{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/gpu/gpu15.htm","path":"hin/gpu/gpu15.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/gpu/gpu15.htm","text":"The Garuda Purana, by Ernest Wood and S.V. Subrahmanyam, [1911]\n1. Garu\u1e0da said: Tell pre, O Lord, about the method of [performing] the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da rite. the removal of pollution, and the gift of accessories.\n2. The Blessed Lord said: Listen, O T\u0101rk\u1e63ya, and I will explain to you the entire Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da rite, by which the condition of preta is left behind and the soul enters the class of the pit\u1e5bis.\n3-5. Those whose pi\u1e47\u1e0das have not been mixed together with the ancestors called \u015aiva and the rest, 1 are not uplifted by the various gifts made by the sons.\nIf the son is always impure, they are never purified; without the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da rite the impurity does not depart.\nTherefore the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da, at the end of the pollution period, should be performed by the son. I will tell you about the ending of pollution to be observed by all.\n6-9. A Br\u0101hmi\u1e47 becomes pure in ten days, a K\u1e63attriya in twelve days; a Vai\u015bya in fifteen days, a \u015a\u016bdra in a month.\nThe Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da relatives 1 are purified from the death pollution in ten days; the S\u0101kulya relatives 2 in three nights, and the gotraj\u0101s 3 are purified merely by bathing.\nThose who are related within the fourth degree to the deceased are purified in ten nights, those in the fifth degree, in six nights; the sixth, four days; the seventh, three days;\nThe eighth, a single day; the ninth, a quarter of a day; the tenth, merely till bathing;--so long lasts the pollution of death and birth [according to the distance of degrees from the deceased].\n10-11. If a person dies in a foreign land and one hears of his death, then the impurity lasts for the remaining portion of ten days on which he hears the news;\nIf after the lapse of ten days, he is polluted for three nights. If after a year, he becomes pure even by bathing.\n12. If a second pollution comes daring that from the first death, then the purification from the first pollution includes that from the second.\n13. If a boy who has not yet cut his teeth dies, purification is immediate; before tonsure, one night, it is said; before the investiture with the thread, three nights; and afterwards, ten nights.\n14-16. If a girl dies between birth and tonsure, purification is immediate, in all the castes alike;\nUp to betrothal a single day, and from that to old age three nights are authoritative;\nIf after the betrothal ceremony three days for both families, it should be understood; if after marriage, only the husband's family.\n17-18. If the embryo dies before sixth month; in as many days the embryo lived months, purity is regained.\nAfter this the women are polluted, according to the caste. If the embryo dies, purification of the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da relatives is immediate.\n19. During the Kali Age--it is authoritatively declared in the \u015a\u0101stras--ten days' purification for all the castes, after births and deaths.\n20-22. Blessing the worship of the Shining Ones, reception of guests, salutation, lying on a bed, and touching others should not he done during the death pollution.\nSandhy\u0101 prayers, giving, reciting, fire-offering, religious study, offering to the forefathers, feeding of Br\u0101hmi\u1e47s and the observance of vows should not be done during the death pollution.\nHe who during pollution performs the daily, the occasional and the specially desired ceremonies--of him the regular and other ceremonies already done are lost.\n23. For one observing vows, engaged in mantras or in fire-offerings, or a twice-born intent upon Br\u0101hma\u1e47, an ascetic or a king there is verily no pollution.\n24-26. Food prepared before marriage festivals and sacrifices, and before the pollution by birth or death, can be eaten; so Manu declared.\nWhoever, during pollution, accepts through ignorance, suffers no evil, but the giver even though it be to a mendicant that he gives, suffers evil.\nWhoever, hiding his pollution, gives food to a twice-born, and the Br\u0101hmi\u1e47 who knowing it, accepts it,--are both subjected to suffering.\n27. Therefore, for the purifying from pollution, one should perform the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony for the father, who then goes to the world of the forefathers to join the multitudes of forefathers.\n28-30. The truth-knowing sages hare declared that the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony should be on the twelfth day, the third fortnight, the sixth month or at the end of the year.\nBut I say, O T\u0101rk\u1e63ya, following the scriptural ordinances, that for the four castes the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da should be on the twelfth day.\nThe twelfth day is preferable because of the endless variety of conditions in the Kali Age, and because of the shortened life of men, and the impermanence of the body.\n31-33. If a Br\u0101hmi\u1e47 house-holder dies, then investiture with the sacred thread, the fulfilment of vows, marriage and other ceremonies should not be done,\nUntil the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da has been performed the mendicant should not accept alms; and guest-offerings should not be accepted. The daily and the occasional ceremonies should be discontinued.\nBy the omission of rites sinfulness arises; therefore one should perform the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony on the twelfth day, whether he be without fire or with fire.\n34. The fruit which accrues from visiting all the sacred bathing-places; the fruit which accrues from performing all sacrifices: that fruit is obtained by doing the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony on the twelfth day.\n35. Hence, having bathed, and having cleaned with cow-dung the place of death, the son should perform the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony, as laid down in the scriptures.\n36-30. Then he should worship the world-deities with foot-water, oblations, 1 and \u0101chamana. 2 Next, having given rice-balls to other departed ones, he should sip water.\nHe should offer three rice-balls in order to his grandfather and others, in the forms of Vasu, Rudra and Arka, and the fourth rice-ball to the dead.\nHe should worship with sandal-paste, leaves of the holy basil, incenses, lamps, agreeable fools, mouth-scents, good cloths and presents.\nHaving divided the rice-ball for the departed into three parts with a thin bar of gold, he should mix them severally with the three rice-balls given to the grand father and the others.\n40. It is my decision, O T\u0101rk\u1e63ya, that the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ought to be done; the mother's with the grandmother's and the father's with the grandfather's.\n41-43. If the father dies while the grandfather still lives, three rice balls should be offered to the great grandfather and his predecessors.\nThe father's rice-ball, divided into three parts should be mixed with their rice-balls. If the mother dies before the grandmother--\nThen he should perform the mother's \u015ar\u0101ddha in the same way as the fathers; or should mix the rice-ball with both mine and great Lak\u1e63m\u012b's.\n44. The husband should perform the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony for his, wife, if she has no son; he should do the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da for her along with the mother-in-law and others.\n45. \"The Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da rite for women should be done with that for the husband, his father and grandfather\"--that, O T\u0101rk\u1e63ya, is not my opinion; because the wife being already half the body of her husband requires no Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony with regard to her husband.\n46. If, O K\u0101\u015byapa! husband and wife ascend the same funeral pyre, then, having put grasses between them, he should perform it with that of the mother-in-law and father-in-law.\n47. Only one son should perform the rites; first the offering of a rice-ball and other things for the father, and after that, having bathed again, the rite for the mother.\n49-51. Having done the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da, O T\u0101rk\u1e63ya, he should make the offering of water to the forefathers. He should utter \"Let there be Swadh\u0101,\" along with Vaidic mantras.\nAfterwards he should always have a guest fed until he says \"hanta.\" 1 By this the forefathers, the sages, the Shining Ones and the D\u0101navas are pleased.\nAs much as a mouthful is called \"alms,\" four mouthfuls is \"abundance,\" and four abundances is called \"hantak\u0101ra.\"\n52-53. During the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da he should worship the feet of a twice-born with sandal-paste and coloured rice, and make to him a gift, for his continued satisfaction.\nHe should have maintenance for a year, clarified butter, food, gold, silver, a good cow, a horse, an elephant, a chariot and a plot of ground given to a preceptor.\n54. Then he should worship with mantras--after saying \"Hail to thee\"--the planets, Devi, 2 and Vin\u012byakam 3, with saffron, coloured rice and eatables.\n55. The preceptor should then, with mantras, sprinkle water, and having bound a thread upon the hand, should present the coloured rice also consecrated with mantras.\n50-57. Then he should have Br\u0101hmi\u1e47s fed with various pleasant sweetened foods, and he should give them presents, and twelve pots with water and food.\nAfter the feeding of the twice-born, water, a weapon, scales, and a rod should be touched severally by the castes, who are respectively thus purified.\n58. The Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony having been thus performed, the cloths worn during the rite should be cast off; and white cloths having been donned, the gift of a bed should he made.\n59-64. All the Dev\u0101s, 1 headed by Indra, extol the gift of a bed. Therefore a bed should be given, during life or else after death.\nMade of the choicest wood, delightful, painted in beautiful colours, strong, canopied with silken cloth, ornamented with gold leaves,\nHaving beautiful pillows stuffed with swans' down, together with a coverlet made fragrant with the scent of flowers,\nWell-bound with bright bands, broad and pleasant: such a bed as this being made, it should be placed on the ground covered with cloth.\nAn umbrella, a row of silver lamps, an oxtail fan, a seat, a vessel, a water-pot, a mirror, and a canopy of five colours,\nAnd all the other accompaniments of the bed he should place round it, in their proper places.\n65-66. On it he should have placed a golden Hari, together with Lak\u1e63m\u012b, with all the ornaments, weapons and clothes.\nAnd, in the case of women, having placed them on the bed, he should have the red dye, saffron, clothes, ornaments, and all the other necessary things.\n67-68. Then a Br\u0101hmi\u1e47, with his wife adorned with fragrances and flowers, with ear and finger ornaments and golden necklaces,\nWearing a turban and an upper cloth and jacket, should be seated by him on the comfortable bed, in front of Lak\u1e63m\u012b and N\u0101r\u0101ya\u1e47a.\n69-71. He should worship Hari and Lak\u1e63m\u012b with saffron and flower-garlands, and adore the Guardians of the World, the Planetary Spirits and Vin\u0101yaka.\nFacing north, and holding flowers in his palms, he should pronounce this mantra, standing in front of the Br\u0101hmi\u1e47:\n\"Just as, O K\u1e5bi\u1e63\u1e47a, your bed is the ocean full of milk, may this likewise be not empty in my future births.\"\n72-74. Thus he should place the handsful of flowers before the Br\u0101hmi\u1e47 and the image of Hari, and then the bed-gift with its accompaniments, according to the rite.\nHe should give it to him who observes vows, is a teacher, and tells about Br\u0101hmi\u1e47, and say, \"O Br\u0101hmi\u1e47, receive these. How seldom does any one so give!\"\nHe should rock the twice-born and Lak\u1e63m\u012b and Hari, seated on the bed, and then, having walked round and bowed, give them leave.\n75. If he is rich he should give a very beautiful house, furnished with all the necessaries, so that he may sleep happily on the bed,\n76. If a living man makes with his own hand the gift of a bed, there should be performed, while he is still living, on full moon day the dedication of a bull.\n77. This bed should be given to one only, and never to several. Divided or sold it drags down the giver.\n78. Having given a bed to a deserving person, he may obtain the fruit of his desires. The father, and the son giving it, rejoices here and hereafter.\n79-80. At the celestial house of Indra, and at the abode of Yama, he will arrive without doubt through the potency of the gift of a bed.\nHe will reside there free from trouble, seated in the best of chariots, waited upon by numbers of celestial damsels, until the coming of the deluge.\n81. The merit from all the sacred bathing places, and on all the days of the changes of the moon: even superior to these is the merit arising from the gift of a bed.\n82-86. Having this made the gift of a bed, the son should have Padad\u0101na given. Listen to my words, and I will tell you the method of it.\nAn umbrella, shoes, clothes, a signet ring, a water-pot, a seat, a set of five vessels--are called the seven kinds of padas.\nThis pada becomes complete with a staff, a copper vessel, uncooked rice, foods, valuables, and sacred threads.\nHaving, according to his means, obtained these thirteen padas he should give, them to thirteen Br\u0101hmi\u1e47s on the twelfth day.\nBy this padad\u0101na the righteous go to a good condition, and this padad\u0101na gives happiness to those who have gone on the way of Yama.\n87-93. There is there intense heat, by which the man is scorched, but the gift of an umbrella makes pleasant shade above his head;\nAnd on the path in the world of Yama, full of great thorns, those who gave shoes go riding horses.\nThe miseries of cold and heat and wind are dreadful there, O Bird, but by the power of the gift of clothes he goes happily along the way.\nThe messengers of Yama, very terrible, fierce and brown-black, do not trouble on the road him who made the gift of a signet ring.\nIt is enveloped in great heat, is windless and without water; through the gift of a water pot he, when thirsty, drinks water.\nWho, for the dead, gives a water-vessel made of copper, certainly enjoys the fruit which is obtained by thousands of gifts of wells.\nThrough properly giving to a twice-born a seat and a vessel, leisurely going on the path he comfortably enjoys his provisions,\n94-95. Having thus given, on the day of the Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony, this gift, as prescribed, he should have many Br\u0101hmi\u1e47s fed, also cha\u1e47\u1e0dal\u0101s and other outcasts.\nThen, after the Sapinda and before the annual ceremony, a water-pot with rice-balls should be given every month.\n911. There is no re-doing of what is done excepting the rites for the departed, 1 O Bird; but, for the sake of the departed it may be done again, as a means of unfading satisfaction.\n97-99. Now I shall tell you the rules concerning the monthly, the annual and the fortnightly ceremonies, and of dying on lunar days.\nIf one dies at the full moon his rites fall on the fourth day. If one dies on the fourth day his rites fall on the ninth.\nIf one dies on the ninth day, his day is the fourteenth. In these cases one should perform the fortnightly \u015ar\u0101ddha on the twentieth day.\n100-105. When in one month [K\u1e63ayam\u0101sa] two sa\u1e45kr\u0101ntis occur, in the irregular month, the month being double, the \u015ar\u0101ddha is not performed. 1\nWhen there are two months in one month, of those two, the two fortnights and the thirty days are the same [both must be performed.] For the first half day take the former [the dark]; for the second half,\nthe latter. Thus are understood by the wise the two months which are in the irregular month.\nThe Sapi\u1e47\u1e0da ceremony, O bird, should be done when there is no sankr\u0101nta; similarly the monthly and the first annual \u015ar\u0101ddhas.\nIf there is an additional month in the middle of a year, then in the thirteenth month the annual ceremony for the departed occurs.\nWhen there is no sankr\u0101nta, rice-balls are not used; when there is sankr\u0101nta, rice-balls are proper. Thus the annual \u015ar\u0101ddha should be done in both months.\n106. Thus, at the end of the first year one should perform the annual \u015ar\u0101ddha, and in that, in addition, the twice-born should be fed.\n107-110. After a year one should always offer three rice-balls at the \u015ar\u0101ddha. The ceremony for one only should not be done; by it one becomes the destroyer of his forefathers.\nThe \u015ar\u0101ddha at a sacred bathing-place, the \u015ar\u0101ddha at Gaya, the Gajachchh\u0101yam, for the fathers--these he should not do during the year, nor at eclipses, nor on yuga days.\nIf the son performs the \u015ar\u0101ddha at Gay\u0101, O Lord of Birds, it should be done after a year, with devotion to the forefathers.\nThe forefathers are freed from the ocean of existence by the \u015ar\u0101ddha at Gay\u0101 and, by favour of the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, they go to the supreme state.\n111-113. He should worship the feet of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u with the shoots of the holy basil, and in proper order offer rice-balls round them.\nHe who offers, on the head of Gay\u0101, a rice-ball of the size of even a \u015bam\u012b leaf helps over seven clans and one hundred and one fatuities.\nHe who, delighting the family, having gone to Gay\u0101, performs the \u015ar\u0101ddha and gives satisfaction to the forefathers, his life is fruitful.\n111-115. O Lord of birds, the forefathers hear a song sung by the Holy Ones in Kal\u0101pa, the garden of Ik\u1e63v\u0101ku, the son of Manu:--\n\"Are there none in your family, treading the good path, who, having gone to Gay\u0101, will offer us rice-balls, with devotion?\"\n116-119. The son who thus performs the rites for the other world, O T\u0101rkshya, is happy and becomes liberated, like the son of Kau\u015bika.\nThe seven sons of Bharadw\u0101ja, having experienced a series of births, were liberated by the favour of the forefathers, O T\u0101rkshya, although they killed a cow.\nThe seven hunters in the country of Da\u015b\u0101r\u1e47as; the deer on the mountain of K\u0101linjira; the Chakravaka birds in \u015aaradv\u012bpa: and the swans in the M\u0101nasa lake\nWere born as Br\u0101hmi\u1e47s learned in the Vedas, on the field of the Kurus, and all these sons of the twice-born attained liberation through devotion to the forefathers.\n120. Therefore a man should make every effort in devotion to the forefathers, for by devotion to the forefathers he becomes happy either in this or the other world.\n121. Thus I have told you, O T\u0101rk\u1e63ya, all the ceremonies, concerning the deceased, giving merit to and satisfying the desires of the son, and giving liberation to the forefathers.\n122. Any man who is poor, but hears this account, even he, absolved from sins, obtains the fruit of gifts.\n123-126. He who performs, according to the rite, the \u015ar\u0101ddha offerings described by me, and also hears the Garu\u1e0da Pur\u0101\u1e47a,--listen to the fruit for him:--\nThe father gives good sons; the grandfather, wealth of cows and his great-grandfather becomes the giver of riches.\nThe great-great-grandfather gives foods in abundance: all these, gratified by the \u015ar\u0101ddha, granting the son's desires,\nGo on the way of righteousness to the mansion of the King of Justice, and there they remain, highly respected, in the assembly of Righteousness.\n127. S\u016bta said: Having heard the result of the after-death gifts and their mighty greatness, thus declared by the Blessed Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, Garu\u1e0da went into raptures.\n114:1 The grandfather, his father and grandfather are considered as corresponding to Vasu, Rudra and \u0100ditya. Rudra is \u015aiva.\n115:1 Cousins up to the seventh, on the male line,--all males and unmarried females.\n115:2 Cousins up to the fourteenth, on the male line,--all males and unmarried females.\n115:3 Cousins up to the forty-second, on the male line,--all males and unmarried females.\n118:1 Consisting of rice, darbha grass, and flowers, with water.\n118:2 See \"Daily Practice of the Hindus\" for an account of \u0101chamana.\n120:1 A benediction which the recipient makes when he has had enough.\n120:2 The consort of \u015aiva.\n120:3 Ga\u1e47e\u015ba.\n121:1 A high class of superhuman beings.\n125:1 If other ceremonies have been badly done they may not be re-performed; but this may.\n126:1 \"The ceremonies are performed according to the lunar months, but there are to be only twelve of the monthly ones in a year. Astrological calculations are done with solar months. Hence there is an intercalary month of 30 days every three years. The sankr\u0101nta is a solar month, the passing of the sun through one zodiacal constellation. The difference of solar and lunar months is about 11 days in the year; hence an additional irregular month occurs once in 27 months. In this long month; the malamasa, or irregular portion, is the first half, while the second half is regular. The k\u1e63aya-m\u0101sa is a name for a month which occurs every 149th year, in which there is no sankr\u0101nti,--thus there are only 12 months in that year, not 13, although it is a year of intercalary month. In this case the intercalary is added and (?) treated as such, but the regular mouth is dropped. It is November, December, January or February which is thus dropped, but the intercalary is always associated with one of the other eight. The month preceding month which is dropped has its two fortnights taken as belonging to the regular and the dropped month respectively. If a man dies in the second fortnight in this case the annual ceremony belongs to the month which was dropped. lf, on the other hand, a main has died and his month is dropped the preceding month is taken for the annual \u015ar\u0101ddha. If a man dies in the adigm\u0101sa, then his annual \u015ar\u0101ddha must be done in the dark half on the same day on which he died; if his death occurred during the first half of the day, and on the same day in the bright half if he died during the second half of the day.","title":"The Garuda Purana: Chapter XIII. An Account of the Ceremo...","type":"page"}