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Liberation from Cycles of Rebirth - Garuda Purana

9/22/2019

Riddle of being born poor or rich, birds or worms, riot torn regions or prosperous regions etc., is lucidly explained by Vishnu Bhagwan in Garuda Purana. Shri Hari informed his vehicle Garuda in the Garuda Purana that wealth, sons, wife and family, kinsmen, even body are transitory; possessions are not eternal; death is certain. Relations soon fade away. Hence, why not accumulate good deeds. Sinful deeds bring misery. The good and evil karma goes into next birth. Attachment is the root cause of miseries. As a remedy for attachment, one should develop attachment to the good, discrimination, and purity of the eyes. Such person shall not be able to do bad deeds.

In chapter 15 of Garuda Purana, Vishnu Bhagwan has explained in detail about importance of meditation and devotion. Human Body has seven energy centers (chakras). Meditating on these chakras commencing from the base chakra with unwavering mind and by repeating the Ajapa-gayatri, upwards and downwards, the person feels oneness with the almighty.

Sri Hari further, tells Garuda that the path of devotion is far superior. For purification of mind rituals, performance of righteous duties and sacrifices (Tapas) are surely useful. But total devotion to Sri Hari yields a fruit which is the most valuable end everlasting. Meditation and devotion, if practiced as prescribed, one enjoys the eternal bliss of unification with the almighty.

One who, firm in non-attachment, worships me, thinking of no other, full-vision, with tranquil self, attains liberation.

Vishnu Bhagwan explains in chapter 15 as under:
Importance of meditation:

One should sit steadily cross-legged at dawn, and meditate upon the seven chakras, in the order of the Ajapa. The Gayatri called Ajapa is the giver of liberation. By doing Ajapa, the individual always gives up his separateness. (15/149/69-71)
There are seven chakras (energy centres). The contemplation should begin from the base:
Muladhara, is located at the root of the generative organ; It is four-petalled and resplendent, with letters from va to sa;
Swadhishthana, is in the region of the pelvis; the Svadhishthana resembles the sun, is six-petalled, and has the letters from ba to la;
Manipuraka, is in the navel; it is red in color and has ten petals, from da to pha;
Anahatam, is in the heart; it is twelve-petalled, from ka to tha, and is golden-coloured;
Visuddhi, is in the throat; its lotus is sixteen-petalled, with the vowels, and has the light of the moon;
Ajna is between the eyebrows; its lotus is two-petalled, has the letters ha and ksha, and is red in colour;
Sahasrara, it is at the top of the head & is the most resplendent, this lotus has a thousand petals, and is the seat of truth and bliss, ever auspicious, light-possessing and eternal.
1. One should meditate, in order, in the chakras from base, on Ganesha, on Vidhi (Brahma), on Vishnu, on Siva, on Jiva, on Guru, and on Parambrahman, all-pervading. (15/150/76)
2. It is said that the subtle movements of the breath in one day and night number twenty-one thousand six hundred. (15/150/80)
3. Breath goes out with the sound of "ha," and enters again with the sound of "sa." The individual is, indeed, always repeating the mantra. "Haṁsa, haṁsa,"-- Six hundred for Sri Ganesha; six thousand for Vedhas (Sri Brahma); six thousand for Sri Hari (Sri Vishnu); six thousand for Hara (Sri Shiva). A thousand for the Jivatman; a thousand for Guru; a thousand or the Chidatman (Parambrahman);--thus one should understand the respective numbers of the repetitions. (15/151/80)
4. Having worshipped mentally in all the chakras, with unwavering mind, he should repeat the Ajapa-gayatri according to the instructions of the Teacher. He should meditate in the Randhra, with the thousand-petalled lotus inverted, upon the Blessed Teacher within the Hamsa, whose lotus-hand frees from fear. He should regard his body as being washed in the flow of nectar from his feet. (15/151-152/81-88)
5. Having worshipped in the five-fold way he should prostrate, singing the praise of teacher (Guru). Then he should meditate on the Kundalini, as moving upwards and downwards, as making a tour of the seven chakras, placed in three-and-a-half coils. (15/151-152/81-88)
6. Then he should meditate on the place called Sushumna, which goes out of the Randhra; thereby he goes to the highest state of Vishnu.
7. One should meditate, between four o'clock and sunrise, on my form, self-illumined, eternal and ever-blissful. He should bring his mind to a state of steadiness, not by efforts alone, but under the instruction of a teacher, without whom he falls. (15/151-152/88-89)
8. Having done the inward-sacrifice he should perform the outward-sacrifice. Having done the purificatory ablution, and the Sandhya, he should worship Hari (Vishnu Bhagwan) and Hara (Shivji). (15/151-152/90)

Importance of devotion:
Sri Hari further, tells Garuda that the path of devotion is far superior for all those who are attached to the world. For purification of mind rituals, performance of righteous duties and sacrifices (Tapas) are surely useful. But total devotion to Sri Hari yields a fruit which is the most valuable end everlasting.

Sri Hari concludes saying that the man who follows all the things detailed above would find union with Him and gets eternal liberation from the cycle of birth and death. He enjoys the eternal bliss of unification with the Supreme Being.
(15/152/91-94).

Vishnu Bhagwan explains in chapter 16 the Law of Liberation as under:

The unmoving things, worms, birds, animals, men, the righteous, the thirty-three deities, are also the liberated, according to their order. Through millions of myriads of thousands of births some time a being obtains human birth, through the accumulation of merit. (16/155/11-16)
The difference in human being and other living beings is wisdom. Human body is must to perform meritorious deeds. Old age comes, life goes like water from a broken pot; diseases attack like foes. Therefore should he strive for the best? Riches are like unto a dream; youth is like a flower, life is fickle as lightning. Half of the life is wasted in sleep and idleness, owing to the miseries of childhood, disease and old age. (16/156-157/17-32)
Attachment is the root cause of miseries. As a remedy for attachment, one should develop attachment to the good, discrimination, and purity of the eyes. Such person shall not be able to do bad deeds. (16/160-161/56-57)
Persons desire to the highest truth (Sat-Chit-Ananda) by doing fasts and other restraints, become ascetics, take bath in Ganges, by the repetitions of mantras, oblations and other things, and by elaborate rituals. Direct knowledge of the Truth is the cause of liberation. (16/161-162/59-70)
Knowledge of the Vedas, the Sastras and the Puranas cannot destroy the illusions of the world of change. The Sastras are numerous; life is brief; and there are tens of millions of obstacles; therefore the essence should be understood, as the swan taking the milk in the water. Knowledge is said to be of two kinds: study and discrimination. The study is of Sabda Brahman; Para Brahman is reached by discrimination. (16/163/73)
Two phrases make for bondage and liberation: "Mine" and "Not-mine." The being saying "Mine" is bound; saying "Not-mine" is released. If actions are performed with self-interest & being mobilized by five senses; pride of the body & mine-ness are existing and mind is not calm, then realization of truth is not possible. To reach Truth, one should do austerities, meditation, vows, pilgrimage to sacred waters, recitations, oblations, worship and reading of the prescribed texts of the Vedas and Sastras. Therefore, if one desires liberation for himself, he should every effort, always, and under all circumstances he attached to Truth. (16/165-166/93-99)
One should practice mentally upon the supreme three-fold pure Word of Brahman i.e. AUM. He should, with breath controlled, restrain his mind, not forgetting the Brahma Bija. He should withdraw the senses from the sense-objects by the mind, and should fix his mind, drawn away by karmas, with understanding, upon the pure. "1 am Brahman, the Supreme Abode; I am Brahman, the Highest Goal,"--having realized this and placed the self in the self he should meditate. (16/167/103-107)
He who, when leaving the body, utters the one-syllabled Brahman, "Om," remembering me, goes to the Highest Goal. Free from pride and delusion, with the evils of attachment conquered, always dwelling in the Higher Self, with desires overcome, released from the contracts known as pleasure and pain, they go, undeluded, on that eternal path. (16/167/108-110)
He who bathes in the water of the Manasa, which removes the impurities of attraction and repulsion, in the lake of knowledge, in the waters of Truth,--he verily attains liberation. (16/168/111)
He who, firm in non-attachment, worships me, thinking of no other, full-vision, with tranquil self,--he verily attains liberation. (16/168/112)
He who, expecting to die, leaning his home, dwells at a sacred bathing-place, or dies in a place of liberation (Ayodhya, Mathura, Gaya, Kasi, Kanchi, Avantika, Dwaravati), he verily attains liberation. (16/168/113-114)
Knowers of Truth attain liberation; righteous men go to heaven; sinners go to an evil condition; birds and others transmigrate. (16/168/116)

Reference:

Garuda Gurana, Gita Press Gorakhpur.
https://www.hinduwebsite.com/

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Anatomy of Body & Atman - Garuda Purana

9/13/2019

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Garuda Purana, a Vaishnava Purana deals in detail about the anatomy and chemistry of body and soul in its chapter 15.

Grauda Purana provides great insight on the anatomy of body and Atman as follows:

Everybody has three types of bodies. The physical body which can be seen from eyes is called gross body. The other two bodies are subtle body and causal body. The subtle body consisting of the inner psychic organs ((As per Samkhya Darshan of Kapil muni - 10 subtle elements of organs of senses & actions, 5 Tanmatras, mind and buddhi -17 elements); and the causal body comprising of tanmatras (subtle elements of forms or visibility, taste, smell or odour, touch and sound); and the Self or Atman. The divine spark i.e. Atman is encased by causal and subtle bodies.
According to the thoughts in the mind at the time of union of husband-wife will be the nature of the one who enters the womb. (15/143/14-18)
Earth, water, fire, air and ether--these are called the stable elements. This body is made up of the five elements (earth, liquid, gas, fire, and ether).
Skin, bones, nerves, hair and flesh --these are the five attributes of earth.
Saliva, urine, sperm, marrow, and blood—these are said to be the five attributes of water.
Hunger, thirst, sloth, sleep and sexual desire are called the five attributes of fire.
Bending, running, jumping, stretching and moving--these are the five attributes of air.
Speech thought, vacuity, delusion and mental instability--the five attributes of ether.
Mind, reason, individualization, analysis--these four are called the Internal means, and have the essence of past karma.
1. The classification of organs:
  1. Ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose are the sense organs.
  2. The organs of speech, hands, feet, the organs of generation and of excretion are the organs of action.
  3. The deities of organs of senses and action are Dik, Vata, Arka, Prachetas, the two Ashvins, Vahni, Indra, Upeudra, Mitra.
  4. Ida, Pingala, Sushumna, Gandhari, Gajajihva, Pusha, Yasasvini, Alambusha, Kuhu, and Sankhini --are situated in the interior of the body, and are the ten principal Nadis (vains/nerves).
  5. Five prana vayu (gas/wind) are Prana, Apana, Samana, Vyana and Udana which functions in the following areas of body: in the heart, Prana; in the anus, Apana; in the navel, Samana; in the region of the throat, Udana; and distributed all over the body, Vyana. The air called Vyana carries the essentials in all the Nadis.
  6. There are five other prana vayus viz. Naga, Kurma, Krikala, Devadatta and Dhananjaya. Naga is the air that regulates burping (hiccupping, vomiting); Kurma is the upaprana that controls contracting movements e.g. blinking. Krikala is the upaprana that governs sneezing. Devadatta controls yawning. Dhananjaya controls the functioning of heart valves. Pranayama – the specialized yogic technique of deep breathing.
2. The body consists of thirty-five millions of hairs of the body, seven hundred thousands of hairs of the head, it is said, and twenty nails; thirty-two teeth usually, the flesh is said to be one thousand palas (i.e. foliage), blood one hundred palas; Fat is ten palas; skin is seven palas, marrow is twelve palas; the "great blood" is three palas; Seed is known to be two kudavas; ovum one kudava; and bones in the body are said to be three hundred and sixty; the nadis, both dense and subtle, number tens of million; bile is fifty palas; phlegm is half of that. (15/147/47-52).
3. In the Paramarthika body, there are six chakras in which are said to be located the attributes of the egg of Brahma. (15/147/54)
4. There are fourteen worlds designated in body - below the feet is called Atala; above the feet, Vitala; at the knees know it as Sutala; at the thighs Mahatala; at the hips, Talatala; at the secret part Rasatala; at the loins (thighs) Patala; these are declared to be the seven worlds: Bhuloka, at the middle of the navel; above it the Bhuvarloka; in the heart, Svarloka; at the throat it should be known as Maharloka; Janaloka, in the region of the mouth; Tapolaka, at the forehead; Satyaloka in the Brahmarandhra. (15/148/56-59)
5. The Sun and Planets are at designated places in the body - the sun is situated in the Nada (sound) chakra; the moon is in the Bindu (located where the bones of the back and sides of the skull meet) chakra; Mars is situated in the eyes; Mercury is in the heart, Jupiter is in the Vishnu-sthana, Venus is situated in the seed (virile energy); Saturn is in the navel; Rahu, in the face, Ketu is situated in the lungs. (15/149/66-68)

Reference:

Garuda Gurana, Gita Press Gorakhpur.
https://www.hinduwebsite.com/

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Life, Death, After Death & Rebirth - Garuda Purana

9/6/2019

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The Garuda Purana, a Vaishnava Purana is one of eighteen Mahapuranas, containing 8,000 to 19,000 verses. The modern era version of Garuda Purana is likely of 800 to 1000 century AD. It contains dialogues between Bhagwan Vishnu and his vehicle, Garuda about death, afterlife, sins, life in hell, location of hell, Yama, punishments meted out to the sinners, types of funeral rites to be performed for the departed, modes of liberation from rebirth cycle etc.

Garuda Purana is supposed to be chanted after the demise of a person; and especially in the 13-day mourning period. It is associated with many superstitions such as – it is inauspicious to keep the text at home; it is inauspicious to read it in any other period except the mourning period etc. etc. Nothing could be farther than the truth. In fact, this is the scripture which deals at length, about consequences of good & bad deeds, why a few people enjoy all comforts & others toil and how to be liberated from the cycle of birth-death. Chanting of Garuda Purana during mourning period was probably prescribed with the intention that the loved ones of deceased would better realize the importance of good deeds and liberation from rebirth cycle.

Grauda Purana addresses the burning questions about life, death and after death. It provides great insight on the following:

Reasons for vast variety of living beings, deeds some persons being born as pauper, sick and others with silver spoon and consequences of good or bad.
Life after death, the journey of the soul, death and its aftermath, rebirth or reincarnation.
Importance of charity.
Significance of mourning of 13 days’.

Reasons for vast variety of living beings and some persons being born as pauper, sick and others with silver spoon
(Numbers in bracket hereunder are reference of Garuda Purana - chapter/page/verse)

It is explicitly explained that the sinners undergo horrifying tortures in hells after death and are born in different forms such as plants, animals, human, etc. depending upon the sins committed by them. Those, who are reborn as human beings, may be infested with grievous maladies, body and mental pains etc. In a human womb, one recollects all his past actions and repents for his sinful actions. Once he is born, he again forgets all his past actions. The moment he is born, his soul is engulfed by ignorance. (1/3/19-25; 4/37/60-64)
Virtuous persons, who have done great tapas, are of good vows, truth-speaking, tranquil, renouncing, accomplished, and purified by good actions, go to heaven. After enjoying heaven, they are reborn in noble family. (14/133/29-30; 15/140/1-2)
The meritorious soul takes birth in a high family. He grows up in his parents' house, endowed with learning and modesty in association with the wise. In his youth, he is divinely handsome, wealthy and benevolent, arising as the result of great merit, austerities, and pilgrimages to sacred waters, done in past life. (15/143/20-23)

Life after death, the journey of the soul, death and its aftermath, Rebirth

When the subtle body leaves the gross body, it is known as death of gross body. Subtle body accompanies the Atman as outward covering in migrating to another body. The subtle body is able to see the entire universe and its karmic account and impressions (Samskars) being embedded in it. Subtle body undergoes pains or pleasures in the hell or heaven as the case may be as the gross body undergoes pains or pleasures in the earth. (The constitution of gross, subtle and causal bodies is discussed in another article named as “Anatomy of body and soul”)
The Sinner goes through sixteen zones successively to reach the place of the Yama. (1/8/58-59). It is mentioned that sinner covers distance of about 88,000 yojanas {1 yojana = 8 miles (13 km)} between the earth and Yama’s world. In 348 days he reaches Yama’s city, being dragged by Yama’s servants” (5/84-85). Yama Loka is estimated at 1,032,000 Kilometers (As per modern science, distance between the earth and the moon is 384,400 KMs and the distance between the earth and the sun is 149,598,000 KMs). (8/65-67/32-52)
There are eighty-four lakhs of hells, of which are twenty-one are most dreadful. (3/28/60)
During the embryo development in womb, month wise formation is as under:
Ist month –head,
2nd month - arms and other parts of the body
3rd month - Nails, hair, bones, skin, linga and other cavities;
4th month - Seven bodily fluids;
5th month - Hunger and thirst arise;
6th month - Enveloped by the chorion & it moves to the left of the womb.
7th month – it gains consciousness and remembers the Karma generated in hundreds of previous births
8th - 9th month – He/she is cast out forcibly, bending down his head, he comes out with anxiety and painfully breathless and with memory destroyed. (6/46-49/2-25)

(As per modern science –

By end of Ist month – It has a recognizable head, nervous system, body and the beginning of minute limb buds.
By end of 2nd month - Vital organs continue to be formed, and the digestive, respiratory and urinary systems are taking shape. The eyelids have formed, but will not open for several more weeks. The circulatory system has been established and the heart is beating strongly. The head of the embryo is still very large in proportion to the body.
By end of 3rd month - The kidneys of the growing fetus begin to secrete urine. Soft nails have formed on the ends of the fingers and toes. The buds which will eventually form 20 milk teeth are already in place in the gums and the sex organs have developed. The face is properly formed and the head begins to take on a more rounded appearance ;
By end of 4th month - All limbs are properly formed and the joints are moving vigorously. Fingers and toes have assumed their proper shape and the nails are fully formed.
By end of 5th month - Hair appears on the head of the fetus.
By end of 6th month - vital organs are now fully formed and are functioning.
By end of 7th month – the fetus is now legally viable, which means that it is capable of a separate, independent existence.
By end of 8th month – Fetus is now perfectly formed and the head is in proportion to the body.
By end of 9th month – The baby is now fully mature )

Importance of charity

The Garuda Purana lays emphasis on charity. Charity is of four type’s viz. Nitya (daily), Namittika (casual), Kamya (desiring a special result) and Vimala (free from dirt). Charity is more fruitful, if given by one who is healthy and fully conscious to the right & deserving person, out of one’s own earnings and not by borrowing. It multiplies yield of good deeds (karma). (8/69/64)
It prescribes charity of sesame seeds, iron, gold cotton, salt, seven grains (Rice, barley, wheat, kidney beans-Rajma, masa, panic seeds; dwarf-peas), a plot of ground and cow by dying person. Apart from this, one has also to gift umbrella, footwear, clothes, ring, gourd, wooden plank to sit, vessels and food. These gifted items help the jiva (the subtle body) during its journey from the earth to Yama Loka.
Offering made by the son gives strength to the departed during the journey from earth to Yama loka. (1/7/47-48; 8/72/90-94)

Significance of Mourning of 13 days’

The subtle body takes time to understand and accept that emotional attachment with loved ones was with its previous body.
Symbolic ceremonies have to be performed on earth, during these 12 nights and 13 days, to make this disentanglement process easier for the soul. Prayers and intentions of offerings offer solace to the departed soul.
This disentanglement process is completed within a time frame of 12 nights and 13 days.

The major “verse-wise” details from Chapter one to fourteen are explained below (chapters 15 & 16 are dealt in separate articles):

Chapters I to VII deal with Hells (mentioned below in bracket as chapter/page/verse).

sinfully-inclined go miserably to the torments of Yama.(1/3/17)
According to the good or the bad actions, some disease arises causing body & mental pains, living in deformed body, decayed senses, the numbing of the intelligence etc. (1/3/19-25)

Ten days the son should offer food. Every day these are divided into four portions. Two portions give nourishment to the five elements of the body; the third goes to the messengers of Yama; he lives upon the fourth which gives strength to the departed. (1/7/47-48)
Having passed successively, through these sixteen zones on the way, the sinful man goes to the place of the King of Righteousness. (1/8/58-59)
There are eighty-four lakhs of hells, of which are twenty-one are most dreadful. (3/28/60)
Those who always delight in wrong deeds, who turn away from good deeds, go from hell to hell, from misery to misery, and from fear to fear.(4/30/2)
Sinfully inclined persons are born as unmoving (trees, bushes, plants, creepers, rocks and grasses etc.) or insects, birds, animals and fish etc. It is said that there are eighty-four hundred thousands of fates of birth-fates. All these evolve and are born in the human kingdom amongst low outcastes, with leprosy, as blind, infested with grievous maladies, etc. (4/37/60-64)
Mortal is born when the male and female elements are bound together by the union of man and woman. By the first month the head, by the second the arms and other parts of the body are formed; by the third occurs the formation of nails, hair, bones, skin, linga and other cavities; By the fourth the seven bodily fluids; by the fifth hunger and thirst arise; by the sixth, enveloped by the chorion, it moves to the left of the womb. The bodily substances are formed of the foods and liquids of the mother, and the creature at the time of birth lies in the disgusting hollow of the loins, amid foeces and urine. Enveloped by the womb and bound outside by the sinews, it feels pain all over its body, caused by the mother's eating many things--pungent, bitter, hot, salt, sour and acid. With its head placed in its belly and its back and neck curved, it is unable to move its limbs,--like a parrot in a cage. From the beginning of the seventh month, though he gains consciousness, he who is in the womb trembles. There he remembers, by divine power, the Karma generated in hundreds of previous births,--and remembering, sobs for a long time, obtaining not the least happiness. Having this insight, the creature says, "I seek refuge in Vishnu. “If I am released from this womb I will lay myself at Thy feet, and I will take the means by which I may obtain liberation. Cast out forcibly, bending down his head, he comes out with anxiety and painfully breathless and with memory destroyed. (6/46-49/2-25)
After hundreds of lives one obtains human birth on earth. (6/40/51)

Chapter VII to XIII deal with Ceremonies for the dead

By the Shraddha, performed even by a stranger, the departed attain a happy state. (7/60/66)
The sinful man is not able to sin while chanting the name Hari and hence is uprooting the sins. (8/63/12-16)
The fast of the eleventh day, the Gita, the water of the Ganges, the leaves of the holy basil, the foot-water and names of Vishnu--all these are givers of freedom at the time of death. (8/64/26-27)
By eightfold gifts sesame, iron, gold, cotton stuff, salt, the seven grains (Rice, barley, wheat, kidney beans-Rajma, masa, panic seeds; dwarf-peas), a plot of ground, a cow,--every one of these is said to purify. (8/65-67/32-52)
A gift made to a deserving person multiplies a hundred-thousand-fold. It brings unending fruit to the giver and does not harm the recipient. (8/69/64)
Bodies are transitory; possessions are not eternal; death is always near;--one should accumulate righteousness. All the gifts made by human beings in this world clear the way for them on the path of the world of Yama (8/72/90-94)
The man, who neglects righteousness, goes and comes in misery. The fruitfulness of birth as a human being depends upon the pursuit of righteousness alone. Wealth, sons, wife and fancily, body, kinsmen,--all these are transitory. Therefore righteousness should be sought. So long as a man is alive he has a father and other relatives; but when they have known him to be dead, their affection soon fades away. The wealth disappears from the house, and the relatives from the cremation-ground. The good and evil karma he has made goes with him. (8/73/95-102)
Sesame, darbha-grasses and holy basil are three holy things, and they prevent an ailing man from going to a miserable condition. (9/77/10-13)
The rites of a departed include funeral fire (up to twenty-seven months old is buried), oblations, fourth day collection of bones should be done and dropped in Ganges, tenth day ceremonies, etc. The ten-day' ceremony; having done which, a good son is released from the hereditary debt. (8-9/P-82-96)
Death is certain for those who are born, and birth is certain for the dead. This is inevitable and therefore a wise man should not grieve over it. (9/P-96/3-8)
Nobody should form an excessive attachment to anybody; the body is only a dream. (9/98/9-11)
Sandhya prayers, giving, reciting, fire-offering, religious study, offering to the forefathers, feeding of Brahmins and the observance of vows should not be done during the death pollution. (13/116/22-22)
Sapinda ceremony should be on the twelfth day, the third fortnight, the sixth month or at the end of the year. (13/117/28-30) Sapinda ceremony includes worship with mantras, feeding Brahmins with pleasant food and giving gifts of bed, pillows, an umbrella, lamps, fan, a seat, a vessel, a water-pot, a mirror, and a canopy of five colors to one Brahmin.
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. All the ceremonies, concerning the deceased, giving merit to and satisfying the desires of the son, and giving liberation to the forefathers. (13/129/120-121).
Any man who is poor, but hears this account, even he, absolved from sins, obtains the fruit of gifts. (13/129/122)

Chapter XIV deals with Heaven.

In the world of yama, there is shining city of Justice which is reached by the very meritorious. (14/127/3-5). Chitragupta records the good and evil of men. (14/132/16-23). Those who have done great tapas, are of good vows, truth-speaking, tranquil, renouncing, accomplished, and purified by good actions go there. (14/133/29-30)

Reference:

Garuda Gurana, Gita Press Gorakhpur.
https://www.hinduwebsite.com/

4 Comments

Liberation from Cycles of Rebirth - Garuda Purana

Anatomy of Body & Atman - Garuda Purana

Life, Death, After Death & Rebirth - Garuda Purana

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