Garuda Purana

तोयफेनसमे देहे जीवेनाक्रम्य संस्थिते । अनित्याप्रयसवासे कथ तिष्ठति निर्भयः ॥ २,४९.

When life abides in a body as insubstantial as a bubble of water, and in a dwelling so impermanent, how can anyone remain without fear?

अहिते हितसंज्ञः स्यादध्रुवे ध्रुवसंज्ञकः । अनर्थे चार्थविज्ञानः स्वमर्थं यो न वेत्ति सः ॥ २,४९.

He who regards what is harmful as beneficial, what is unstable as stable, and sees value in what is worthless, does not understand his own true good.

पश्यन्नपि प्रस्खलति शृण्वन्नपि न बुध्यति । पठन्नपि न जानाति देवमायाविमोहितः ॥ २,४९.

Though seeing, he stumbles; though hearing, he does not understand; though reading, he does not know—deluded by the divine illusion.

तन्निमज्जज्जगदिदं गम्भीरे कालसागरे । मृत्युरोगजराग्राहैर्न कश्चिदपि बुध्यते ॥ २,४९.

Thus this whole world sinks into the deep ocean of time; seized by the crocodiles of death, disease, and old age, no one becomes aware.

प्रतिक्षणभयं कालः क्षीयमाणो न लक्ष्यते । आमकुंभ इवांभः स्थो विशीर्णो न विभाव्यते ॥ २,४९.

Time, ever diminishing, brings fear at every moment, yet it is not perceived—just as water in a leaking jar is not noticed as it disappears.

युज्यते वेष्टनं वायोराकाशस्य च खण्डनम् । ग्रथनञ्च तरङ्गाणामास्था नायुषि युज्यते ॥ २,४९.

One might bind the wind or shatter space, or string together the waves, but to place trust in the duration of life is not fitting.

पृथिवी दह्यते येन मेरुश्चापि विशीर्यते । शुष्यते सागरजलं शरीरस्य च का कथा ॥ २,४९.

That which burns the earth, shatters even Mount Meru, dries up the waters of the ocean—what need is there to speak of the body?

अपत्यं मे कलत्रं मे धनं मे बान्धवाश्च मे । जल्पन्तमिति मर्त्याजं हन्ति कालवृको बलात् ॥ २,४९.

"My child, my wife, my wealth, my relatives"—while a mortal utters such words, the wolf of time seizes him by force.

इदं कृतमिदं कार्यमिदमन्यत्कृताकृतम् । एवमीहासमायुक्तं कृतान्तः कुरुते वशम् ॥ २,४९.

"This is done, this is to be done, this is another thing, done or not done"—while one is thus engaged in such pursuits, death brings him under its control.

श्वः कार्यमद्य कुर्वीत पूर्वाह्ने चापराह्निकम् । न हि मृत्युः प्रतीक्षेत कृतं वाप्यथ वाकृतम् ॥ २,४९.

Let one do today what is to be done tomorrow, and in the morning what is meant for the afternoon; for death does not wait, whether a task is done or not.

जरादर्शितपन्थानं प्रचण्डव्याधिसैनिकम् । अधिष्ठितो मृत्युशत्रुं त्रातारं किं न पश्यति ॥ २,४९.

Why does one not see the savior from death, who stands before him as an enemy, accompanied by the army of fierce diseases, and showing the path of old age?

तृष्णासूचीविनिर्भिन्नं सिक्तं विषयसर्पिषा । रागद्वेषानले पक्वं मृत्युरश्राति मानवम् ॥ २,४९.

Death devours the human being, pierced by the needle of craving, soaked with the ghee of sense-objects, and cooked in the fire of passion and hatred.

बालांश्च यौवनस्थांश्च वृद्धान गर्भगतानपि । सर्वानाविशते मृत्युरेवम्भूमिदं जगत् ॥ २,४९.

Death enters all—children, those in youth, the aged, and even those in the womb; thus is this world constituted.

स्वदेहमपि जीवोऽयं मुक्त्वा याति यमालयम् । स्त्रीमातृपितृपुत्त्रादिसम्बन्धः केन हेतुना ॥ २,४९.

This living being, abandoning even his own body, goes to the abode of Yama; what then is the cause of attachment to wife, mother, father, son, and others?

दुः खमूलं हि संसारः स यस्यास्ति स दुः खितः । तस्य त्यागः कृतो येन स सुखी नापरः क्वचित् ॥ २,४९.

For whom there is saṃsāra, the root of suffering, he is afflicted; but whoever has renounced it is happy—no one else, ever.

प्रभवं सर्वदुः खानामालयं सकलापदाम् । आश्रयं सर्वपापानां संसारं वर्जयेत्क्षणात् ॥ २,४९.

One should instantly abandon saṃsāra, the source of all suffering, the abode of every calamity, the refuge of all sins.

लोहदारुमयैः पाशैः पुमान्बद्धो विमुच्यते । पुत्त्रदारमयैः पाशैर्मुच्यते न कदाचन ॥ २,४९.

A man bound with chains of iron or wood is freed, but never is he released from the bonds made of son and wife.

यावतः कुरुते जन्तुः सम्बन्धान्मनसः प्रियान् । तावन्तोऽस्य निखन्यन्ते हृदये शोकशङ्कवः ॥ २,४९.

As many dear relationships as a creature forms in his mind, so many arrows of sorrow are driven into his heart.

वञ्चिताशेषवित्तैस्तैर्नित्यं लोको विनाशितः । हा हन्त विषयाहारैर्देहस्थोन्द्रियतस्करैः ॥ २,४९.

The world is ever ruined by those who, having deceived all with their wealth, consume sense-objects—alas!—with the thieves that are the senses dwelling in the body.

मांसलुब्धो यथा मत्स्यो लोहशङ्कुं न पश्यति । सुखलुब्धस्तथा देही यमवाधां न पश्यति ॥ २,४९.

Just as a fish greedy for flesh does not see the iron hook, so too the embodied one, greedy for pleasure, does not see the noose of Yama.

हिताहितं न जानन्तो नित्यमुन्मार्गगामिनः । कुक्षिपूरणनिष्ठा ये ते नरा नारकाः खग ॥ २,४९.

Those men who do not know what is beneficial or harmful, who always go astray, whose only aim is to fill their bellies—O bird, they are hell-bound.

निद्राभीमैथुनाहाराः सर्वेषां प्राणिनां समाः । ज्ञानवान्मानवः प्रोक्तो ज्ञानहीनः पशुः स्मृतः ॥ २,४९.

Sleep, fear, sex, and food are the same for all living beings; he who possesses knowledge is called a human, one without knowledge is regarded as a beast.

प्रभाते मलमूत्त्राभ्यां क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां मध्यगे रवौ । रात्रौ मदननिद्राभ्यां बाध्यन्ते मूढमानवाः ॥ २,४९.

At dawn, fools are troubled by excretion and urination, at midday by hunger and thirst, at night by lust and sleep.

स्वदेहधनदारादिनिरताः सर्वजन्तवः । जायन्ते च म्रियन्ते च हा हन्ताज्ञानमोहिताः ॥ २,४९.

All creatures, absorbed in their own bodies, wealth, wives, and so on, are born and die, alas, deluded by ignorance.

तस्मात्सङ्गः सदा त्याज्यः सचेत्त्यक्तुं न शक्यते । महद्भिः सह कर्तव्यः सन्तः सङ्गस्य भेषजम् ॥ २,४९.

Therefore, attachment should always be abandoned; but if it cannot be given up, one should associate with the great—association with the good is the remedy.

सत्सङ्गश्च विवेकश्च निर्मलं नयनद्वयम् । यस्य नास्ति नरः सोऽन्धः कथं न स्यादमार्गगः ॥ २,४९.

He who lacks association with the good, discernment, and pure vision—such a man is blind; how could he not go astray?

स्वस्ववर्णाश्रमाचारनिरताः सर्वमानवाः । न जानन्ति परं धर्मं वृथा नश्यन्ति दाम्भिकाः ॥ २,४९.

All men, absorbed in the conduct of their own varṇa and āśrama, do not know the supreme dharma; vainly do the hypocrites perish.

किमायासपराः केचिद्व्रतचर्यादिसंयुताः । अज्ञानसंवृतात्मानः सञ्चरन्ति प्रचारकाः ॥ २,४९.

Why do some, intent on austerities and vows, wander about, their selves shrouded in ignorance?

नाममात्रेण सन्तुष्टाः कर्मकाण्डरता नराः । मन्त्रोच्चारणहोमाद्यैर्भ्रामिताः क्रतुविस्तरैः ॥ २,४९.

Men devoted to ritual acts, satisfied with mere names, are deluded by recitation of mantras, offerings, and the elaborate details of sacrifices.