Garuda Purana

स्वधर्मेणैवोर्ध्वगतिरधर्मेणाप्यधोगतिः । जायते सर्ववर्णानां स्वधर्मचलनात्खग ॥ २,४६.

By one's own duty, there is ascent; by unrighteousness, there is descent; O Khaga, for all classes, deviation from their own duty brings about such results.

देवत्वे मानुषत्वे च दानभोगादिकाः क्रियाः । या दृश्यन्ते वैनतेय तत्सर्वं कर्मजं फलम् ॥ २,४६.

The acts of giving, enjoyment, and so forth, seen among gods and humans, O Vainateya, all these are the results produced by karma.

अकर्मविहिते घोरे कामक्रोधार्जितेऽशुभे । पतेद्वै नरके भूयो तस्योत्तारो न विद्यते ॥ २,४६.

In terrible acts not enjoined by duty, gained through desire and anger, and unwholesome, one falls again into hell, and there is no deliverance for him.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ४७ गरुड उवाच । भगवन्देवदेवेश कृपया परया वद । दानं दानस्य माहात्म्यं वैतरण्याः प्रमाणकम् ॥ २,४७.

Garuḍa said: O Lord, God of gods, out of supreme compassion, please speak about giving, the greatness of giving, and the measure of the Vaitaraṇī.

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । या सा वैतरणी नाम यममार्गे महासरित् । अगाधा दुस्तरा पापैर्दृष्टमात्रा भयावहा ॥ २,४७.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: That river named Vaitaraṇī, on the path of Yama, is a great river, unfathomable, difficult to cross because of sins, terrifying even at the mere sight.

पूयशोणिततोयाढ्या मांसकर्दमसकुंला । पापिनञ्चागतान्दृष्ट्वा नानाभयसमावृता ॥ २,४७.

It is filled with water of pus and blood, thick with flesh and mud; seeing the sinners who have arrived there, it is surrounded by various terrors.

क्वाथ्यते सत्वरं तोयं पात्रमध्ये घृतं यथा । क्रिमिभिः सङ्कुलं पूयं वज्रतुण्डैः समावृतम् ॥ २,४७.

There, the water boils quickly, as ghee in a vessel; the pus is teeming with worms, surrounded by those with diamond-like beaks.

शिशुमारैश्च मकरैर्वज्रकर्तरिकायुतैः । अन्यैश्च जलजीवैश्च हिंसकैर्मांसभेदिभिः ॥ २,४७.

There are crocodiles and makaras, armed with diamond blades, and other aquatic creatures, fierce, tearing flesh.

उद्यान्ति द्वादशादित्याः प्रलयान्ते तथा हि ते । तपन्ति तत्र वै मर्त्याः क्रन्द मानास्तु पापिनः ॥ २,४७.

Twelve suns rise there, as at the end of the dissolution; mortals are scorched there, and the sinners cry out in pain.

हा भ्रातः पुत्र तातेति प्रलपन्ति मुहुर्मुहुः । विचरन्ति निमज्जन्ति ग्लानिं गच्छन्ति जन्तवः ॥ २,४७.

Again and again they lament, 'Alas, brother! Son! Father!' The beings wander, sink, and fall into exhaustion.

चतुर्विधैः प्राणिगणैर्दृष्टा व्याप्ता महानदी । तरन्ति गोप्रदानेन त्वन्यथा च पतन्ति ते ॥ २,४७.

That great river is seen filled with four kinds of living beings; they cross by the gift of a cow, otherwise they fall.

मां नरा येऽवमन्यन्ते चाचार्यं गुरुमेव च । वृद्धानन्यांश्चापि मूढास्तेषां वासस्तु तत्र वै ॥ २,४७.

Those men who disrespect their teachers and gurus, and also the elders—those fools, their dwelling is surely there.

पतिव्रतां साधुशीलामूढां धर्मेषु निश्चलाम् । परित्यजन्ति ये मूढास्तेषां वासस्तु सन्ततम् ॥ २,४७.

Those fools who abandon a chaste wife of good character, steadfast in righteousness—their dwelling is always there.

विश्वासप्रतिपन्नानां स्वामिमित्रतपस्विनाम् । स्त्रीबालविकलादीनां वधं कृत्वा पतन्ति हि । पच्यन्ते तत्र मध्ये तु क्रन्दमानास्तु पापिनः ॥ २,४७.

Those who betray trust, kill their masters, friends, ascetics, women, children, the helpless, or the afflicted—they fall there; in the midst of that river, the sinners are cooked, crying out.

शान्तं बुभुक्षितं विप्रंयो विघ्नायोपसर्पति । क्रिमिभिर्भक्ष्यते तत्र यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् ॥ २,४७.

He who approaches a peaceful, hungry Brahmin to hinder him is eaten there by worms until the end of the age.

ब्राह्मणाय प्रतीश्रुत्य यमार्थं न ददाति तम् । आहूय नास्ति यो ब्रूयात्तस्य वासस्तु तत्र वै ॥ २,४७.

If one promises something to a Brahmin and does not give it, and when summoned says 'I do not have it,' then that person must reside there.

अग्निदो गरदश्चैव कूटसाक्षी च मद्यपः । यज्ञविध्वंसकश्चैव राज्ञीगामी च पैशुनः ॥ २,४७.

An arsonist, a poisoner, a false witness, a drunkard, one who destroys sacrifices, one who approaches the king's women, and a slanderer—

कथाभङ्गकरश्चैव स्वयन्दत्ता पहारकः । क्षेत्रसेतुविभेदी च परदारप्रधर्षकः ॥ २,४७.

One who disrupts conversations, a thief of gifts given by himself, one who breaks field boundaries or dams, and one who violates another's wife—

ब्राह्मणो रसविक्रेता तथा यो वृषलीपतिः । गोधनस्य तृषार्तस्य वाप्या भेदं करोति यः ॥ २,४७.

A Brahmin who sells juices, one who is the husband of a low-born woman, and one who breaks a pond when cattle are thirsty—

कन्याविदूषकश्चैव दानं दत्त्वानुतापकः । शूबद्रस्तु कपिलापायी ब्राह्मणो मांसभोजनः ॥ २,४७.

One who corrupts a maiden, one who regrets after giving charity, one who drinks from a skull, and a Brahmin who eats meat—

एते वसन्ति सततं मा विचारं कृथाः क्वचित् । कृपणो नास्तिकः क्षुद्रः स तस्यां निवसेत्खग ॥ २,४७.

These always dwell there; do not ever doubt it. A miser, an atheist, a petty person—he too resides there, O bird.

सदामर्षो सदा क्रोधी निजवाक्यप्रमाणकृत् । परोक्त्युच्छेदको नित्यं वैतरण्या वसेच्चिरम् ॥ २,४७.

One who is always resentful, always angry, who considers only his own words as authority, who constantly interrupts others—he dwells long in the Vaitarani.

यस्त्वहङ्कारवान्पापी स्वविकत्थनकारकः । कृतघ्नो गर्भसन्तापी वैतरण्यां स मज्जति ॥ २,४७.

One who is arrogant and sinful, who boasts about himself, who is ungrateful, who causes distress to the unborn—he sinks in the Vaitarani.

कदापि भाग्ययोगेन तरणेच्छा भवेद्यदि । सानुकूला भवेद्येन तदाकर्णय काश्यप ॥ २,४७.

If ever, by the conjunction of fortune, the desire to cross arises, and favorable conditions appear, then listen, O Kashyapa.

अयने विषुवे पुण्ये व्यतीपाते दिनोदये । चन्द्रसूर्योपरागे वा संक्रान्तौ दर्शवासरे ॥ २,४७.

At the solstices, at the equinoxes, at eclipses, at sunrise, during lunar or solar eclipses, at transitions, and on days of sacred observances—

अन्येषु पुण्यकालेषु दीयते दानमुत्तमम् । यदा तदा भवेद्वापि श्राद्धा दानं प्रति ध्रुवम् ॥ २,४७.

At other auspicious times, when excellent charity is given, then, or when a śrāddha is performed, charity for the departed is certainly effective.

तदैब दानकालः स्याद्यतः सम्पत्तिरस्थिरा । अनित्यानि शरीराणि विभवो नैव शाश्वतः ॥ २,४७.

That is the time for giving, for wealth is unstable; bodies are impermanent, and prosperity is never lasting.

नित्यं सन्निहितो मृत्युः कर्तव्यो धर्मसंगहः । कृष्णां वा पाटलां वापि कुर्याद्वैतरणीं शुभाम् ॥ २,४७.

Death is always near; one should accumulate righteousness. One should make a Vaitarani, either black or red, auspicious.

स्वर्णशृङ्गीं रौप्यखुरां कांस्यपात्रोपदोहनीम् । कृष्णवस्त्रयुगाच्छन्नां सप्तधान्यसमन्विताम् ॥ २,४७.

With golden horns, silver hooves, a bronze vessel for milking, covered with a pair of black cloths, and accompanied by seven kinds of grain—