THE GARUDA PURANA 52 страница

The body suffers in three ways: Either it is eaten by worms or transformed to feces or reduced to ashes.

25-29. O Garuda, Body is liable to destruction in an instant. How can a man boast of it?

The purpose of wealth is charity, that of speech is truth, that of life is fame and spirituality, that of body is benevolence.

In this way, one can gain something substantial out of the things unsubstantial.

When the departed soul is being carried away, the messengers chastise him in the way. They describe the dreadful fate that awaits him in hell.

They tell him thus: ‘‘O wicked soul, walk quickly.

You are being taken to hell. We carry you to Kumbhipdkd 2 and kindred hells. Make haste and do not delay. ”

Thus hearing the words of messengers and the lamentations of his relatives he cries aloud and is carried by Yama’s messengers.

30-31. The son should perform Sraddha at the appropriate place. He should offer six pindas, on the day of death in the serial order: ( 1 ) at the place where the person breathes his last (2) at the door-way, (3) at the courtyard, (4) at the resting place, (5) by the pyre and (6) at the collection of bones.

O Garuda, I shall now tell you the purpose why the six pindas are offered to the dead.

32-33. The pinda that is offered to the dead at the place of death pleases the household deities. This pinda satiates both — the earth and the presiding deity. The doorway pinda should be given addressing the departed soul as pantha (passenger).

1. Anguffhamdirah purnfah This s'ruti citation recursf in treatises on philosophy and is corroborated by the statement of the Mahabharata when Yama is said to have forcibly dragged the thumb-sized soul out of the body of Satyav& n.

Ahgu§thamatram purusaiii niscakar? a balad Yamah n 2. Kumbhlp& ka — -a hell. The cruel folk who kill animals and birds for food are roasted in Kumbhi fire. For details see Devi Bh& gavata, Skandha 8

34. The gift of this pinda pleases the household deities that abide at the door. In the courtyard lives the Khecara. A pinda should be given in his name.

35. At the resting place, he should offer a pinda to the Bhuta categorized as Deva. This pinda is, therefore, called bkuta. The gift of this pinda to the Bhuta makes him genial to the dead.

36. Pi^acas, Raksasas, Yaksas and the rest preserve the sanctity of the body which is sacrificed in the fire.

37. When the Pinda is offered by the side of the pyre, the dead is designated as preta. But, O Garuda, instead of calling him preta, some call him Sadhaka.

38. But, generally, he is called preta. Henceforth, the offerings are made to him in the name of preta.

39. By gifting away the five pindas, the body achieves sanctity and fitness to be sacrificed in the fire. Otherwise, the presiding deities, as stated above, cause large-scale destruction.

40. Three pindas are necessary: (1) one at the time of death, (2) another in the half-way from the place of death to the cremation ground and still another by the side of the pyre.

41. The pindas are associated in their serial order with their presiding deities, viz., Brahma, Visnu, and the messengers of Yama.

42. When the third pinda is offered, the dead body is relieved of impurity. The son or the nearest relative should set fire to the pyre.

43. He should cleanse, besmear, dig up, extract the place of altar and after sprinkling the same with water, he should arrange sticks in the prescribed way and light the fire.

44-45. After worshipping the deity Kravyada 5 with lowers and rice he should recite the following formula: " O ravyada, the originator of beings, the source of the universe, thou art the originator, saviour and the destroyer of the people.

Take this dead person to heaven. Thus worshipping the deity Kravy& da, he should sacrifice the dead body.

1 Kravy& da — a messenger of Yama, so called because he eats raw flesh.

46. When the body is half-burnt he should pour ghee into the pyre reciting the formula: Lomabhyah svdhd.

47. Putting dead body on the pyre he should pour ghee over the pyre with the formula: Tamdya Antakdya Svdhd.

48. A single offering should be made to each of the deities — Mrtyu, Brahma, Jatavedas (fire) as well as in the mouth of the preta. Then he should light the fire from the eastern direction.

49. He should recite the mantra (addressed to the dead); thou art born of this fire; (addressed to the fire):

May he be born of you again. May thou take him to the world of heaven, please.

50. Reciting this mantra he should pour ghee mixed with gingelly seeds. Thus, he should cremate the body as dictated by the funeral code (antyeffi paddhati ).

51. He should weep aloud at this juncture. For this would assuredly give pleasure to the deceased. The rite of cremation is followed by the rite of collecting bones.

52. The preta-pintja forestalls the pain due to cremation.

The Bhutas (who share the pinda with the deceased) allow the preta to wait till he receives the pinda from his relatives.

53. After the corpse is cremated, the sons or the descendents should bathe in dress. They should offer libations of water mixed with gingelly seeds by his personal name or by the appellation of his lineage.

54. The people of the town who have assembled for morning should applaud the dead by reciting the formula Vifnu, Vifnu. They should accompany the relatives back to the house (as a token of sympathy for the relatives).

55-56. At the southern part of the house he should put cow-dung and the white mustard. He should set up an icon of Varuna in the house, eat the leaves of the Nimba 1 and partake of the ghee.

1. Nimba — a tree with bitter fruits.

57. O lord of birds, some sprinkle milk over the pyre.

He should not shed tears but offer libations of water to the dead.

58. They should not weep. If thfey weep and spit phlegm the soul of the dead person is compelled to eat that.

59. The son should perform the obsequial rites as his means can afford. O Gambia, he should pour milk or water by the earthern jar, in favour of the deceased, over the sloping roof or the courtyard.

60. The soul of the deceased held fast by his previous actions and terribly bewildered, desires for another body. While he is being taken to the abode of Yama by his messengers he casts a mournful look at the cemetery and the courtyard of his house.

61-62. For ten days, without intermittence, the son should offer pinda in the pit and pour handful of water in favour of the deceased. If he has no son, his wife should perform the obsequial rites.

63. If he has no wife, his disciple should perform the same. If no disciple, his brother should do that. The libations of pinda and water should be given either at the cremation ground or at the place of pilgrimage.

64. Whatever the descendent offers — boiled rice, barleymeal, vegetables, fruits, etc. — on the day of death, he should partake of the same on successive days.

65. The son or the descendent offers Pinda for ten days consecutively. The pinda is divided every day into four parts, O lord of birds.

66. Two parts of the pinda go to the building of new body. The third part goes to the messengers of Yama. The fourth he partakes of himself.

67. Within three days and nights the soul assunfes a new body. On the tenth day the embodied soul longs for food.

68. No procedure, no mantra and no rites are prescribed. He should offer gifts to the deceased just by his personal name or by the appellation of his lineage.

1. A~popular idea contained in the Bhagavad git a, II. 22

69-71. O bird, when the dead body is cremated, the. soul that has gone out of the body takes a new body. 1 With the pirrfa of the first day his head comes into being; with the pinda of the second day his neck and shoulders; with that on the third day his heart; with that on the fourth day his back;

with that on the fifth day his navel; with those on the sixth and seventh days his waist and private parts; with that on the eighth his thighs; with that on the ninth his palate and feet; with that on the tenth a feeling of hunger comes into being.

72. Having assumed a new body tormented by hunger he stands at the threshold of his house. The tenth day pinda should be accompanied with the offering of flesh.

73. The soul of the deceased when he had assumed a new body feels extremely hungry. His hunger is not appeased if an offering without flesh is made to him.

74-75. On the eleventh day and the twelfth, the soul of the dead eats to his fill. While offering gifts of lamp, food, water etc. to the male or the female deceased one should mutter the name preta. Whatever is offered to the deceased, should be done by the name preta, for, doing so gives delight to the deceased.

76. On the thirteenth day, the soul of the dead is taken to the High Way. Now, he assumes a body born of the pin< Ja and feels hungry by day and night.

77. The sinners travel by the path of extreme cold and heat — the path which is beset with nails, infested with demons and spread over with fire. Hunger and thirst await the sinner but the good escape torments.

78. In the path beset with trees, with their leaves as sharp as swords, such tortures are usual. He suffers from hunger and thirst, tortured by the messengers of Yama.

79. The departed soul traverses two hundred and fortyseven Yojanas in twentyfour hours.

80. He is bound by the noose of Yama. He weeps as he leaves the house for the city of Yama.

81. The departed soul goes to the city of Yama which the pious souls find comfortable and where the sinners feel distressed.

82-83. In his upward journey he passes over the best of cities viz, Yamya, Sauripura, Nagendrabhavana, Gandharva, Sailagama, Kraunca, Krurapura, Vicitrabhavana, Bahvapada, Duhkhada, Nanakrandapura, Sutaptabhavana, Raudra, Payovarsana, Sita< Jhya and Bahubhlti. Yama’scity heads the list.

84. On the thirteenth day seized by the servants of Yama, and all alone, the departed soul traverses the path like a monkey led by the juggler.

85-86. As he goes along the path, he cries aloud repeating: ‘ ‘O my son, O my son, I am undone, alas, I am undone.

I did not act well. ” He laments, crying over and over again:

Human body is rare to get. I got it by my accumulated merit.

87-88. I earned sufficient wealth but gave nothing to the poor. Alas! that wealth has gone to others (in spite of hoarding it). Thus he speaks in the choked voice. He is severely tortured by the servants of Yama while he remembers his past.

89. None gives him pleasure or pain. This is wrong to presume that pleasures or pains are caused by others. The soul suffers for all that he performs in his life. O soul, now suffer the consequences of your past activities.

90. [He laments: ] I neither gave gifts to the needy nor poured oblations into the fire. I neither practised penance in the caves of the Himalayas nor bathed in the Ganges. O soul, now suffer the cousequences of your activities.

91. I neither gave regular gifts nor made any pastures nor offered sacred books: the Vedas and the Dharmaiastras to the learned Brahmins in charity nor heard the Puranas.

Now, O soul, suffer for your activities.

92. I did not construct a tank for satiating thirsty people, beasts or birds. I did not make a pasture for the cattle to graze. Now, O soul, suffer for your activities.

93. I neither enjoyed the pleasures of my husband’s company, nor did I enter the pyre of my husband. Nor did I observe the vow of charity after his death. O soul, now suffer for your activities.

94 I did not reduce my body by keeping monthly fasts or C& ndr& yana vow or observances of like nature. I derived womanhood — the cause of multiple sorrows, from unholy activities of my former life.

95. O bird, you think attentively on what I have said about the lamentations of men and women for their acts of omission and commission done in their previous life.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

Life after Death.

The lord said 1-2. O lord of birds, when the departed soul laments thus, he cries being struck by Yama’s servants who drag him for seventeen days in the firmament. On the eighteenth day he reaches the city of Yama.

3. In that beautiful city there abides a group of departed souls. The river Pufpabhadrd flows there and a big fig tree grows up there.

4-6. There in that city, the /Servants of Yama bid him take rest. In utter distress he remembers pleasures he enjoyed in the company of his wife and sons. Thirsty and distressed he weeps bitterly and laments over the erstwhile comforts of his wealth, wife, house, sons, servants, friends and comforts of life. He is extremely distressed with hunger. As he laments the servants of Yama speak to him.

The servants of Tama said:

7. Where is your wealth? Where are your sons? Where is your wife? Where are you in this wretched state? Now suffer for your past evil actions and go by this ancient path.

8. O traveller in this foreign world, do you not know th$ power of Yama who is the lord of us all — his messengers.

Assuredly, you have to travel over that path where there is no provision for barter in virtue or vice.

9. Obird, hear attentively what the messengers of Yama speak to the departed soul. They strike him with the rod of iron.

10. Here, on the earth, whatever is given by his sons every month, rice-ball, etc., due to affection or kindness, he eats the same and then he goes to Sauripura.

1 1. King Jangama rules in that city who can assume any shape at will. He is frightened by his looks. He feels the urge of taking rest.

12-13. Whatever is offered to him in the three fortnights together with the oblations of water he eats and drinks. He passes over that city and reaches the beautiful town Nagendra by name. He has to travel day and night for two months for reaching that city. He passes over dreadful forests in the way and cries aloud.

14-15. He is beaten by the cruel and merciless messengers of Yama and weeps over and over again. Having eaten the rice-balls and drunk the libation of water offered by the relatives in the second month, he moves further. He is tied with the noose and dragged by the messengers of Yama. 16. He reaches Gandharva nagara (or Gandha-madana) in the third month. Here, he eats the quarterly rice-ball offered by the relations. Then he moves further.

17. He reaches the city Sailagama in the fourth month.

The stones rain upon him continuously, O lord.

18. There he eats the fourth monthly oblation and feels satisfied.

19. In the fifth month, he goes to Krfirapura. There he eats the rice ball offered by his relatives. In the sixth month he reaches the Krauflcapura.

20. There he feeds upon the rice-ball offered by his relatives in the sixth month. He takes rest for a while but all the time he remains frightened and distressed.

21. He passes over that town being struck and dragged by the messengers of Yama. He reaches Citranagara where rules King Vicitra.

22-23. He is the younger brother of Yama. There he eats the sixth monthly rice-ball but is not satiated fully. Then he moves further; he suffers again and again for want of food.

24. “Do my sons, brothers, parents or relatives exist who may take me out of the ocean of distress wherein I have fallen.

25-28. He laments in the way and is warned by the messengers of Yama. He then, reaches the Vaitarani 1 that flows over hundred Yojanas, It is full of pus and blood, abounds in fish and vultures. Here the fishermen approach him saying, “O traveller, give us liberal fee; we shall row you across the river.

If he has gifted the Vaitarani cow he is rowed across the river. The gift of a cow at the time of death is called Vaitarani which gives relief to the departed soul.

29. The gift of Vaitarani cow destroys his sins and takes him to the region of Visnu. O best of birds, if the Vaitarani cow is not gifted, the departed soul is drowned in that stream.

30. When a person is in good health he should gift a cow to a learned person.

31-32. While drowning he reproaches himself: T gave no food to a brahmin traveller nor poured oblations in the fire nor performed Japa nor undertook bath nor prayed to the gods.

Now, let me suffer for the acts I did in my life.

33. The messengers of Yama strike him again. He repeats those words but in silence this time.

34. He eats the sixth monthly offering made by the relatives and proceeds further. O Garu< Ja, the gift of food to the pious brahmins gives relief to the donor in distress.

35. O bird, the departed soul covers two hundred and forty seven Yojanas every day. Thereafter he is completely exhausted.

36. In the seventh month he reaches the city Bahvapada.

He eats the rice-ball offered by his relatives.

37. In the eighth month he reaches Nanakrandapura.

There he sees people crying bitterly aloud.

38. Himself in utter distress, he cries in pain. He eats the eighthmonthly rice-ball and feels comfortable.

39. He, then, leaves for Taptapura. Having reached Taptapura in the ninth month he eats the rice-ball and the Sr& ddha which his son or relatives have gifted in his favour.

40. In the tenth month he reaches Raudrapura. He eats whatever his son or relatives give in his favour.

1. Vaitarani: Name of a river in hell.

41. After eating the tenth monthly rice-ball in Raudrapura he goes to Payovar$a^a where the clouds rain heavily and cause distress to the departed.

42. Then suffering from heat and thirst he partakes of the eleventh-monthly meal gifted by his relatives.

43. A little before a year has passed or at the end of eleven and a half month he reaches a Sitapura — city of extreme cold and distress.

44. Tormented by cold and hunger he looks in all directions and speeks: “I wish I had a relative who would have removed my distress. ’

45. The attendants of Yama speak to him thus: “Where is thy holy merit that it may give relief to thee. ” On hearing their words he cries: ‘O my fate. ’

46. Fate is nothing but a result of accumulated merit or sin. ‘I did no good acts, hence this trouble’ — pondering over the matter thus, he takes up courage for the time being.

47. At the distance of forty four Yojanas from Sltapura, there is a beautiful city of Dharmaraja (Yama) where live the celestial musicians and the heavenly nymphs.

48. There live eightyfour lacs of people in human and divine forms. The guards are put at the thirteen gates of the city.

49-52. There abide honourable and respectable Sravanas, the sons of Brahma who know and report to Citragupta whatever good or bad actions are performed by the mortals.

The Sravanas are eight in number. They move about in heaven, hell and on earth. They can see and hear from afar.

Their women are known as Sravanis who are identifiable by their individual names. They are the presiding deities of mortals and have full knowledge of their activities.

53. A mortal should worship them with vows, gifts and prayers. They become cordial to him and cause death in an easy manner.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

Glory of Sravanas.

Garuia said:

1-2. O lord, I want to know about the parentage of Sravanas. How are they stationed in the city of Yama? How do they know about the activities of mortals? How do they hear what the people talk about among themselves? From what source is that knowledge derived by them?

3. O lord, where do they eat? Favour me with your answers to my queries. On hearing the words of the king of birds, the lord spoke.

The lord said:

4. Now hear, what I am going to speak about Sravanas is both truthful and pleasant. I shall tell you about the activities of Sravanas.

5. When the entire world of moveables and immoveables became one uniform whole and I, the lord of beings, was reposing in sleep in the milky ocean.

6-7. The self-born Brahma seated in my navel-lotus practised penance for many years. The universe consisting of fourfold creation was reduced to a single entity — the universe which is created by Brahma, preserved by Visnu and annihilated by Rudra.

8. Brahma created the all-pervading wind. He created the refulgent sun. He created Yama along with Citragupta.

9. He created the universe afterwards, and practised penance for many years, sitting in the navel-lotus of Visnu.

10-11. He created the universe and assigned duties. The gods were anxious to know what time the creator created the universe, how Rudra, Visnu and Dharma ruled over the earth.

12. Thus lost in anxiety, the gods pondered over the problem. They discussed the matter with Brahma.

13-14. Brahma who was urged by the gods created twelve sons 1 by the chemical process out of flowers and leaves They possess lustrous, wide eyes. At the behest of BrahmA, they carry all tidings of Man’s activities whether good or bad to the ears of Brahma.

15. They can hear from afar and see far-off things. O bird, they are, therefore, called Sravanas.

16. They roam about in the firmament and watch the activities of the people which they reveal to Yama at the time of their death.

1 7. They also declare on the fitness of the departed soul for a particular goal, due to his activities.

18. There are four paths in man’s life, viz, paths of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksa. O son of Vinata, a man can go by any one of these paths, superior or inferior.

19. One who bestows riches goes by a celestial car. One who fulfils wishes rides the horse. One who desires liberation travels by swan-vehicles.

20. A sinful person walks bare-footed on rows of sword edged leaves. He is struck with stones, pierced with thorns and bound by nooses.

21-22. He who in the world of mortals propitiates Sravanas, offering them water from a jar and food cooked in a vessel, worships & ravanas and me.

O lord of birds, I shall grant him that position which is inaccessible even to the immortals.

23. With devotion he should feed eleven Brahmanas who are pious and virtuous and the twelfth together with his wife, just for my propitiation.

24. Men should worship Sravanas together with the gods. By doing so, they who seek for pleasure can get to heaven. By worshipping Sravanas they propitiate me, Citragupta and Yama.

1. Another tradition ascribes 12 sons to Kasyapa and his wife Adits who are known as the twelve Adityas.

2. Vinati — wife of Kasyapa and daughter of Dak? a. Two sons Arui> a and Garuda and a daughter Suznati were born to her. For details see Pur& oic Encyclopaedia, under Garuda.

25-26. With Sravagas pleased, the pious people go to Vignuloka. O best of birds, whosoever hears about the glory qf Sravanas, their origin and pious activities is not covered up by sins. He enjoys pleasures of this world and attains glory hereafter.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

Life after Death.

The lord said:

1-2. On hearing the words of Sravanas and thinking about the problem for a while, Citragupta informs about all those actions pious or impious performed by the people. He repeats them also to the person concerned.

3. Whatever action a person undertakes, by word of mouth, body or mind, whether good or bad, he reaps the fruits thereof.

4. O lord, thus I have told you about the path which the departed soul has to traverse. I have also told you about the places of rest for the departed soul.

5. If food is gifted in his favour he travels in comfort on the High Way. To illuminate the path, an earthen lamp should be kindled, put in the appropriate place and kept burning by day and night.

6. The path, though dark, dreadful, dog-infested and void of resting-place, becomes luminous and pleasant for those who have gifted an earthen lamp.

7. If an earthen jar is gifted on the fourteenth day or the month of K& rttika, it gives comfort to the deceased. Now, I shall tell you in brief about the path of Yama for the departed soul.

8. He goes to the world of manes as a result of the merit accruing from the performance of Vfsotsarga. By the riceball offered on the eleventh, he attains physical purity.

9. The servants of Yama are satiated by the gift of water-jar.

10. By gifting bed the deceased goes to heaven by the aerial car. The gift of bed can be made on any day or on the twelfth day from death.

11. On the 13th day he should give precious articles of different varieties in favour of the deceased or the person himself, when alive, should gift these articles for himself.

12-13. O Garu< ja, by the merit accruing from these gifts he goes comfortably on that path. O lord of birds, there prevails a uniform law for all: the higher, lower and the middling classes. O bird, you should know that a person reaps the fruits, sour or sweet, in proportion to the nature and extent of actions done by him.

14. Whatever gifts he or his relatives make in his favour stand in good stead while he is on journey to the world of Yama.

Garuda said:

15. O lord, why should they give padas and of what nature. Who shall receive the gifts? O god of gods, let me know the facts.

The lord said:

16. An umbrella, shoes, clothes, a ring, a water-jar, a chair or stool and a vessel — these seven are called padas.

17. There is a terrible heat in the way which scorches the departed soul. By the gift of umbrella, the deceased receives shelter of shade and feels comfortable.

18. By the gift of shoes the deceased passes over the sword-edged forest, mounted on the horse.

19. By the gift of a seat (dsana) to a Brahmin, the deceased obtains tasty meals in the interval of time while he walks over the path at his leisure.

20. By the gift of a water-jar, he gets enough water on the way which is full of heat, devoid of air and water.

21. A person, gifting a water-jar made of copper, receives, -assuredly, the merit of constructing a thousand wells.

22. The messengers of Yama are dreadful to look at, dark and yellow is appearance. They are courteous too, if propitiated by the gift of clothes and ornaments. When satisfied they do not torment the deceased.

23. They wield terrible weapons, run here and there. By the gift of a ring they vanish from the presence of the deceased.

24. The pada is completed by the gift of a vessel, a seat, raw food, clarified butter and a sacred thread. 25. Tired and thirsty, the traveller feels comfortable if' he has gifted the buffalo’s milk in his life-time.

Garuda said:

26. O lord, things are gifted by the relatives at home in favour of the deceased. How do they reach the deceased and who receives them?

The lord said:

27. God Varuna receives those gifts and hands them over to me. I give them to god Bhaskara (the sun), from Bhaskara the deceased person obtains them.

28. As a result of sinful activities when no descendant is left on the earth, the deceased person goes to hell until hi’s sin is exhausted.

29-33. After his term has expired, the pious soul is allowed by Yama, the lord of eightyfour lacs of hells, to have a look at hells and hear the cries of pretas (the departed souls).

In the midst of hells, there are 21 notorious hells, viz. Tamisra, Lohaganku, Maharaurava, Salmali, Raurava, Kudvala, Kalasutraka, Putimrttika, Saugata, Lohatoda, Savisa, Pretapana, Mahanaraka, Kalola, Sajlvana, Mahapatha, Avici, Andhatamisra, Kumbhipaka, Asipatravana and Patana.

34. Those who have passed several years in the dreadful hell and have no descendants (to offer gifts) in their favour become messengers of Yama.

35. Yama sends them on errand and they share with the dead the food and drink which their relatives offer them from time to time.

36-37. Being extremely hungry they seize the dead man’s gifts on the way and eat them. A rice-ball gifted as food to the dead at the end of a month satiates them for a year.

38. By such deeds of merit, gradually he reaches Sauripura. Then by the end of a year, he reaches the vicinity of dreadful Yamaloka.

39. Here, he gives up his dreadful body, of the measure of arm, which he derived within ten days from the ten pindas gifted to him by his descendants. His spirits droop at the sight of Yama as the spirit of ParaSurama at the sight of Rama (Dasarathi).

40. He gives up his previous body for the one derived from his actions. He receives an airy body of the size of a thumb and reaches the sword -edged hell.

41. Here, he walks on single foot bound helplessly by his actions as a caterpillar by reeds.

42. Just as a person casts off his old dress and puts on a new one, so the soul gives up his old body and assumes a new one. 1

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

Life after Death.

The lord said:

1. Assuming an airy form derived from his previous actions and suffering from hunger he moves along with Yama.

2. There is a town of Citragupta covering twenty yojanas. There the embodied beings observe their virtue and sin all around.

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