Garuda Purana

मृतस्यैव तु यद्दानं परोक्षे तत्समं स्मृतम् । स्वहस्तेन ततो देयं मृते कः कस्य दास्यती ॥ २,४७.

Whatever gift is made for the dead, in their absence, is considered equal; therefore, one should give with one's own hand—after death, who will give to whom?

दानधर्मविहीनानां कृपणैर्जीवेतक्षितैः । अस्थिरेण शरीरेण स्थिरं कर्म समाचरेत् ॥ २,४७.

Those lacking in charity and righteousness, misers clinging to life, should perform steadfast deeds with this unstable body.

अवश्यमेव यास्यन्ति प्राणाः प्राघुणि (घूर्णि) का इव ॥ २,४७.

Surely, life-breaths will depart, just as a herd (of cattle) moves on.

इतीदमुक्तं तव पक्षिराज विडम्बनं जन्तुगणस्य सर्वम् । प्रेतस्य मोक्षाय तदौद्ध्वन्दैहिकं हिताय लोकस्य चरेच्छुभाय तु ॥ २,४७.

Thus, O king of birds, all this has been spoken to you—the mockery of all creatures; for the liberation of the departed, one should perform these rites for the benefit and welfare of the world.

सूत उवाच । एवं विप्राः समाद्दिष्टो विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना । गरुड प्रेतचरितं श्रुत्वा सन्तुष्टिमागतः ॥ २,४७.

Sūta said: Thus, O brāhmaṇas, having been instructed by mighty Viṣṇu, Garuḍa, after hearing the account of the departed, became satisfied.

व्रततीर्थादिकं सर्वं पुनः पप्रच्छ केशवम् । ध्यात्वा मनसि सर्वेशं सर्वकारणकारणम् ॥ २,४७.

He again asked Keśava about all vows, pilgrimages, and the like, meditating in his mind on the Lord of all, the cause of all causes.

ऋषयः सर्वमेवैतज्जन्तूनां प्रभवादिकम् । मरणं जन्म च तथा प्रेतत्वञ्चौर्ध्वदैहिकम् ॥ २,४७.

The sages (said): All this—origin and so forth, death, birth, and also the state of the departed and the rites after death—has been declared.

मया प्रोक्तं वै मुक्त्यै निदानं चैव सर्वशः । लाभस्तेषां जयस्तेषां कुतस्तेषां पराजयः । येषामिन्दीवरश्यामो हृदयस्थो जनार्दनः ॥ २,४७.

I have spoken all this for liberation, and the cause as well; for those whose hearts hold Janārdana, dark as a blue lotus, there is gain, there is victory—how can there be defeat for them?

धर्मो जयति नाधर्मः सत्यं जयति नानृतम् । क्षमा जयति न क्रोधो विष्णुर्जयति नासुराः ॥ २,४७.

Dharma prevails, not adharma; truth prevails, not falsehood; forgiveness prevails, not anger; Viṣṇu prevails, not the demons.

विष्णुर्माता पिता विष्णुर्विष्णुः स्वजनबान्धवाः । येषामेव स्थिरा बुद्धिर्न तेषां दुर्गतिर्भवेत् ॥ २,४७.

Viṣṇu is mother, Viṣṇu is father, Viṣṇu is kin and friend; for those whose understanding is firm in him, there is no misfortune.

मङ्गलं भगवान्विष्णुर्मङ्गलं गरुडध्वजः । मङ्गलं पुण्डरीकाक्षो मङ्गलायतनं हरिः ॥ २,४७.

Auspicious is Lord Viṣṇu, auspicious is he who bears Garuḍa on his banner; auspicious is the lotus-eyed one, auspicious is Hari, the abode of auspiciousness.

हरिर्भागीरथी विप्रा विप्रा भागीरथी हरिः । भागीरथी हरिर्विप्राः सारमेतज्जगत्त्रये ॥ २,४७.

Hari, the Bhagirathi, and the brahmins—brahmins, the Bhagirathi, and Hari; the Bhagirathi, Hari, and the brahmins—this is the essence in all three worlds.

इति सूतमुखोद्गीर्णां सर्वशास्त्रार्थमण्डिताम् । वैष्णविं वाक्सुधां पीत्वा ऋषयस्तुष्टिमाययुः ॥ २,४७.

Having drunk the nectar-like words of Vaishnavi teaching, adorned with the meaning of all the scriptures and uttered by Suta, the sages attained satisfaction.

प्रशशंसुस्तथान्योन्यं सूतं सर्वार्थदर्शिनम् । प्रहर्षमतुलं प्रापुर्मुनयः शौनकादयः ॥ २,४७.

Thus, praising one another and Suta, who sees the meaning of all things, the sages headed by Shaunaka experienced incomparable joy.

अपवित्रः पवित्रो वा सर्वावस्थां गतोपि वा । यः स्मरेत्पुण्डरीकाक्षं स बाह्याभ्यन्तरं शुचिः ॥ २,४७.

Whether impure or pure, or having reached any condition whatsoever, whoever remembers the lotus-eyed one becomes pure both outwardly and inwardly.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ४८ तार्क्ष्य उवाच । ये मर्त्यलोके निवसन्ति मानवास्ते सर्वजातौ निधनं प्रयान्ति । काले स्वकीये निजपुण्यसंख्यया वदन्ति लाक कथस्व तन्मे ॥ २,४८.

Tarkshya said: All humans who dwell in the world of mortals, of every kind, go to death at their appointed time, according to the measure of their own merit. Tell me about this, recount it to me.

गच्छन्ति मार्गेण सुदुस्तरेण विधातृनिष्पादितवर्त्मनि स्थिताः । केनैव पुण्येन मुदं प्रयान्ति तिष्ठन्ति केनैव कुलं बलं वयः ॥ २,४८.

They proceed along a path that is very hard to cross, set by the Creator; by what merit do they attain happiness, and by what do they maintain family, strength, and age?

सूत उवाच । श्रुत्वाथ देवो गरुडं त्ववोचत्स्मृत्वा वपुः कर्मभयञ्च रूपम् । सृष्टा धरा येन चराचरं जगत्स येन शस्ता विहितो यमो विभुः ॥ २,४८.

Suta said: Hearing this, the Lord spoke to Garuda, recalling his own form and the fearsome nature of karma: He by whom the earth was created, along with all moving and unmoving beings, by whom Yama the mighty was established as the ruler.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । धर्मार्थकामं चिरमोक्षसञ्चयमन्यं द्वितीयं यममार्गगामिनाम् । प्रविश्यचाङ्गुष्ठसमे स तत्र वै तं प्राप्य देहं स्वमन्दिरम्? ॥ २,४८.

The Blessed Lord said: For those who pursue righteousness, wealth, desire, or the long accumulation of liberation, there is another path, leading to Yama; entering there, equal to the size of a thumb, he attains that body and then his own abode.

गृहीतपाशो रुदते पुनः पुनर्देशे सुपुण्ये द्विज देहसंस्थितः । देवेन्द्रपूजा पितृदेवतृप्तिदं मोहान्न चेष्टं न च पुत्त्रसन्ततिः ॥ २,४८.

Bound with a noose, he weeps again and again, remaining in a most auspicious place, O twice-born, established in a body; there is no worship of the gods, nor satisfaction for ancestors and deities, nor action, nor progeny, due to delusion.

न मेऽस्ति बन्धुर्यममार्गगामिनो मया न कृत्यं द्विजदेहलिप्सया । सम्प्राप्य विप्रत्वमतीव दुर्लभं नाधीतवान्वेदपुराणसंहिताः । प्राप्तं सुरत्नं करसंस्थितं गतं देहन्क्वचिन्निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,४८.

For me, there is no relative for one who goes on Yama's path; I have nothing to do with desiring a twice-born body. Having attained the extremely rare state of a brahmin, he did not study the Vedas or the collections of the Purāṇas. A precious gem was obtained and held in the hand, but the body is gone somewhere—what you have done, you must cross over.

यः क्षत्त्रियो बाहुबलेन संयुगे ललाटदेशाद्रुधिरं मुखे पपौ । तत्सोमपानं हि कृतं महामखे जीवन्मृतः सोऽपि हि याति मुक्तिक् ॥ २,४८.

A kshatriya who, by the strength of his arms in battle, drinks the blood flowing from his forehead into his mouth—this is indeed the drinking of soma in a great sacrifice; though living or dead, he attains liberation.

स्थानान्यनेकानि कृतानि तानि पीतान्यनेकान्यपि गर्हितानि । शस्त्रं गृहीत्वा समरे रिपूणां यः संमुखं याति स मुक्तपापः ॥ २,४८.

Many places have been made, many have been enjoyed, even those that are condemned; but one who, taking up arms, faces the enemies in battle, is freed from sin.

क्षत्त्रान्वयो वापि विशोन्वयो वा शूद्रान्वयो वापि हि नीचवर्णः । संग्रामदेवद्विजबालघाती स्त्रीवृद्धहा दीनतपस्विहन्ता ॥ २,४८.

Whether of kshatriya lineage, or of vaishya lineage, or even of shudra lineage, or of a low caste—one who kills gods, brahmins, children in battle, women, the elderly, or destroys the weak and ascetics—

उपद्रुतेष्वेषु पराङ्मुखो यः स्युस्तस्य देवाः सकलाः पराङ्मुखाः । तिलोदकं नैव पिबन्ति पूर्वे हुतं न गृह्णाति हुताशनोपि तत् ॥ २,४८.

If, when these are attacked, he turns away, then all the gods turn away from him; his ancestors do not drink the sesame-water, and the fire does not accept his offerings.

द्वेषाद्भयाद्वा समरे समागते शस्त्रं गृहीत्वा परसैन्यसंमुखः । न याति पक्षीन्द्र मृश्च पश्चात्क्षात्त्रं बलं तस्य गतं तथैव । द्विजाय दत्त्वा कनकं महीमिमां भूयः स पश्चाद्भवतीह लोके ॥ २,४८.

If, out of hatred or fear, when battle is joined, he takes up arms and faces the enemy army but then retreats, O king of birds, then his kshatriya power is lost. If he gives gold or land to a brahmin, he is reborn here in this world.

दानं प्रदत्तं ग्रहणे द्विजेन्द्रे स्नानं कृतं तेन सदा सुतीर्थे । गत्वा गयायां पितृपिण्डदानं कृतं सदा यो म्रियते तु युद्धे ॥ २,४८.

The giving of gifts at an eclipse to the best of brahmins, bathing always at holy fords, and offering ancestral cakes at Gaya—these are always accomplished by one who dies in battle.

यः क्षात्त्रदेहन्तु विहाय शोचते रणाङ्गणे स्वामिवधे च गोग्रहे । स्त्रीबालघाते पथि सार्थहेतवे मया स्वकोशं न हतं न पातितम् ॥ २,४८.

One who, abandoning his kshatriya body, grieves on the battlefield for the killing of his master, for the capture of cows, for the killing of women or children, or for the sake of a caravan, thinking, 'My own wealth was neither lost nor spent by me'—

वैश्यः स्वकर्माणि विशोचते तदा गृहीतपाशो न मयापि सञ्चितम् । सत्यं न चोक्तं क्रय विक्रयेण मोहाद्विमूढेन कुटुम्बहेतवे ॥ २,४८.

If a vaishya grieves over his own business, then, bound with a noose, he has not accumulated merit with me; truth is not spoken in buying or selling, out of delusion and folly for the sake of his family.