain their path, their journey, their destination, and the prescribed rites.

शृणु तार्क्ष्य परं गोप्यं जाते दुर्मरणे सति । लङ्घनैर्ये मृता विप्रा दंष्ट्रिभिश्चाभिघातिताः

Hear, O Tārkṣya, the supreme secret concerning those who die unnatural deaths—those brāhmaṇas who die by falling, by being struck by fanged creatures.

कण्ठग्राह विमग्नानां क्षीणानां तुण्डघातिनाम् । विषाग्निवृषविप्रेभ्यो विषूच्या चात्मघातकाः

Those who die by strangulation, by drowning, by blows to the mouth, by poison, fire, bulls, brāhmaṇas, by cholera, or by suicide—

पतनोद्वन्धनजलैर्मृतानां शृणु संस्थितिम् । यान्ति ते नरके घोरे ये च म्लेच्छादिभिर्हताः

Hear of the state of those who die by falling, hanging, or water; those killed by outcastes and the like go to a terrible hell.

श्वशृगालादिसंस्पृष्टा अदग्धाः कृमिसंङ्कुलाः । उल्लङ्घिता मृता ये च महारोगैश्च पीडिताः

Those touched by dogs, jackals, and such, those not cremated, those infested with worms, those who die after being leapt over, and those afflicted by great diseases—

अभिसस्तास्तथाव्यङ्गा ये च पापान्नपोषिताः । चण्डालादुदकात्सर्पाद्ब्राह्मणाद्वैद्युताग्नितः

Those cursed, those deformed, those nourished by sinful food, those polluted by water from outcastes, by snakes, brāhmaṇas, lightning, or fire—

दष्ट्रिभ्यश्च पशुभ्यश्च वृक्षादिपतनान्मृताः । उदक्यामूतकीशूद्रारजकीसङ्गदूषिताः

Those killed by fanged animals or beasts, those who die from falling from trees and the like, those defiled by water, urine, śūdras, washermen, or association with them—

तेन पापेन नरकान्मुक्ताः प्रेतत्वभागिनः । न तेषां कारयेद्दाहं सूतकं नोदकक्रियाम्

Freed from hell by that sin, they become spirits; for them, one should not perform cremation, impurity rites, or water-offerings.

न विधानं मृताद्यं च न कुर्यादौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । तेषां तार्क्ष्य प्रकुर्वीत नारायणबलिक्रियाम्

One should not perform the prescribed death rites or post-funeral ceremonies for them, O Tārkṣya; instead, one should perform the offering to Nārāyaṇa for them.

सर्वलोकहितार्थाय शृणु पापभयापहाम् । षण्मासं ब्राह्मणे दाहस्त्रिमासं क्षत्त्रिये मतः

For the welfare of all beings, hear that which removes the fear of sin: cremation for a brāhmaṇa is prescribed after six months, for a kṣatriya after three months.

सार्ध मासं तु वैश्यस्य सद्यः शूद्रे विधीयते । गङ्गायां यमुनायाञ्च नैमिषे पुष्करेऽथ च

For a vaiśya, after one and a half months; for a śūdra, immediately. In the Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Naimiṣa, Puṣkara—

तडागे जलूपूर्णे वा ह्रदे वा विमलोदके । वाप्यां कूपे गवां गोष्ठे गृहे वा प्रतिमालये

In a pond, in water filled to the brim, in a lake of pure water, in a reservoir, a well, a cow-pen, a house, or a temple—

कृष्णाग्रे कारयेद्विप्र बलिं नारायणाह्वयम् । प्रेताय तर्पणं कार्यं मन्त्रैः पौराणवैदिकैः

In front of Kṛṣṇa, one should offer to the brāhmaṇa the bali called Nārāyaṇa; for the departed, one should perform the water-offering with mantras from the Purāṇas and the Vedas.

सर्वौषध्यक्षतैर्मिश्रैर्विष्णुमुद्दिश्य तर्पयेत् । कार्यं पुरुषसूक्तेन मन्त्रैर्वा वैष्णवैरपि

With all medicinal herbs and unbroken rice mixed together, one should offer satisfaction to Viṣṇu; this should be done with the Puruṣa Sūkta or with Vaiṣṇava mantras.

दक्षिणाभिमुखो भूत्वा प्रेतं विष्णुरिति स्मरेत् । अनादिनिधनो देवः शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः

Facing south, remembering the departed as Viṣṇu—the god without beginning or end, bearer of conch, discus, and mace—

अव्ययः पुण्डरीकाक्षः प्रेतमोक्षप्रदो भवेत् । तर्पणस्यावसाने च वीतरागो विमत्सरः

The imperishable, lotus-eyed one, who grants liberation to the departed; at the conclusion of the water-offering, being free from passion and envy—

जितेन्द्रियमना भूत्वा शुचिप्मान्धर्मतत्परः । दानधर्मरतः शान्तः प्रणम्य वाग्यतः शुचिः

Having mastered the senses and mind, pure, devoted to righteousness, delighting in charity and virtue, peaceful, having bowed, restrained in speech, and pure—

यजमानो भबेत्तत्र शुचिर्वन्धुसमन्वितः । भक्त्या तत्र प्रकुर्वीत श्राद्धत्येकादशैव तु

There, the sacrificer should be pure, accompanied by relatives, and with devotion should perform the elevenfold Śrāddha.

सर्वकर्मविपाकेन एकैकाग्रे समाहितः । तोयव्रीहियवान् षष्ट्या गोधूमांश्च प्रियङ्गुकान्

With the result of all actions in mind, being concentrated, he should offer sixty each of water, rice, barley, wheat, and priyangu grains.