Garuda Purana

न दृश्यते कोऽपि मृतः समागतो राजा यतिर्वा द्विजपुङ्गवोऽपि वा । यो वै मृतः साहसिकः स मर्त्यको नाशं योऽपि धरातले स्थितः ॥ २,४८.

No one who has died is seen to return—not a king, not an ascetic, not even the best of twice-born; whoever dies, whether bold or ordinary, is lost, just as anyone who remains on earth will be.

एवं गणास्ते ब्रुवते सकिन्नरा धैर्यं समालम्ब्य विपादपूरितः । श्रुत्वा गणानां वचनं महाद्भुतं ब्रवीति पक्षीन्द्र मनुष्यतां गतः ॥ २,४८.

Thus those hosts, along with the kinnaras, speak, filling the air with their words; hearing the wondrous speech of these hosts, the king of birds, having taken human form, replied.

दानप्रभावेण विमानसंस्थितो धर्मः पिता मातृदयानुरूपिणी । वाणी कलत्रं मधुरार्थभाषिणी स्नानं सुतीर्थे च सुबन्धवर्गः ॥ २,४८.

By the power of giving, one attains a celestial chariot; righteousness is like a father, compassion like a mother; sweet speech is like a wife who speaks pleasant words, and bathing at holy fords is like a circle of good friends.

करार्पितं यत्सुकृतं समस्तं स्वर्गस्तदा स्यात्तव किङ्करोपमः । यो धर्मवान् प्राप्स्यति सोऽतिसौख्यं पापी समस्तं विविधञ्च दुःखम् ॥ २,४८.

All the good deeds performed with your own hands become your servants in heaven; the righteous will attain great happiness, while the sinful will experience every kind of suffering.

यो धर्मशीलो जितमानरोषो विद्याविनीतो न परोपतापी । स्वदारतुष्टः परदारदूरःस वै नरो नो भुवि वन्दनीयः ॥ २,४८.

He who is devoted to righteousness, who has conquered pride and anger, who is learned and does not harm others, who is content with his own wife and keeps away from others' wives—such a man alone is truly worthy of honor on earth.

मिष्टान्नदाता चरिताग्निहोत्रो वेदान्तविच्चन्द्रसहस्रजीवी । मासोपवासी च पतिव्रता चषड्जीवलोके मम वन्दनीयाः ॥ २,४८.

The giver of delicious food, the performer of the agnihotra, the knower of Vedanta, one who lives as long as the moon and a thousand suns, one who fasts monthly, and the devoted wife—these six are worthy of my reverence in the world.

एवं समाचारयुतो नरोऽपि वापीं सकूपां सजलं तडागम् । प्रपाशुभं हृद्गृहदेवमन्दिरं कृतं नरेणैव स धर्मौत्तमः ॥ २,४८.

Even a man who, acting in this way, makes a pond with a well, a reservoir with water, a rest house, or a temple for the household deity—he alone is truly righteous.

वर्षाशनं वेदविदे च दत्तं कन्याविवाहस्त्वृणमोचनं द्विजे । भूमिः सुकृष्टापि तृषार्तिहेतोस्तदेवमेतं सुकृतत्समस्तम् ॥ २,४८.

Giving food during the rainy season to a knower of the Vedas, arranging a daughter's marriage, freeing a Brahmin from debt, or donating well-cultivated land to relieve thirst—these are all considered excellent good deeds.

अध्यायमेनं सुकृतस्य सारं शृणोति गायत्यपि भावशुद्ध्या । स वै कुलीनः स च धर्मयुक्तो विश्वालयं याति परं स नूनम् ॥ २,४८.

Whoever listens to or sings this chapter, the essence of good deeds, with a pure heart—he is noble, joined to righteousness, and surely attains the highest abode.

श्रीगरुडमहापुराणम् ४९ गरुड उवाच । श्रुता मया दयासिन्धो ह्यज्ञानाज्जीवसंसृतिः । अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि मोक्षोपायं सनातनम् ॥ २,४९.

Garuḍa said: I have heard, O ocean of compassion, of the cycle of birth and death caused by ignorance. Now I wish to hear of the eternal means of liberation.

भगवन्देवदेवेश शरणागतवत्सल । असारे घोरसंसारे सर्वदुः खमलीमसे ॥ २,४९.

O Lord, God of gods, protector of those who seek refuge, in this insubstantial and terrible world, we are afflicted by all kinds of suffering.

नानाविधशरीरस्था अनन्ता जीवराशयः । जायन्ते च म्रियन्ते च तेषामन्तो न विद्यते ॥ २,४९.

Countless living beings, taking on various bodies, are born and die, and for them there is no end.

सदा दुः खातुरा एव न सखी विद्यते क्कचित् । केनोपायेन मोक्षेश मुच्यन्ते वद मे प्रभो ॥ २,४९.

Always tormented by suffering, they find no happiness anywhere. By what means, O Lord of liberation, are they freed? Tell me, O Master.

श्रीभगवानुबाच । शृणु तार्क्ष्य प्रवक्ष्यामि यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण संसारान्मुच्यते नरः ॥ २,४९.

The Blessed Lord said: Listen, O Tārkṣya, I will tell you what you have asked me; by merely hearing this, a person is freed from the cycle of existence.

अस्ति देवः परब्रह्मस्वरूपो निष्कलः शिवः । सर्वज्ञः सर्वकर्ता च सर्वेशो निर्मलोऽद्वयः ॥ २,४९.

There is a God, the supreme Brahman, of the nature of pure consciousness, without parts, auspicious, all-knowing, the doer of all, the Lord of all, pure, and non-dual.

स्वयञ्ज्योतिरनाद्यन्तो निर्विकारः परात्परः । निर्गुणः सच्चिदानन्दस्तदंशा जीवसंज्ञकाः ॥ २,४९.

Self-luminous, without beginning or end, changeless, supreme beyond the supreme, without qualities, existence-consciousness-bliss; fragments of that are known as living beings.

अनाद्यविद्योपहता यथाग्नौ विस्फुलिङ्गकाः । देहाद्युपाधिसम्भिन्नास्ते कर्मभिरनादिभिः ॥ २,४९.

Obscured by beginningless ignorance, like sparks in fire, they are divided by bodily and other adjuncts, and bound by beginningless actions.

सुखदुः खप्रदैः पुण्यपारूपैर्नियन्त्रिताः । तत्तज्जातियुतं देहमायुर्भोगञ्च कर्मजम् ॥ २,४९.

Controlled by merits and demerits that bring pleasure and pain, they obtain bodies, lifespans, and enjoyments of various kinds, all arising from karma.

प्रतिजन्म प्रपद्यन्ते तेषामपि परं पुनः । ससूक्ष्मलिङ्गशरीरमामोक्षादक्षरं खग ॥ २,४९.

With each birth, they assume bodies again; and even among them, until liberation, the subtle body remains, O bird.

स्थावराः कृमयश्चाजाः पक्षिणः पशवो नगः । धार्मिकास्त्रिदशास्तद्वन्मोक्षिणश्च यथाक्रमम् ॥ २,४९.

Immobile beings, insects, goats, birds, animals, mountains, the righteous, the gods, those liberated—such is the order.

चतुर्विधशरीराणि धृत्वा मुक्त्वा सहस्रशः । सुकृतान्मा नवो भूत्वा ज्ञानी चेन्मोक्षमाप्नुयात् ॥ २,४९.

Having assumed and abandoned thousands of fourfold bodies, if one becomes virtuous and wise, one may attain liberation.

चतुरशीतिलक्षेषु शरीरेषु शरीरिणाम् । न मानुषं विनान्यत्र तत्त्वज्ञानन्तु लभ्यते ॥ २,४९.

Among the eighty-four lakh bodies of embodied beings, except in the human form, nowhere else is knowledge of reality attained.

अत्र जन्मसहस्राणां सहस्रैरपि कोटिभिः । कदाचिल्लभते जन्तुर्मानुष्यं पुण्यसञ्चयात् ॥ २,४९.

Even after thousands upon thousands of births, sometimes a creature attains humanity, due to the accumulation of merit.

सोपानभूतं मोक्षस्य मानुष्यं प्राप्य दुर्लभम् । यस्तार यति नात्मानं तस्मात्पापतरोऽत्र कः ॥ २,४९.

Having attained the rare human birth, which is the stepping stone to liberation, who is more sinful than one who does not rescue himself?

नरः प्राप्येतरज्जन्म लब्ध्वा चेन्द्रियसौष्ठवम् । न वेत्त्यात्महितं यस्तु स भवेद्ब्रह्मघातकः ॥ २,४९.

A man who, having gained another birth and the excellence of the senses, does not know what benefits himself, is a slayer of Brahman.

विना देहेन कस्यापि पुरुषार्थो न विद्यते । तस्माद्देहं धनं रक्षेत्पुण्यकर्माणि साधयेत् ॥ २,४९.

Without a body, no one can pursue any purpose; therefore, one should protect the body as wealth and perform virtuous deeds.

रक्षेच्चसर्वदात्मानमात्मा सर्ब्वस्य भाजनम् । रक्षणे यत्नमातिष्ठेज्जीवन् भद्राणि पश्यति ॥ २,४९.

One should always protect oneself, for the self is the vessel of everything; by striving for protection, one lives and sees auspicious things.

पुनर्ग्रामः पुनः क्षेत्र पुनर्वित्तं पुनर्गृहम् । पुनः शुभाशुभं कर्म न शरीरं पुनः पुनः ॥ २,४९.

Village, field, wealth, house, good and bad deeds may be regained again and again, but not the body.

शरीररक्षणोपायाः क्रि यन्ते सर्वदा बुधैः । नेच्छन्ति च पुनस्त्यागमपि कुष्ठादिरोगिणः ॥ २,४९.

Wise people always employ means to protect the body, and even those afflicted with diseases like leprosy do not wish to abandon it.