Garuda Purana

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.

शूद्रं वपुः प्राप्य यशस्करं सदा दानं द्विजेभ्यो न कृतं द्विजार्चनम् । च्दृदद्यत्दद्वड्ढ ढद्धदृथ्र्ददृध्ड्ढथ्र्डड्ढद्ध जलाशयो नैव कृतो धरातले असंस्कृतो विप्रवरो न संस्कृतः ॥ २,४८.

Having obtained a Śūdra body, one who always fails to give gifts to the twice-born, who does not honor the twice-born, who does not create a reservoir of water upon the earth, and who is not consecrated, is not considered a true Brāhmaṇa.

त्यक्त्वा स्वकर्माणि मदेन सुस्थितं मया सुतीर्थे स्ववपुर्न चोज्झितम् । धर्मोर्जितो नैव न देवपूजनं कृतं मया चैव विमुक्तिहेतवे ॥ २,४८.

Abandoning my own duties out of pride, I remained comfortably in a holy place, but did not give up my own body; I did not cultivate righteousness, nor did I worship the gods for the sake of liberation.

देहं समासाद्य तथैव पिण्डजं वर्णांस्तथैवान्त्यजम्लेच्छसंज्ञितान् । मरुन्मयं देहमिमे विशन्ति नैवेहमानाः पथि धर्मसंकुले ॥ २,४८.

Having attained a body born of food, I entered into castes known as outcastes and Mlecchas; these bodies, composed of air, do not enter this path filled with righteousness.

परस्परं धर्मकृन्तं स्वकीयं सम्पाद्य लक्ष्यं पथि सञ्चरन्त्स्वम् । पक्षीन्द्र वाक्यानि शृणुष्व तानि मनोरमाणि प्रवदन्ति यानि ॥ २,४८.

Each, having accomplished their own aim on the path of righteousness, moves along; O king of birds, listen to those delightful words which they speak.

सारा हि लोकेषु भवेत्त्रिलोकी द्वीपेषु सर्वेषु च जम्बुकाख्यम् । देशेषु सर्वेष्वपि देवदेशः जीवेषु सर्वेषु मनुष्य एव ॥ २,४८.

The essence in the worlds is the threefold world; among all the islands, Jambu is renowned; among all lands, the land of the gods is foremost; among all beings, man is supreme.

वर्णाश्च चत्वार इह प्रशस्ताः वर्णेषु धर्मिष्ठनराः प्रशस्ताः । धर्मेण सौख्यं समुपैति सर्वं ज्ञानं समाप्नोति महापथे स्थितः ॥ २,४८.

Here, the four castes are esteemed; among the castes, those who are most devoted to righteousness are praised; through righteousness, all happiness is attained, and one established on the great path attains knowledge.

देहं परित्यज्य यदा गतायुः पक्षिन् स्थितोऽहं कृमिकीटसंस्थितः । सरीसृपोऽहं मशको विनिर्मितश्चतुष्पदोऽहं वनसूकरोऽहम् ॥ २,४८.

When the body is abandoned and life has departed, O bird, I have dwelt as a worm or insect, I have been a reptile, a mosquito, a quadruped, and a wild boar.

सर्वं विजानाति हि गर्भसंस्थितो जातश्च सद्यस्तदिदञ्च विस्मरेत् । यच्चिन्तितं गर्भसमागतेन वै बालो युवा वृद्धवया बभूव ॥ २,४८.

Indeed, while in the womb, one knows everything, but upon birth, all that is immediately forgotten; whatever was contemplated in the womb, the child, youth, and old man become.

मोहाद्विनाष्टं यदि गर्भचिन्तितं स्मृतं पुनर्मृत्युगते चदेहे । तस्मिन्प्रनष्टे हृदि चिन्तितं गतं स्मृतं पुनर्गर्भगते च देहे ॥ २,४८.

If, through delusion, what was contemplated in the womb is forgotten, and again when the body goes to death, when that is lost, what was thought in the heart is gone, and when the body enters the womb again, it is remembered anew.

तस्मिन्प्रनष्टे हृदि चिन्तितं पुनर्मया स्वकोशे परवञ्चनं कृतम् । द्यूतैश्छलेनापि च चौर्यवृत्त्या धर्मं व्यतिक्रम्य शरीररक्षणे ॥ २,४८.

When that is lost, what was thought in the heart, again I committed deception in my own treasury; by gambling, trickery, and theft, I transgressed righteousness for the sake of preserving the body.