THE GARUDA PURANA 55 страница

52. If she is separated from her husband and dies elsewhere she cannot attain the region of her husband till the day of final deluge. 2

53. Leaving off her mother, father and sons she will attain an everlasting happiness by following her dead husband.

54. Calculating by the celestial calander she shall stay in heaven for thirty five million years with the stars.

55. At the end of that period she is born in a noble family, where she will be highly delighted in the company of her husband since she has remained chaste throughout.

1. pada-ddna — the gift of padas. See Vol. II, p. 82], Verse 16.

2. The day of final deluge — The day of pralaya when the whole universe, at the end of a kalpa, is destroyed.

56-57. If a woman who is married duly according to religious rites does not associate herself with her husband she will remain miserable for seven births subsequent 10 this. She will be evil-conducted and repulsive in speech. The woman of such a despicable character who goes after another man, leaving her own husband shall be born as a lizard or an alligator or a leech.

58. Hence, a woman shall endeavour to serve her husband in thought, word and action and follow him in life and death.

59. A woman who commits sins against her husband alive or dead shall never get a husband in her re-birth. She will be the most unfortunate creature among women.

60. By not thinking of any one else and by serving her husband with devoted attention, a woman shall derive half the merit her husband achieves by the worship of God, propitiation of the manes and hospitality to guests.

61. By doing her duty like this she will attain the region of her husband after death and shine like a celestial damsel in heaven as long as the sun and the moon shine in the firmament.

62. If reborn they will be born in a flourishing family and will live together for a long time. A chaste lady will never suffer from the pangs of separation from her husband.

63. O lord of birds, I have told you all. Now, I shall tell you some special things which yield happiness to the dead.

64. The sapinda rite is performed on the twelfth day or thereafter, in any case within a year. The Udakumbha and feeding rites are performed every month.

65. A rite already done need not be repeated except the rites for the dead. If any one does it again the previous rite becomes fruitless.

66. The rites for the dead, of course, can be repeated. O lord of birds, if any auspicious ceremonies (such as marriage etc) are to be celebrated, the sapinda rite should be completed before that.

67. A son who performs sapinda rite according to the rules shall offer monthly pindas as well together with feeding and Udakumbha rites.

CHAPTER TWENTYSEVEN.

Episode of King Babhruvahana.

Garuda said:

1-2. How do the ghosts originate? What are their features? O lord, of what misdeeds arc the great ghosts and pisdeas tlie outcome? O lord, the slayer of Madhu demon, for the benefit of every one, please shed light on these vital points.

What are the meritorious rites and charities whereby the ghost is redeemed? O lord, if you wish me well, please tell me everything?

The lord said:

3. O Garuda, you have put a pertinent question. For the benefit of human beings please listen to the narrative of a ghost that I am going to tell.

4. This is the secret of secrets which is not to be divulged to any one and everyone. O mighty one, you are my devotee.

I tell you, therefore.

5. O bird, formerly in Tretayuga there was a king Babhruvahana by name, in the prosperous city Mahodaya. He was beautiful and righteous too.

6. He used to make gifts and perform sacrifices. He was rich, revered by saintly men, devoted to brahmins, endowed with good manners as well as sympathetic and chivalrous qualities.

7. Powerful that he was he protected his subjects like his own sons. One day, he started on a hunting expedition.

8. He entered a thick wild forest overgrown with variegated trees, infested by hundred of tigers and resonant with the chirping sound of different kinds of birds.

9. In the middle of the forest, he saw a deer at a great distance and hit it with an arrow.

10-11. With the arrow sticking to its body the deer vanished behind the trees. The king followed the bloodstained track. In the pursuit of the wounded deer he reached another forest.

12-13. His throat became parched with hunger and thirst. He was utterly exhausted. He saw a pond and plunged into the water together with the horse. He drank the cool water rendered fragrant with the contact of lotuses.

14-15. He came out of the lake and sat under the cool shade of a beautiful fig tree resonant with the chirping sound of hovering birds. The tree appeared to be the foremost leader of all the trees there.

16-17. While he rested at the root of that tree, he saw a ghost who was excessively hungry and thirsty.

The ghost was of awfully terrific appearance, dirty, rough and skinny, with dishevelled hair and running here and there.

His feet were mere -bones and sinews. There were many other ghosts surrounding him.

18-19. On seeing this hideous ghost, Babhruvahana was struck with wonder. The ghost too seemed to be delighted on seeing the king who had come to that dreadful, dense forest.

He approached the king. O Garuda, the king of ghosts then addressed the king thus.

20. Verily, my ghosthood has eome to an end. I have attained the great goal. O mighty king, thanks to your contact, none else is happier than I.

The king said:

21. O black and hideous being, you appear to be a ghost. Please tell me the exact state of facts of your life willingly.

22. Thus being asked by the king, the ghost revealed everything.

The ghost said:

23. O foremost of kings, I shall tell you everything of my life from the very beginning. On hearing the cause of my ghost-hood it behoves you to take pity on me.

24. Vaidisa is a city endowed with many riches. It abounds in gems of all variety. It is surrounded by villages and countries of all sorts. People are busy in performing holy deeds.

The city abounds in fruit-bearing trees.

25. It was here that I stayed, engaged in the worship of gods. Please know that I am born of Vaisya parents and my name is Sudeva.

26. I propitiated gods by sacrificial offerings and the manes by oblations. The brahmins were propitiated by me with various kinds of gifts.

27. They were provided with foodstuffs and means of recreation by me. Both to the virtuous and the indigent, helpless people, I had made many gifts.

28. But, unfortunately, all those gifts became utterly useless in my case.

29. I have no son, no friend, no kinsman and no acquaintance to perform my obsequial rites.

30. O excellent king, my ghosthood appears to be permanent. The sraddhas, like the eleventh day sraddha, the three fortnightly sraddhas, the half-yearly, the anniversary, the monthly ones are sixteen.

31. Preta-sraddhas not being given, they say, ghosthood becomes permanent even though hundreds of other sraddhas are performed.

32. O king, realizing this, save me from ghosthood.

33. A king is supposed to be one who befriends people of all castes. Hence, O king, save me, I shall give you a precious gem.

34. O foremost among excellent kings, of powerful valour, if you have pity for me, please carry out the rites of obsequies for me so that I may attain an auspicious state. It is also advisable that you perform such rites as would ward off your future disaster.

The king said:

35. How do ghosts originate even after the rites of obsequies are performed for them. By what evil deeds do pi ( acas originate, please tell me.

The king of ghosts said:

36. O excellent king, those who steal or misappropriate a brahmin’s wealth, temple property, woman’s wealth or children’s money are turned into ghosts.

37. Those who indulge in sexual intercourse with saintly women, or women of their own gotra or forbidden women or those who steal conch shells become major ghosts.

38-40. Those who steal corals and diamonds, those who steal garments, those who steal gold, those who do not face enemies but turn away from battlefield and are killed, those who are ungrateful, those who are atheists, harsh, roguish and foolhardy, those who are devoid of five major sacrifices — become ghosts, O great king.

The king said:

41. How are ghosts freed from that state. Please tell me. How am I to perform rites to prevent my own future disaster? What are the rules regarding the performance of those rites. Please tell me all.

The ghost said:

42-45. O lord of kings, please listen to a brief description of the Nardyana rite. Hearing of sacred sastras, worship of Visnu, society of the good destroy ghosthood. I, therefore, tell you about the worship of Visnu.

Take two gold pieces and with the same make an idol of god Narayana. The idol should be decorated with ornaments.

Two yellow pieces of cloth shall be used to clothe it. Smear the same with sandal paste and sprinkle Aguru over it. It should be bathed in holy water collected from various centres and fumigated with fragrant incense.

46-47. Lord Sridhara should be worshipped in the east;

Madhusudana in the south, Vamadeva in the west and Gadadhara in the North. Brahma and Siva should be worshipped in the centre.

48. Then, O king, the deities should be propitiated after circumatnbulation and offerings of gill, curd and milk into the fire.

49-50. Then the devotee should take bath and humbly perform japas with concentration. He must then start the Aurdhvadehika rites, humbly, without anger and covetousness.

He should perform all sraddhas and Vrsotsarga.

51-52. To thirteen brahmins he should gift umbrellas, sandals, rings, gems, vessels, seats and foodstuffs. Water-jars filled with water should be given for the benefit of ghosts. Then giving a bed as gift the utensils should be offered to the ghost.

53. Then the Samputa rite should be performed with one’s own name, repeating. Xarayana. If any one does this duly he shall secure welfare.

The king said:

54. O Ghost, how should the utensil be made and how should the same be donated. Kindly state.

The ghost said:

55. You have asked well. I shall tell you about the gift by offering which one shall not get ghosthood.

56. This gift is called pretaghata 1 which removes all evils.

It is rare in the world and it destroys the evil state.

57. Get a jar of heated gold manufactured by the smith.

Fill it with milk or butter. With full devotion to Brahma, Visnu, Siva and the guardians of quarters, give the same to a Brahmana. What avails hundreds of other gifts as compared to this.

58-59. Brahma, Visnu in the middle, pacifying Sankara in the east and the guardians of the quarters in their serial order should be worshipped, O king, with incense, flowers and sandal.

The golden vessel should be gifted together with milk and ghl.

60. This gift is the best of all. It removes even the major sins. It should be made in good faith, O king, to ward off ghosthood.

1. preta-ghnta — an earthen jar symbolical of the body which is mortal as the jar itself.

The rites of preta-ghnta are many and start with the death of a person.

Half way from the place of death to the cemetery there is a public shed in every village where the bearers of the corpse take rest and where the son of the deceased breaks the earthen jar, offers a rice-ball and cries aloud.

Pretaghata is also a jar whereby the water is poured at the root of a sacred tree for the propitiation of a departed soul. Obsequial sections in the Puranas refer to this rite falling on the tenth, eleventh, thirteenth or seventeenth day according to the family custom.

6 1. Even as the ghost was saying this, O son of Vinata, the royal army consisting of elephants, horses and chariots arrived there.

62-64. When the army arrived, the ghost disappeared but not before it had given a ruby to the monarch. Thereupon, the king left the forest for his capital. After reaching the city he performed the aurdhvadehika 1 rites duly in accordance with the statement of the ghost.

65. With due sraddha performed by the king, the ghost attained a nice state. Then, what wonder is there if the father achieves the same with the sraddha performed by the son?

66. Whosoever hears or tells this holy narrative will not obtain ghosthood, even though he may have committed many sins.

CHAPTER TWENTYEIGHT.

Gifts for the Ghost.

Garuda said:

1. O lord, for the benefit of everyone, please tell me, how, whether by making gifts or performing holy rites, can the ghosts be pleased.

The lord said:

2. O bird, please listen. I shall tell you about the gift which dispels all inauspicious obstacles.

Make a jar of molten gold. Fill it up with ghee or milk.

Worship Brahma, Siva, Visnu and the guardians of the quarters in the serial order. Then, offer the jar to a worthy brahmin. Of what avail arc the hundreds of other gifts made by you?

1. aurdhvadehika — funeral rites, obsequial ceremonies.

Garuda said:

3. O lord, what is said by you may kindly be explained in detail. Please tell me, O lord, what are the rites they should perform for the dead since the moment he breathes his last.

4. What are the rites to be performed in his favour which can debar him from turning into a ghost?

5-6. O best of gods, do also tell me what activities, good or bad, lead one to become a dreadful or fierce-looking preta or pi$aca. Tell me, O lord of gods, I wish to know all this.

7. Why are the five gems put unto the mouth of the dead? Why are gingelly seeds strewn on the ground? Why are the Darbha blades scattered beneath?

8. Why are the feet kept southward? Why is the ground besmeared with cow-dung? Why is Visnu meditated upon and his hymn recited?

9. Why do the sons and grandsons walk ahead? Why do they offer the gift of a lamp? Why do they adore Visnu?

10. Why do they, when ill, make a gift to a brahmin?

Why do kinsmen, friends and enemies forgive them faults?

11. Why do they gift gingelly seeds, iron, gold, cotton, salt, seven types of grains, land or cow?

12. How does a man die? What is his course after death.

How does he take shelter in the body being carried (to the cremation ground)? I request you, O lord, to explain all this for the benefit of the world.

13. Why does the son carry the corpse on his shoulders and the grandson light the fire? Why is the anointment done with the butter?

14. Why is the Tama Sukta 1 recited? Why is the water carried to the North? Why is the sun looked through a cloth?

15. Why are barley, mustard-seed, durva, stone and leaves of morgosa enjoined in the rite? Why do men and women wear a lower and an upper garment?

16. Why should the meals be taken along with other persons on returning home? Why do the sons give nine pindas?

1. Yama-Sukta — RV. 10. 15

17. Why is the milk in the eastern pot placed on the cross-road? Why are the three wooden sticks tied and put on the cross-road in the night?

18. Why is an earthen lamp put every night for one year? Why should the water be offered in the name of the dead by the relatives and other people?

19. Why should the nine pindas be offered? How is the gift to be given to the gods and manes. Why is the call made for the bearers of the corpse? O lord, why is the rite of pinda repeated?

20. What should be given next after the gift of pinda is made? Why are the bones collected? Why is a bed given to a brahmin in favour of the deceased?

21. Why is a bath prescribed for the householder on the second day? Why on the fourth day? Why on the tenth day along with the mourners?

22. Why should they anoint their bodies with oil. Why should the corpse-bearers be taken home on return from the cremation ground? Why should the corpse-bearers anoint their bodies with oil on the bank of a stream or a stagnant reservoir?

23. The pinda given on the tenth day is accompanied by meat, why? Why is the pinda on the eleventh day given after releasing the bull?

24. Why the sixteen sraddhas? Why are the food, water etc. given everyday for three hundred and sixty days of the year?

25. Why is the food put in a vessel for satiating the dead? O lord, does the mortal man die at the appointed time? 1

26-27. I do not see an outlet, then from where does the soul go away? From where do the elements —earth, water, fire, air and sky pass away? tell me O lord!

28. From where do the five thieves of the body — greed, affection, desire, love and pride go away, O lord!

29. Whatever little action has been done, whether good or bad, whatever gifts have been tendered which procure merit, where do these go away after the body has decayed?

1. • Ordinarily no creature dies a premature death.

30. Why is the rite of sapindana done within the year of death? With whom is the union of the deceased sought for and how?

31. What does in the end happen to the people who pass away burnt or unburnt or who have fallen off their caste or who have committed sins or behaved badly or changed faith 1 or committed suicide or murdered a brahmin or turned thieves or deceivers?

32. What happens to that Sudra who drinks the milk of a brown cow, reads scriptures, wears the sacred thread or possesses a brahmin wife? O lord of the world, I am terribly afraid of that sinner. Please answer my queries, for the welfare of the world.

CHAPTER TWENTYNINE.

Rites after death.

The lord said:

1. O noble being, you have put pertinent questions to me. Listen to my explanation of all obsequial rites for the benefit of the people.

2. I shall explain the same on the authorities of the Vedas and Smrti texts. This has not been revealed even to gods and yogins who are devoted to meditation on the self.

3. Dear, it is a guarded secret, not disclosed to anyone hitherto. Since you are my devotee I shall keep nothing hidden from you.

4. There is no salvation for a man without a son 2. He can never attain heaven without a son. He must obtain a son, somehow.

1. Mughals -If the word Maugalya refers to the Mughals who invaded Bharata from the north-western side, the verse must be a later interpolation.

5. Even if ultimate salvation is not possible, a son will necessarily save him from hell. The cremation rites should be performed by the son. A grandson can lit the funeral pyre.

6. By strewing gingelly seeds and Darbha grass on the ground the attention of the mind is diverted to Vaikuntha.

If the five gems are put into the mouth, life flourishes (in the next birth).

7. The ground should be smeared with cow-dung.

Gingelly seeds and Darbha grass should be strewn. The sick man put thereon will be able to bum off his sins.

8. The Darbha bed helps the sick man ascend the heaven. In the midst of the pack of Darbha grass gingelly seeds should be strewn.

9. If the ground is not smeared with cow-dung, there is no purity. If smeared already, it should be re-smeared. Then alone it becomes pure and holy.

10. Evil spirits, demons, ghosts and terrible giants of low strata attack the sick man lying on the ground which is not smeared with cowdung by the people.

11. If the daily homa, Sraddha or washing the feet of the holy brahmin guests are performed on the bare ground without the mystic diagram drawn they are no better than left undone.

12. Without the mystic diagram it is not possible to secure the recovery of the sick. The gods Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, the goddess Sri and the sacrificial fire preside over the mystic diagram. Hence, the mystic diagram should be drawn invariably.

13-14. Otherwise, the dead man whether child, youth, or old cannot transmigrate. He will be playing about with the wind. In the aerial form, the dead has no Sraddha rite nor water libation.

15. Gingelly seeds originate from my sweat, O Garuda and hence are holy. Asuras, Danavas and Daityas flee from the place where gingelly seeds are kept.

16. Gingelly seeds, white, black or brown destroy sins committed by the body.

17. One gingelly seed offered in the holy rite is on a par with the gift of a drona measure of golden gingelly seeds.

Gingelly seeds offered in tarpana and homa have an everlasting benefit.

18-19. Darbha grass is bom of my hair and the gingelly seeds originate from my sweat. Not otherwise. The holy sacred thread is an essential item in all religious rites. The whole universe rests on it. Brahma and other deities are propitiated when the sacred thread is worn in the normal way. When it is worn over the right shoulder and under the left arm, the manes are propitiated.

20. Brahma is stationed at the root of Darbha grass.

Kesava is stationed in the middle. Know that Sankara is stationed at the tip of the Darbha grass. Thus, the three deities are stationed in the darbha grass.

21. Brahmins, mantras, kusa grass, fire and TulasI plant, O lord of birds, never become impure, though utilized frequently.

22. Kusas become impure, when used with pindas.

Brahmins become impure when they partake of preta food.

Mantras become futile when practised by Sudras. The fire in the funeral pyre is not so holy.

23. O bird, there are five types of boats to succour saintly men who may otherwise get drowned in the ocean of worldly existence — Tulasi, Brahmins, Cows, Visnu and the Ekadasi day.

24. In the worthless but impassable ocean of worldly existence there are six holy things yielding salvation — Visnu, Ekadasi, Gafigd, T ulasi. Brahmins and Cows.

25. Gingelly seeds are holy and unparalleled. Similarly, darbhas and Tulasi too. The three ward off mishaps.

26. Holding the Darbha grass in the hand, the performer of the rites shall sprinkle water over the ground. At the time of death, the darbha grass should be strewn near the bed of the dying person.

27. The dead body should be enveloped with darbha grass and placed over the bed made of the same grass. Then it is sure that the dead man will attain Visnu’s region, even without the recital of mantras.

28. The man lying on the death-bed of Kusa grass on the ground is as pure as a man who has performed expiatory rites in the world.

29. If the ground is smeared with the Cow-dung and the death bed is made of Kusa grass, whatever charity is given therefrom dispels all sins.

30. Salt is on a par with everything divine. It yields everything the person wishes for himself. No dish tastes sweet without salt.

31. Hence, salt is favourite with the manes. The gift of salt leads them to heaven. It is said that salt is originated from Visnu’s body.

32-33. Hence, yogins praise a gift of salt. Whenever a brahmin, a Ksatriya, a Vaisya or a Sudra is on deathbed, salt should be given as a gift. It opens the doorway to heaven.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

On bestowing Gifts.

The lord said:

1-2. Listen O Garutja, I shall explain to you the best of all gifts which when rendered with the mantra bhuh, bliuuali, svah 1 delight the sages and gods — Siva, Indra, etc.

3-4. This great gift should be given for redeeming the ghosts. He who offers it will stay in Rudraloka 2 for a long time and then be born as a king. He will be endowed with comely features, good fortune, fluency in speech, all riches and unparalleled valour. Leaving off Yama’s region he will go to heaven.

5. He who. makes a gift of gingelly seeds, cow, plot of land or gold to a worthy brahmin will have his sins, accruing in different births, instantaneously quelled.

1. snfo: W: The three mystical syllables prefixed to the Gayatri mantra.

2. Rudraloka — The region of Siva covering the Kailasa and the adjoining mountains.

6. Gingelly seeds and cows constitute the major gifts and they quell all major sins. The two should be given only to a brahmin and never to a member of any other caste.

7. Gingelly seeds, cow, plot of land are given to brahmins after the rite of sahkalpa 1. They are not given to the people of other castes. Sometimes, they are given to dependents also.

8. Whenever a gift is made to dependents or to women, it is done without the rite of sahkalpa. Whenever a person is in death-bed or when there is an eclipse, all kinds of gifts should be made.

9. When someone is in the death bed it is better to make the gifts before the life is extinct. A gift made when one is alive stands in good stead, unimpeded.

10. It is truth, the exact truth that the gifts made when the sense-organs are operative and when the same are approved by his son yield endless benefits.

1 1. During the period of sickness, when the body is lying on the ground and during transport he will have no trouble.

12. When the person is in the deathbed with eyes halfclosed, the gift of gingelly seeds alongwith kusa grass to the lame, the blind and the one-eyed yields an imperishable fruit.

13. Gingelly seeds, iron, gold, cotton, salt, seven grains, plot of land and cow — each constitutes a holy gift.

14. The gift of iron and gingelly seeds pleases Yama.

The gift of salt wards off fear from Yama.

15. The gift of cotton wards off danger from the ghost.

Cows gifted away enable the giver to cross all difficulties and save him from the threefold affliction 2.

] 6. The gift of gold yields happiness in heaven. By gifting a plot of land one is born as a king. If one gifts gold and plot of land one shall never experience any torture or distress in hell.

1. Sahkalpa — a solemn vow to perform an observance.

2. Threefold affliction: adhyatmika — caused by the mind (sorrow, etc), adlndaivika — caused by fate (pain etc), adhibhautika — caused by living beings.

17. The emissaries of Yama who are as terrific in appearance as Yama himself bestow boons if gifts of seven grains are made and they are satiated.

18. By remembering Visnu, one attains the highest goal.

Thus, I have told you all about the goal attainable by the mortals.

19. If the son on seeing his father lying on the ground with the eyes half-closed makes gifts with the consent of his father, he is honoured by the gods.

20. At the time when the father is in the deathbed, the gifts made by the son exceed the merit one earns by performing a Sraddha at Gaya. The son prospers and thereby pleases his family.

21. The father being dead, the sons should perform the obsequial rites devotedly. Thus, they can make their father cross the ocean of distress.

22. What avail the abundance of charitable deeds.

Enough that he performs the funeral rites of his father. Even the horse sacrifice 1 does not merit a sixteenth part of the merit accruing from all these.

23. The son who makes gifts in favour of his father who is lying ill in death-bed is honoured even by the gods.

24. The father should make gifts of iron with his hands fixed in the ground. The giver of gifts never finds Yama terrific.

He will not go to his abode even.

25. Dagger, iron club, baton, sword and lancet are the weapons in the hands of Yama to curb sinners.

26. Hence, gifts of weapons shall be made. For, this gift is for the propriation of Yama ’s weapons.

27. A child in the womb, infant in the arms, young men or old men can burn off their sins by means of these gifts.

28. The different emissaries of Yama — Churinas, Sandas, Markas, Udumbaras are delighted by gifts of iron.

1. asvumedha — a sacrifice wherein a horse is let lose for a year to wander at will and followed by an army of brave warriors. Whosoever oll'crs resistance is either killed or subdued. The horse, however, returns to the place of sacrifice, at the end of the year and is ultimately sacrificed.

The ceremony entitles the sacrificer and the horse to an abode in heaven.

29. Sons, grandsons, kinsmen, clansmen, friends, wives, etc. of those who do not make such gifts are no better than the slayers of brahmins.

30. Listen to the course of a man dying on the earth. The first stage is that of Ativdha (the subtle body in transit); then that of ghost; then at the end of a year that of a pitr.

31. There are three fires, three worlds, three Vedas, three deities, three times, three junctures, three Varnas and three powers.

32-33. Brahma presides over the body of a man from the foot to the hips. Visnu presides over the body from the umbilicus to the neck. The manifest and the unmanifest deity Siva in the form of Rudra is stationed on the head. The deities Brahma, Visnu and Siva are only the different aspects of the same godhead.

34. I am the vital air stationed inside the body of living beings. Considering the inclination of the living being as actuated by the actions of his previous birth, I mould the mind and divert it to virtue or evil, joy or sorrow, or things done or undone.

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