Garuda Purana

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.

हविष्यान्नं शुभं मुद्रां छत्रोष्णीषे च चलेकम् । दापयेत्सर्वसस्यानि क्षीरक्षौद्रयुतानि च

He should give auspicious cooked food, coins, a single umbrella and turban, all kinds of grains, and those mixed with milk and honey.

वस्त्रोपानहसंयुक्तं दद्यादष्टविधं पदम् । दापयेत्सर्वविप्रेभ्यो न कुर्यात्पङ्क्तिबन्धनम्

He should give eight kinds of gifts, including cloth and sandals; he should distribute to all the Brāhmaṇas and not form a single line for them.

भूमौ स्थितेषु पिण्डेषु गन्धपुष्पाक्षतान्वितम् । शङ्खपात्रे तथा ताम्रे तर्पणञ्च पृथक्पृथक्

When the balls of rice are placed on the ground, adorned with fragrance, flowers, and rice grains, he should offer libations separately in conch and copper vessels.

ध्यानधारणसंयुक्तो जानुभ्यामवनिं गतः । दातव्यं सर्वविप्रेभ्यो वेदशास्त्रविधानतः

Joined with meditation and concentration, having gone to the ground on his knees, he should give to all the Brāhmaṇas according to the injunctions of the Vedas and scriptures.

ऋचा वै दापयेदर्घ्यमेकोद्दिष्टे पृथक्पृथक् । आपोदेवीर्मधुमतीरादिपीठे प्रकल्पितम्

With a Vedic verse, he should offer arghya separately for each departed; the waters, sweet as honey, are to be arranged on the prescribed seat.

उपयामगृहीतोऽसि द्वितीयेऽर्घं निवेदयेत् । येनापावकचक्षुषा तृतीये च सकल्पितम्

He should say, 'You are received,' and offer the second arghya; with the one whose eyes are fire, the third is to be offered as prescribed.

ये देवासश्चतुर्थे तु समुद्रं गच्छ पञ्चमे । अग्निर्ज्योति स्तथा षष्ठे हिरण्यगर्भः सप्तमे

To the deities in the fourth, to the ocean in the fifth, to Agni and light in the sixth, and to Hiraṇyagarbha in the seventh.

यमाय त्वाष्टमे ज्ञेयं यज्जग्रन्नवमे तथा । दशमे याः फलिनीति पिण्डे चैकादशे ततः

To Yama in the eighth, to what is eaten in the ninth, to the fruit-bearing ones in the tenth, and to the eleventh piṇḍa thereafter.

भद्रं कर्णेभिरिति च कुर्यात्पिण्डविसर्जनम् । कृत्वैकादशदेवत्यं श्राद्धं कुर्यात्परेऽहनि

Reciting 'May good come to our ears,' he should perform the offering of the piṇḍas; having completed the elevenfold deity Śrāddha, he should perform the next day's Śrāddha.

विप्रानावाहयेत्पञ्च चतुर्वेदविशारदान् । विद्याशीलगुणोपेतान्स्व कीयाञ्छीलसत्तमान् । अब्यङ्गान्सप्रशस्तांश्च न त्वर्ज्यान्कदाचन

He should invite five Brāhmaṇas, skilled in the four Vedas, endowed with knowledge, character, and virtues, of good conduct, without defects, and praiseworthy, never to be rejected.