The Necessity of the Bull-Release and the Rule of the Sonless

Verse 1 (garuda.2.13.1)

गरुड उवाच । कर्मणा केन देवेश प्रेतत्वं नैव जायते । पृथिव्यां सर्वजन्तूनां तद्ब्रूहि परमेश्वर

garuḍa uvāca | karmaṇā kena deveśa pretatvaṁ naiva jāyate | pṛthivyāṁ sarvajantūnāṁ tadbrūhi parameśvara

Garuda said: O Lord of the gods, by what deed do all creatures upon earth escape ever attaining the state of a preta? Tell me this, O Supreme Lord.

Verse 2 (garuda.2.13.2)

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अथ वक्ष्यामि संक्षेपात्क्षयाहादौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । स्वहस्तेनैव कर्तव्यं मोक्षकामैस्तु मानवैः

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca | atha vakṣyāmi saṁkṣepātkṣayāhādaurdhvadaihikam | svahastenaiva kartavyaṁ mokṣakāmaistu mānavaiḥ

Shri Krishna said: Now I shall briefly tell of the funerary rites to be performed on the lost lunar day and similar occasions. Men who desire liberation should perform this with their own hands.

Verse 3 (garuda.2.13.3)

स्त्रीणामपि विशेषेण पञ्चवर्षाधिके शिशौ । वृषोत्सर्गादिकं कर्म प्रेतत्वविनिवृत्तये । वृषोत्सर्गादृते नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति महीतले

strīṇāmapi viśeṣeṇa pañcavarṣādhike śiśau | vṛṣotsargādikaṁ karma pretatvavinivṛttaye | vṛṣotsargādṛte nānyatkiñcidasti mahītale

For women too, in particular, and for a child older than five years as well, the rite of vrishotsarga and the like is necessary for the removal of the state of a preta. On this earth there is nothing else equal to the vrishotsarga.

Verse 4 (garuda.2.13.4)

जीवन्वापि मृतो वापि वृषोत्सर्गं करोति यः । प्रेतत्वं न भवेत्तस्य विना दानमखव्रतैः

jīvanvāpi mṛto vāpi vṛṣotsargaṁ karoti yaḥ | pretatvaṁ na bhavettasya vinā dānamakhavrataiḥ

Whoever performs the vrishotsarga, whether while living or after death, does not attain the state of a preta, even without other gifts or sacrificial vows.

Verse 5 (garuda.2.13.5)

गरुड उवाच । कस्मिन्काले वृषोत्सर्गं जीवन्वापि मृतोऽपि वा । कुर्यात्सुरवरश्रेष्ठ ब्रूहि मे मधुसूदन

garuḍa uvāca | kasminkāle vṛṣotsargaṁ jīvanvāpi mṛto'pi vā | kuryātsuravaraśreṣṭha brūhi me madhusūdana

Garuda said: O best among gods, at what time should the vrishotsarga be performed — while living, or after death? Tell me, O Madhusudana.

Verse 6 (garuda.2.13.6)

किं फलं तु भवेदन्ते कृतैः श्राद्धैस्तु षोडशैः

kiṁ phalaṁ tu bhavedante kṛtaiḥ śrāddhaistu ṣoḍaśaiḥ

What is the fruit, in the end, of performing the sixteen shraddhas?

Verse 7 (garuda.2.13.7)

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अकृत्वा तु वृषोत्सर्गं कुरुते पिण्डपातनम् । नोपतिष्ठति तच्छ्रेयो दातुः प्रेतस्य निष्फलम्

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca | akṛtvā tu vṛṣotsargaṁ kurute piṇḍapātanam | nopatiṣṭhati tacchreyo dātuḥ pretasya niṣphalam

Shri Krishna said: The pinda-offering made without first performing the vrishotsarga brings no benefit — neither to the giver nor to the departed; it remains entirely fruitless.

Verse 8 (garuda.2.13.8)

एकादशाहे प्रेतस्य यस्य नोत्सृज्यते वृषः । प्रेतत्वं सुस्थिरं तस्य दत्तैः श्राद्धशतैरपि

ekādaśāhe pretasya yasya notsṛjyate vṛṣaḥ | pretatvaṁ susthiraṁ tasya dattaiḥ śrāddhaśatairapi

For the departed for whom no bull is released on the eleventh day, the state of a preta remains utterly fixed, even if hundreds of shraddhas are given.

Verse 9 (garuda.2.13.9)

गरुड उवाच । सर्पाद्धि प्राप्तमृत्यूनामग्निदाहादि न क्रिया । जलेन शृङ्गिणा वापि शस्त्राद्यैर्म्रियते यदि

garuḍa uvāca | sarpāddhi prāptamṛtyūnāmagnidāhādi na kriyā | jalena śṛṁgiṇā vāpi śastrādyairmriyate yadi

Garuda said: For those who die by snakebite, the rite of cremation and the rest is not performed. If someone dies by water, by a horned beast, or by weapons and the like,

Verse 10 (garuda.2.13.10)

असन्मृत्युमृतानां च कथं शुद्धिर्भवत्प्रभो । एतन्मे संशयं देव च्छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः

asanmṛtyumṛtānāṁ ca kathaṁ śuddhirbhavatprabho | etanme saṁśayaṁ deva cchettumarhasyaśeṣataḥ

O Lord, how does purification occur for those who have died such an inauspicious death? O God, be pleased to sever this doubt of mine entirely.

Verse 11 (garuda.2.13.11)

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । षण्मासैर्ब्राह्मणः शुध्येद्युग्मे सार्धे तु बाहुजः । सार्धमासेन वैश्यस्तु शूद्रो मासेन शुध्यति

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca | ṣaṇmāsairbrāhmaṇaḥ śudhyedyugme sārdhe tu bāhujaḥ | sārdhamāsena vaiśyastu śūdro māsena śudhyati

Shri Krishna said: A brahmin is purified in six months, a kshatriya in two and a half months; a vaishya in a month and a half, and a shudra is purified in one month.

Verse 12 (garuda.2.13.12)

दत्त्वा दानान्यशेषाणि सुतीर्थे म्रियते यदि । ब्रह्मचारी शुचिर्भूत्वा न स यातीह दुर्गतिम्

dattvā dānānyaśeṣāṇi sutīrthe mriyate yadi | brahmacārī śucirbhūtvā na sa yātīha durgatim

If one, having given every gift, dies at a sacred tirtha, celibate and pure, he does not attain an evil state in this world.

Verse 13 (garuda.2.13.13)

वृषोत्सर्गादिकं कृत्वा यतिधर्मं समाचरेत् । यतित्वे मृत्युमाप्नोति स गच्छेद्ब्रह्मशाख्वतम्

vṛṣotsargādikaṁ kṛtvā yatidharmaṁ samācaret | yatitve mṛtyumāpnoti sa gacchedbrahmaśākhvatam

He who, having performed the vrishotsarga and the like, then takes up the life of a renunciant, and attains death in that state, attains union with Brahman.

Verse 14 (garuda.2.13.14)

विकर्म कुरुते यस्तु शिष्टाचारविवर्जितः । वृषोत्सर्गादिकं कृत्वा न गच्छेद्यमशासनम्

vikarma kurute yastu śiṣṭācāravivarjitaḥ | vṛṣotsargādikaṁ kṛtvā na gacchedyamaśāsanam

Even he who, devoid of proper conduct, commits forbidden acts, does not go under Yama's rule if he has performed the vrishotsarga and the like.

Verse 15 (garuda.2.13.15)

पुत्त्रो वा सोदरो वापि पौत्रो बन्धुजनस्तथा । गोत्रिणश्चार्थभागी च मृते कुर्याद्वृषोत्सवम्

puttro vā sodaro vāpi pautro bandhujanastathā | gotriṇaścārthabhāgī ca mṛte kuryādvṛṣotsavam

The son, or the full brother, or the grandson, or a kinsman, or one of the same gotra who shares in the property — upon the death of any of these, the bull-festival should be performed.

Verse 16 (garuda.2.13.16)

पुत्राभावे तु पत्नी स्याद्दौहित्त्रो दुहीतापि वा । पुत्त्रेषु विद्यमानेषु वृषं नान्येन कारयेत्

putrābhāve tu patnī syāddauhittro duhītāpi vā | puttreṣu vidyamāneṣu vṛṣaṁ nānyena kārayet

In the absence of a son, the wife, or the daughter's son, or the daughter should perform it. While sons are living, this bull-rite should not be entrusted to any other.

Verse 17 (garuda.2.13.17)

गरुड उवाच । पुत्त्रा यस्य न विद्यन्ते नरा नार्यः सुरेश्वर । एतन्मे संशयं देव च्छेतुमर्हस्यशेषतः

garuḍa uvāca | puttrā yasya na vidyante narā nāryaḥ sureśvara | etanme saṁśayaṁ deva cchetumarhasyaśeṣataḥ

Garuda said: O lord of gods, for men and women who have no sons, O God, be pleased to sever this doubt of mine entirely.

Verse 18 (garuda.2.13.18)

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । अपुत्त्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गो नैव च नैव च । तस्मात्केनाप्युपायेन पुत्त्रस्य जननं चरेत्

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca | aputtrasya gatirnāsti svargo naiva ca naiva ca | tasmātkenāpyupāyena puttrasya jananaṁ caret

Shri Krishna said: For one without a son there is neither good rebirth nor heaven — never, never. Therefore, by whatever means, the birth of a son should be brought about.

Verse 19 (garuda.2.13.19)

यानि कानि च दानानि स्वयं दत्तानि मानवैः । तानितानि च सर्वाणि तूपतिष्ठन्ति चाग्रतः

yāni kāni ca dānāni svayaṁ dattāni mānavaiḥ | tānitāni ca sarvāṇi tūpatiṣṭhanti cāgrataḥ

Whatever gifts men have themselves given, all of them come and present themselves before them.

Verse 20 (garuda.2.13.20)

व्यञ्जनानि विचित्राणि भक्ष्यभोज्यानि यानि च । स्वहस्तेन प्रदत्तानि देहान्ते चाक्षयं फलम्

vyañjanāni vicitrāṇi bhakṣyabhojyāni yāni ca | svahastena pradattāni dehānte cākṣayaṁ phalam

Various delicacies, whatever food and provisions there be, if given with one's own hand, yield imperishable fruit at the end of the body.

Verse 21 (garuda.2.13.21)

गोभूहिरण्यवासांसि भोजनानि पादनि च । यत्रयत्र वसेज्जन्तुस्तत्रतत्रोपतिष्ठति

gobhūhiraṇyavāsāṁsi bhojanāni pādani ca | yatrayatra vasejjantustatratatropatiṣṭhati

A cow, land, gold, garments, food, and the foot-gift — wherever a creature comes to dwell, there these present themselves before him.

Verse 22 (garuda.2.13.22)

यावत्स्वस्थं शरीरं हि तावद्धर्मं समाचरेत् । अस्वस्थः प्रेरितश्चान्यैर्नाकिञ्चित्कर्तुमर्हति

yāvatsvasthaṁ śarīraṁ hi tāvaddharmaṁ samācaret | asvasthaḥ preritaścānyairnākiñcitkartumarhati

So long as the body remains healthy, dharma should be practiced; once unwell, and needing to be urged by others, a man is no longer capable of accomplishing anything.

Verse 23 (garuda.2.13.23)

जीवतोऽपि मृतस्येह न भूतं चौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । वायुभूतः क्षुधाविष्टो भ्रमते च दिवानिशम्

jīvato'pi mṛtasyeha na bhūtaṁ caurdhvadaihikam | vāyubhūtaḥ kṣudhāviṣṭo bhramate ca divāniśam

He for whom the funerary discipline was not observed while living does not have it done after death either; he, become mere wind, tormented by hunger, wanders about day and night.

Verse 24 (garuda.2.13.24)

कृमिः कीटः पतङ्गो वा जायते म्रियते पुनः । असद्गर्भे भवेत्सोऽपि जातः सद्यो विनश्यति

kṛmiḥ kīṭaḥ pataṁgo vā jāyate mriyate punaḥ | asadgarbhe bhavetso'pi jātaḥ sadyo vinaśyati

He becomes a worm, an insect, or a moth, dies, and is born again; even conceived in an unworthy womb, he is destroyed the very instant he is born.

Verse 25 (garuda.2.13.25)

यावत्स्वस्थमिदं शरीरमरुजं यावज्जरा दूरतो यावच्चेन्द्रियशक्तिरप्रतिहता यावत्क्षयो नायुषः । आत्मश्रेयसि तावदेव विदुषा कार्यः प्रयत्नो महान्सन्दीप्ते भवने तु कूपखननं प्रत्युद्यमः कीदृशः

yāvatsvasthamidaṁ śarīramarujaṁ yāvajjarā dūrato yāvaccendriyaśaktirapratihatā yāvatkṣayo nāyuṣaḥ | ātmaśreyasi tāvadeva viduṣā kāryaḥ prayatno mahānsandīpte bhavane tu kūpakhananaṁ pratyudyamaḥ kīdṛśaḥ

So long as this body remains healthy and free of illness, so long as old age remains far off, so long as the power of the senses is unimpaired, and so long as the span of life is not yet spent — only for that long should the wise man make the greatest effort for his own true good. What use is the effort to dig a well once the house is already ablaze?