THE GARUDA PURANA 57 страница

The lord said:

3. The distance between the mortal world and the region of Yama is eighty six thousand yojanas (one million thirtytwo thousand kilometres).

4. The pathway is so hot as the red hot copper. It is:

impassable. It blazes. Sinners among men, of confused thoughts, go there.

5. There are many sharp thorns of awful appearance.

The area is entirely covered by the burning fire.

6. There is no shady tree where the people can take rest.

Their own actions in the form of the nooses of Yama drag them on.

7. On the way, there is no provision to sustain life. Nowater is available whereby thirst can be quenched.

8. Many are oppressed by hunger and many by thirst on that High path. On that impassable path of Yama many shiver with chillness.

9. The Wayfarers find the path difficult in accordance with the gravity of their sins. They are helpless, miserable and confounded as they plod on.

1 0. Some bemoan piteously, some speak harshly. Agitated by the effects of their actions they undergo endless distress.

11. O bird, that pathway has some special characteristics.

Those who have been devoid of convetousness in the world procceed along that path peacefully.

12. The various gifts that people make in the world stand them in good stead in the region of Yama. They goahead ( and make everything comfortable).

1 3. Sraddhas and water libations are of no avail to the sinner. These wretches hover here and there in their aerial form.

14. O good one who are devoted to virtue, the pathway has been narrated to you thus. Now I shall tell you the hardships one has to undergo on the way to the region of Yama.

15. The city of Yama is in the southwest direction. It is wholly adamantine, divine and impenetrable to deities as well as demons.

16. It is square in shape with four entrances and seven outer fort walls. Yama is seated inside together with his messengers.

17. The city extends over a thousand Yojanas (1200 km. ) and is studded with gems resplendent like lightning, blazing fire and the sunshine.

18. The special palace of Yama with its golden splendour is very extensive and twentyfive yojanas in height.

19. It is decorated with jewels of lapis lazuli and there are thousands of pillars all round. There are many pearls over the windows from where hundreds of flags and banners hang downwards.

20. It is resonant with the sound of hells, hundred in number. Hundreds of festoons cover them. It is embellished in various ways as mentioned here and in many other ways as well.

21. The lord of justice is seated therein his auspicious judgement seat which is ten yojanas in width and which resembles the blue cloud.

22. Yama knows virtue, practices virtue and is benevolent to those who are virtuous. He is terrifying to the sinner and sweet to the virtuous.

23. The wind blows there very gently. Many festivals are celebrated there. Many sages conduct discourses there.

Different musical instruments are played.

24-25. In the centre of the city, just near the entrance (to Yama’s palace) Citragupta’s palace is situated. It is twentyfive yojanas in length and ten yojanas in height. Highly divine, it is surrounded by an iron-wall. There are hundreds of streets where people move about and the whole city shines with hundreds of banners.

26. Citragupta’s palace is gay with hundreds of lamps burning and hundreds of musical notes reverberating. It is wellpainted by those who are experts in the art of drawing and painting.

27. There, seated in his wonderful driving seat he calculates the age of human beings and others.

28-29. He never commits any mistake in the matter of merit or demerit. Whatever the man acquired in his various births good or bad along with his eighteen defects is written down by Citragupta. To the east of Citragupta’s palace is the building of the Fever.

30. To the south is the abode of Colic pain and the Spider Tumour. To the West are the abodes of the Noose of Kala, Indigestion and Non-relish for food.

31. To the north of the central seat, the abode of Cholera can be seen. To the north-east the abode of Head-ache and to the south-east the abode of Unconsciousness.

32. Dysentery resides in the south-west and the Burning sensation in the north-west. Citragupta is ever surrounded by these. Whatever job is executed by them is immediately written down by Citragupta.

33. O Tarksya, the messengers stay in different places at the threshhold of the palace of Dharmaraja torturing the sinful wretches of evil human beings.

34. Men are bound with nooses by the messengers of Yama and thrashed with heavy iron clubs. All that is in accordance with their own evil actions.

35. They are hit and beaten with various weapons and different mechanical devices. They are split with saws and scissors as though they were pieces of lumber.

36 Others are burned and baked with blazing coal as though they were balls of iron.

37. Others are seen being dragged here and there on the ground and chopped with sharp knives. They are seen wailing and shouting. All this is due to their own evil actions.

38. Some are fettered. Some are fried in oil. Thus, the sinners are tortured by the messengers of Yama.

39-40. Others in millions are heard shouting: ‘Give, Give’ and demand repayment of debts. Thus, O Tarksya, are hells for the sinner. Should I describe them in detail?

They have already been described in the sacred codes. I shall now explain the benefit accruing from gifts whereby the person feels pleasure -even in hell.

CHAPTER THIRTYFOUR.

Results of Virtue and Sin.

The lord said:

1. O Tarksya, listen to the precise traits of virtue and sin. The merit and demerit go ahead of men.

2. In the Krta 1 age they extol penance; in the Treta they extol knowledge, in the Dvapara sacrifices and charities, and in the Kali only gifts are extolled.

3. Those who recite the mantras mentioned in the smrtis and perform IftapRrta 2 and other rites as far as they can, are never assailed by sins.

4. Men who grow trees by the roadside and who dig tanks and lakes, go along this highway very happily.

5. He who gives fuels (here on the earth) is never tortured by snowfall, ice or chillness in the abode of Yama. He finds his way warm and pleasant.

6. By giving gifts of plots of land men go along that road fully satisfied, decorated and richly adorned by fragrant flowers. All their wishes are fulfilled. He who has gifted plots of land is deemed to have gifted gold, gems, pearls, jewels and clothes.

7. The gifts that men make in the world stand in good stead in their pathway leading to Yama’s palace.

1. Four ages: The ages are four: Krta or Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali.

The duration of each is said to be respectively 1, 728, 000; 1, 296, 000; 864, 000 and 432, 000 years of men, the four together comprising 4, 320, 000

years of men which is equal to one Mahayuga. It is also supposed that the regularly descending length of the yugas represents a corresponding physical and moral deterioration in the people who live during each age, krta being called the golden and kali or the present age the ‘iron’ age.

2. If(apurta — I s(a means personal piety. Purta means works for the benefit of others.

8. Different sorts of dishes and foodstuffs which the sons offer serve the purpose of the pitrs.

9. It is the same atman that is known as son. 1 It is the son who comes to the succour of his father in the abode of Yama. It is he who saves father from hell. He is therefore called putra (son). 2

10. Hence, a son should perform Sraddha till his death.

The dead man, moving about in his subtle body, will derive enjoyments thereby.

11. At the time of cremation in the funeral pyre if water libations are offered by the descendent, the dead man goes to Yama’s abode in all pleasure.

12. In an earthen vessel which is not baked, milk should be given for three days for propitiating the dead. Three pieces of things should be tied with a string and dropped on the crossway.

13. O bird, the dead man in his aerial form in the sky will be drinking the milk on the first, second and third day.

14. On the fourth day, the bones should be collected by the son along with his nearest relatives. After that, he should give water-libation to the deceased.

15. The water-libation should be made in the first threehour period, not later in the forenoon nor at midday nor in the afternoon nor during dawn or dusk.

16. The first water-libation should be performed by the son along with the members of the clan and kinsmen. It can be performed by the members of the same caste or even by those of other castes.

17. No brahmin should offer water libation to a Sudra.

In that case, he will be violating the sacred code of conduct.

18. At the death of a Sudra if a brahmin takes firewood to the funeral pyre or follows the corpse he becomes impure for three days.

1. Atman as ton '4141 I 2. The son as the saviour of his father. Compare 19. After three days he should take bath in the river that joins the sea, perform hundred pranayamas and drink ghee in order to regain purity.

20. A Sudra can offer water-libation to the member of any caste; a Vaisya to the member of three castes. A Ksatriya to the member of two castes; but a brahmin to the member of his own caste.

21. If they go to offer water-libation, the members of the clan should eschew the use of tooth-pick twigs for nine days, O son of Kasyapa.

22-23. O foremost among birds, if a person joins the funeral either on the way to the cemetery or in the house of mourning he should leave the party after cremation only at the same place or in the house itself. This is what is laid down by the learned. The women go ahead and the men follow. 1 They should sit on a rock and perform acamana.

24. There must be sufficient water in the vessel to cover up the mustard seeds and the Durva grass should be strewn on the top. Those who took part in the cremation rites should chew mergosa leaves and take oil bath.

25. Members should cook food for the party, outside the house. They should not eat meals prepared inside the house.

They should take food in earthen vessels, avoiding shallow vessels.

26. They should remember the virtue of the dead and recite Yama-Gatha. 2 They should realize that the auspicious and inauspicious is brought about by the actions alone.

27. Even when he enters the new body the dead man is associated with the residual merits and demerits.

28. After the ten days’ rites are completed, the dead man’s soul enters the new body. When the nava sraddhas together with the sixteen others are performed, a new body is created for the soul.

29. The descendants help to shape a body for the soul, either with the gingelly seeds or the holy grass and put up the five jewels in the mouth for the body to grow.

1. But according to the custom prevalent in northern India, men precede women when the corpse is being taken to the cemetery while the process is reverse on return.

2. RV. X. 14.

30. If there is no menstruation, no conception takes place. Therefore the descendant should be careful not to eschew the rite of strewing the gingelly seeds and the darbha grass on the earth.

31. He may be born among the cattle or among the stable. Wherever he is born the sraddha reaches him.

32. Just as the arrow discharged by the archer reaches the goal, so the sraddha reaches the person for whom it is performed.

33. No sraddha can propitiate the soul so long it does not enter the body. If the soul is not propitiated duly during the ten days (after it leaves the body) it will have to wander in the ether without food, agitated by hunger.

34. The soul (of the deceased) stays in the water for three days, in the fire for three days and in the ether for three days. For one day, it stays in Indra’s heaven.

35. When the body has been burnt in fire, the descended should offer water libation to the departed soul. The mourners should take bath and feed upon the cake or the ricemeal.

36. They should perform the Navaka sraddha on odd days, viz., the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth and the eleventh.

37. Whether at the threshold of the house or at the cremation ground or in a holy place or in a temple, wherever the first day’s rites are performed, the concluding rites too should be performed there.

38. The Sraddha on the eleventh day is common to all castes. There is a ceremonial ablution for purification.

39-40. After performing the eleventh day sraddha they become free from impurity accruing from death. After the ceremonial bath, they should gift a bed to the brahmana. This releases the dead from pretahood. If there is no member of the same clan for the performance of the rite, another man can perform the same.

41. Of whatever eatable the pin^a is made on the first day as prescribed, the same should be used for the entire sraddha.

42. The sraddha should be performed for ten days, pronouncing the name and gotra of the dead but without mantras. Whosoever performs the sraddha should enter the house discording the clothes he wore at the sraddha.

43. Whether of the same lineage or of a different clan, a man or a woman, whosoever performs the first day’s rites shall perform the concluding rites on the tenth day as well.

44. With the offering of ten pindas by the descendant the soul acquires a new body just as the foetus does in the ten months in the womb.

45. The rite of pinda and water-libation shall continue as long as there is impurity accruing from death. This is applicable to the members of all castes.

46-47. When impurity is far three nights, three pindas should be given on the first day, four on the second and three on the third day. Milk and water should be given in separate cups. Ekoddista should be done on the fourth day.

48. By the pinda of the first day, the head is formed.

Eyes, ears and nose are formed on the second day.

49. Cheeks, mouth and neck are formed on the third day.

Heart, sides and stomach are formed on the fourth day.

50. Waist, back and anus are formed on the fifth day.

Thighs are formed on the sixth and ankles are formed on the seventh.

51. The calves are formed on the eighth day, O lord.

Feet are formed on the ninth and hunger on the tenth.

52. On the eleventh day, the pintja is offered to the dead man along with meat. Bread and cooked rice together with milk should be offered to a brahmana after washing his feet.

53. The sixteen sraddhas to be performed on the eleventh day are in anticipation of the twelve monthly sraddhas, the eleventh day sraddha, the tripaksa, the six weekly sraddha and the two six monthly sraddhas, O bird.

54. The day on which the death has occurred is the basis for all monthly and annual sraddhas. That month is the first one when the eleven days are completed.

55. That is the first sraddha which is performed by the hand of the dead at the spot of death or at the seat of the brahmana. Eleven days should be counted from this date.

56. For all monthly sraddhas the tithi falling on the day of death is the base. During the rikta days and tripaksa, tithi is not reckoned by scholars.

57-58. If the man dies on the full moon day, the fourth day is deficient for him. If the man dies on the fourth or the ninth day, the fourteenth day is deficient for him. The deficient days are called riktas by the experts.

59. The food that is cooked on the eleventh day with the dead man in view should be discarded on the cross-roads and the performer should bathe again.

60. Since the eleventh day, a potful of corn with water should be gifted to a worthy brahmana every day for a year.

61. The bones in human body number three hundred and sixty.

62. These bones are nurtured by gifting the water-pots.

When the water-pot is gifted, the ghost obtains relief.

63. If a person dies in the forest or at an odd place, cremation may take place on any day but impurity will be counted from the day of death.

64-65. By gifting a vessel full of gingelly seeds, incense etc. the brahmin is purified on the eleventh day, the ksatriya on the twelfth, vaisya on the fifteenth and sudra in one month from the day of death. The same period holds good in case of birth as well.

66. Three nights in three months, two fortnights in six months, the day before the year is complete, water-oblations should be made with the dead in view. By acting in this way the caste men obtain purity.

67. Since the eleventh day from the date of death, the pinda should be given every day for a year after worshipping Vasudeva.

68. As the rays of the sun cover the stars, so does the Pinda cover the pitrs. Never one becomes a ghost, if the pinda is given by the descendent.

69. O foremost among birds, the deities extol the gift of a bed. Man’s existence on the earth is not permanent. There is no guarantee that after death the descendent would gift the bed.

70. The relationship of ordinary kinsmen or even of father lasts as long as the man lives. After death seeing the gulf in between, love ceases to operate in a trice.

71. The self alone is the kinsman or the enemy. 1 Even as he lives one shall think of this and perform his duty piously.

72. “After my death who will be there to gift a bed of silk cloth. ” Thinking thus, he should gift things with his own hand while he is alive.

73-78. The bedstead should be of good wood, ornamentally inlaid and engraved. The bolts and cross-bars should be golden. It should be covered with red velvet cloth. The pillow should be nice and exquisite. It shall be fumigated with incense and scents. A golden idol of Lord Visnu and Laksmi should be put on the sides. A vessel full of ghee, betel icaves, saffron powder, camphor, sandal paste should be placed near by. A lamp, a pair of sandals, umbrella chowries, seat, vessel and the seven kinds of grass hould be kept near the bed. Other requisites of man going to sleep, such as drinking pot, mirror, etc., should be kept ready. The cot should be embellished with a covering of five colours.

The bed should be gifted to a brahmin after duly worshipping him. This gift of bed will bestow pleasures of heaven upon the giver. The brahmanas should be honoured duly and provided with five clothes.

79. They should be given ornaments for ears, neck, fingers and arms and vessels necessary for domestic use.

80-81. They should be given water for washing feet or sipping and five gems along with raw rice grains. While making the gift the giver should pronounce: O Krsna, just as your bed in the milk ocean is never without Laksmi, so also let my bed be never empty in all births I take.

82. With this prayer to lord Krsna the bed should be given to the Brahmin. The same procedure is prescribed even when the gift is made on the eleventh day.

83. Even if a kinsman makes this gift, the dead man will be happy in the other world, nourished by the articles of gift. O lord of birds, a special thing to be noted I mention now.

84-86. Whatever had been regularly used by the deceased formerly, the garments, vessels or vehicles, whatever had been liked by him before should be made over as gif ts. Among the gifts, the gift of bed makes the dead man extremely happy in the city of Indra or Yama.

87. The wry-faced attendants of Yama will not torment him. He will never be oppressed by excessive heat or cold.

88-89. As a sequel to the gift of bed he will be free from the bondage of actions. Even if he had been a sinner he is sure to go to heaven, seated in a splendid aerial chariot and attended by celestial damsels. The dead man shall stay in heaven till the final deluge 1 when all living beings are destroyed.

90. The woman who performs nine or sixteen sraddhas and the regular monthly rites for the whole of year and also makes the gift of bed for her husband will have an everlasting welfare.

91. While alive she will be of some benefit to her husband 2. Adhering strictly to truth, she will lift up her husband from hell.

92. For favour of the dead woman, a golden doll, saffron powder, collyrium, clothes, ornaments or bed can be gifted in the following manner.

93-94. What is useful to women, ornaments, etc., the garments worn by the dead woman should all be collected and placed properly. Then the guardians of the quarters, the deities of planets, the images of Vinayaka, should be worshipped.

95. Then the performer of rites wears a white cloth after the ceremonial bath and takes a handful of flowers. He stands in front of the brahmin repeating the following mantra:

96. “This is the idol of the dead (woman) with all the necessary requisites and gems. O brahmin, this is gifted to you.

97. The Self itself is Sambhu, the auspicious Gaurl and Indra together with all the deities. Hence, the bed is being gifted. May her soul be gratified. ”

1. Final Deluge — When the universe is destroyed at the end of a kalpa.

2. Elsewhere, the Purana extols the self-immolation of woman by ascending the pyre of her husband.

98. The gift of bed should be made to the preceptor or to a brahmin burdened with a big family. Af ter accepting the bed the brahmin shall exclaim with pleasure — ‘‘Ha! who has given me this. ”

99. Then after bowing to the brahmin and circumambulating him he should be allowed to go. Thus, O bird, the gifts are made to the brahmin.

100. Gifts of cow, house, bed or virgin should not be made to many simultaneously. If gifts are divided among brahmins they bring about the downfall of the giver.

101. O Tarksya, listen to the benefit that accrues to one who makes a gift thus. For a hundred divine years or more he is honoured in heaven.

1 02-104. As a result of the gift of a bed he acquires more benefit than he would by performing holy rites in vyatipata 1 or Karttika month or at the confluence of two ay anas 2 or eclipses of sun and moon at th'e holy city of Dvaraka 3 4 5 6, Prayaga, JVaimifa Kurukfetra 5 or Arbuda 6 or on the Ganges or at the confluence of Sindhu with the ocean.

105-107. He will be bom in the world of mortals, on the destruction of his karman, as a comely man, very rich, comprehending virtue, and a master of all sacred literature. Again after dying, he will go to Vaikuntha seated in a divine aerial chariot, surrounded by celestial damsels. He then deserves the havya and kavya offerings and rejoices in the company of the pitrs.

108-109. Whether performed on the astakas 7, on the new-moon day, on Magha and on other pitr-days, hear, O Tarksya, the sraddha, if the dead are turned in ghosts, is rendered ineffective without sapindikarana.

1. vyatipata — a particular conjunction of stars.

2. The sun’s passage, north and south of the equator.

3. Dvaraka or Kuiasthali near the extreme western promonotory was the capital of the country Anarta in the peninsula of Gujarat.

4. Naimifa — was on the river Gomati in the Ayodhya kingdom.

5. Modern Kuruksetra ( Panipat).

6. Modern Mount Abu in Rajasthan.

7. asfaka — the eighth day of three months — pausa, magha and phalguna on which the manes are to be propitiated.

110. Sapindikarana should be done at the end of the year after death. SodasI should be performed for the purification of the corpse.

111. For the purification of the mane’s lineage fifty (? ) should be added. Further action may be taken by adding more. For the sudra, the same is done at will.

112. Presently, sapindana should be done within the period of twelve days accompanied by sacrifice. Until it is done the ghost hovers round the fire. Hence, sapindana with fire shall be done within twelve days.

113. Gaya sraddha or amavasya sraddha should not be done in the middle of the year without sapindikarana.

114. If there be many co-wives and if only one has a son, all of them shall be deemed to have a son, by that son alone.

115. Asapinda son should not perform mane’s rites in fire. If he does so, he will incur the sin of slaying his father.

116. If a woman discards her life, after the death of her husband 1, her sapindana should be done along with that of her husband.

117. Whosoever may be the father’s wife — vaisya or ksatriya, the son is entitled to perform sapindana for her.

118. If a brahmana has married a sudra, then the son should perform ekoddifpa sraddha for her (but not sapindana).

1 19. The sons bom in four castes should be united with their respective mothers by the sapindana rite.

120. When a sraddha is done in anvatfakya 2, when a sraddha is meant for prosperity, then during sapindana separate pinda should be done for the father as well as mother.

121. The sapindana of the mother should be done with the grandmother and of father with the grandfather. This is what I think, to be proper, O Tarksya.

1. According to this Purana, for a woman, ascending the pyre of her husband was optional.

2. anvaftakya — a sraddha performed on the ninth day of the dark half of the three months following the full moon in Margafirfa, i. e. Pausa, Magha and Phalguna.

122. If a woman dies sonless, the husband should perform sapindana and she should be duly united with three mothers.

1 23. If a woman has neither son, nor husband, then her sapindana should be done by her brother or husband’s brother or in their absence by a successor.

124. If the woman has neither husband nor son nor a clansman nor the husband’s brother, then her brother should perform ekoddista.

125. If sapindana is left out by negligence or due to some other obstruction then navaka, sodasa and annual sraddha should be performed.

126. A wise man will do all this after the cremation has taken place but not otherwise. (If the man has died unknown and hence not cremated) the descendents should make an effigy of grass and burn the same in fire.

127. It is the son who should do the sapindana of his father not the father of the son. Due to affection the sapindana of the son should not be done by the father.

128. If there be many sons, only the elder should perform the obsequial rite. Navaka sraddha, sapindana, sodasa sraddhas should be done by one only.

129. Even when the property is undivided, the sages have stated that only one son can perform the funeral rites.

130. If divided the others too can perform the rites separately, each of the sons doing the same rite himself.

131. If the sixteen sraddhas are not performed for the deceased his ghosthood becomes permanent, even if hundreds of sraddhas are performed in his favour.

132. Fora sonless person, his brother, brother’s son, sapinda, or disciple may do sapindana.

133. For all sonless persons, the daughter can perform sapindana through rtvij or a purohita.

1 34. If after the death of father, an eclipse takes place within a year, the sons should neither do parvana nor nandimukha.

135. Similarly, during great calamities within the year, Tirtha sraddha, or Gaya sraddha or any other sraddha for the manes should not be done at all.

136. No pinda should be offered to the manes if their sapindana has not taken place.

137. According to some, gifts for the Yajnapurusa and for the deities can be made even if the year is not complete.

138. Whatever is given to the manes except arghya and pinda all that should be done according to the prescribed method.

139. The manes of the deities are deities; the manes of the manes are sages; the manes of the sages are deities; father wins through them.

140. The lord of sacrifice is the lord of all manes, deities and men. Whatever is given to him, is given to all.

141. If the son performs the sraddha of his father within the year of his (father’s) death he is absolved of the fruits of his sinful acts performed in several births previously.

142. If no pinda is gifted and no water libation is made the deceased obtains ghosthood and moves in air oppressed by hunger and thirst.

143. If father obtains ghosthood, rites due to the manes are of no avail. If mother obtains ghosthood, the manes rites for the father do not cease to be.

144. If mother is dead, father is alive, the sapindana should be done with the grandmother if she is already dead (but should wait if she is alive).

145. O bird, hear. I tell you the truth: For those dead persons whose pinda has not been united, no sraddha and no water-libation is fruitful even if offered a thousand times.

CHAPTER THIRTYFIVE.

Sapindikarana and Sraddha.

Garuda said:

1-3. O lord, I have another doubt, please clear it.

Suppose the mother of a man dies but all other relatives such as father, grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather and their wives are alive (except of course the mother) with whom shall the lady be joined in Sapindlkarana?

The lord said:

4. O bird, I shall repeat the mode of sapindlkarana already mentioned to you. The lady in question shall be joined to Uma, Laksmi and Savitri.

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