Ghosts - Garuda purana

Sri Garuda Purana Part 2.

Dharma (Preta-ghost) Kaanda Chapters 1-20.

1/. Garuda;s Query

2/. Results of actions

3/. Description of Hell

4/. Pre-death and post death rites

5/. Annual rites for the deceased

6/. The glory of Vrishosarga

7./ The story of five ghosts

8/. Person authorised to perform rites

9/. The king authorised to perform rites

10/. The gratifying nature of Shraddha

11/. Doors of departure

12/. Importance of Dharma

13/. Obsequial rites

14/. Merits of Gifts

15/. Observances immediate after Death

16/. Life anfter death

17/. Glory of Shravanas

18/. Life after Death

19/. Life after Death

20/. Functions of the Departed Soul

"Functions of the departed soul."

Garuda Purana Part 2. chapter 20.

Garuda said:

1. Having obtained a new body where does a preta shelter ?

Released from pretahood, where does he go to live in ?

2 - 3. Passing through torments in hell which number eighty four lakhas, and

guarded by Yamaraj and his thousand attendants, how do the pretas get released

and how do they roam about this mortal world ?

The Lord said:

4.O king of birds, hear me, I shall tell you about the region where pretas live.

Men attain pretahood by stealing other man's riches, by indulging in sexual

intercourse with another man's wife or by doing acts of treachery.

5.Having incurred sins, they seek for redemption in their progeny. Being

bodiless as well as suffering from hunger and thirst they roam about here and

there.

6. Even the captives released from prison are frightened at their sight. They

seek for means to kill their kith and kin.

7. They bolt doors on their ancestors, put obstacles in the way of manes,

departed for fathers. Like theives, they snatch the manes's food in the way

before it reaches them.

8. They like to return to their previous home, stay on the roof and watch the

activities of their kin. They enjoy causing disease and grief to their

relatives.

9-11. Having asumed a form of changing nature tertian, and such like fevers they

cause diseases due to cold or wind, like head ache or cholera. They stay at

dirty places like that where refuge is left, and enjoy in the company of other

ghosts and partake of the waste foods and drink left out unattended by their

hosts.

12. In this way, the sinful pretas move about freely.

Garuda said:

13-14. How do the pretas behave and in what form ?

How is it possible to know their attitude, since the pretas do not speak to us?

If you are plesed to do me a favour, you clear away my doubts. O Lord, I hear

that in the Kali yuga many people become ghosts.

15.The ghost torments his family members through various enemies. While he was

in the human form he was affectionate to his relatives, but now in ghost hood he

is inimical, and hostile towards them.

16. He who is devoted to Rudra, follows the path of righteousness, honours the

Supreme Lord Visnu and the Devas, satiates guests, speakes the truth and

pleasent words, is not tormented by pretas.

17. He who does not observe sacrificial and purificatory rites, who has no faith

in the Vedas, hates righteous deeds and indulges in falsehood, is tormented by

by the pretas. Furthermore by these unrighteous acts one becomes himself a preta

in the Kali yuga.

18.From the Satya yuga to the end of the Dwarpara yuga, nobody became a preta

nor did anyone suffer from their evil influences.

19-20.It is observed that of many children born of one and the same mother, one

is happy, one is addicted to bad habits, one is blessed with good progeny, one

is tormented by pretas, one abounds in wealth, one gets sons who die young, one

is burdened with the offspring of many daughters, and one is constantly with

daggers drawn towards his relatives. This is all due to the bad intentions of

pretas, O Garuda.

21. A woman who becomes barren in life, or gives birth to children that die at

an early age, there is loss of wealth and cattle. All these are the sufferings

caused by pretas.

22. If there is a sudden change in a persons nature, or a sudden emnity with his

relatives, or an unexpected calamity, that suffering should be known to be the

doing of a preta.

23.If a person loses faith in religion or if he loses the means of livelihood or

if he feels greedy in excess or if there is a regular quarell at home, that

suffering should be known to be caused by a preta.

24-25.If he slays his parents or reproaches gods or the brahmanas and is found

guilty of murder and the like, these are all symptoms of pretas.

26.When crops do not grow up, though there are sufficient rains and good soil;

when the expenditures go up and income is reduced; when quarrels rise in

gravity, and severity, again these should be recognised as the doings of pretas.

27.When on travels to foriegn lands, he is distressed by the onrush of wind, O

lord of birds, that suffering is due to pretas.

28.When he associates with the people of low caste or when he performs

disreputable acts (lying, cheating, stealing, or worse) or when he is interested

in acts of unrighteousness, (meat eating, illicit sex, gambling, intoxication -

liquor, drinking alcohol, smoking, taking drugs) that suffering is due to the

influence of pretas.

29.When the hoarded wealth is destroyed by misfortune or when the work in

operation bears no fruit or when there is a loss of wealth due to undue taxation

or due to fire or theft, that suffering is due to pretas.

30.When an incurable disease sets in, or when children suffer from pain or when

a wife suffers immensely, that is also due to pretas.

31.When one loses faith in the Vedas, Smritis, Puranas, and Dharma-shastras,

this is also the work of pretas.

32.When one abuses the gods (the Supreme Lord or His Devas), or gurus, brahmins

in their presence or absence, that aberration of nature is due to pretas.

33.This is due to pretas and to no other cause when a person suffers from loss

of livelihood or break in social position or break in the continuity of lineage.

34.When women suffer an abortion or do not conceive or when the children die at

an early age that suffering is caused by pretas.

35.When he does not perform the annual sraddha rites with all sincerity or has

no desire or inclination to do so, that is a preta trying to deny the offering

to one's manes.

36.When on pilgrimage if one indulges in sexual intercourse or neglects his

duties or when he fails to prosper though he has done act of piety - that is the

suffering due to pretas.

37.When both husband and wife quarrel at meal times, when there is a strong

inclination to harm others, that suffering is due to pretas.

38.When trade does not prosper though he has gone abroad where he lives in

separation from wife and family, that is due to preta.

39.When he lives in foreign lands or when he loses his position at home, that is

due to pretas.

40. When he is inimical to his people, regards his son as his enemy, when he has

no interest in home and feels uncomfortable there, that suffering is due to

pretas.

41. When he refuses to obey his parents and has no love for his wife, is of

cruel or callous nature, is lost in his own affairs, that suffering is due to

pretas.

42. If the funeral rites are not performed in the prescribed way, the soul of

the deceased (in rebirth) deviates from the righteous path and falls in the

company of the wicked. Then Vrsotsarga is the only rite to redeem him, (the rite

of releasing a bull infavour of the deceased).

43.O Garuda, a person becomes a ghost and undergoes the sufferings thereof, if

he dies an accidental or untimely death or if his body is not cremated properly.

44.O best of birds, when the descendent knows of all this, he should conduct

those rites which may release the deceased from ghosthood. If he does not

perform these rites for the ghost then at his own death he in turn becomes a

ghost and suffers after death.

45.The person whose house is haunted by a ghost does not feel happy or

comfortable. He loses faith, pleasure, devotion, discrimination as well as

wealth.

46.His previous good lineage is finished, it breaks either at the third or fifth

generation. Moreover hitherto on, in every birth he lives a wretched poor and

sinful life.

47.There are people who have fierce, dreadful, disfigured and ghostly

appearance, who have no regard or honour for their caste, progeny, parents, or

womanfolk, who put on fashions to attract lusty persons, go an unpleasent way

and talk loosely. Alas, it is painful to see them suffer, under the force of

fate, from the recollection of their past sinful deeds.

CHAPTER 21 "GHOSTS AND THEIR RELEASE"

22/. On attaining Ghosthood

23/. On Ghosthood

24/. Sins of Omission and Commission, Premature Death of Children; Gifts.

25/. On sons and grandsons

26/. On the rite of uniting the dead with the deceased ancestors

27/. Episode of King Babhruvaahana

28/. Gifts for the Ghost

29/. Rites after death

30/. On bestowing gifts

31/. On bestowing gifts II

32/. The Origin of life

33/. The world of Yaama

34/. Results of virtue and sin

35/. Rites of Sapindikarana and Shraddha

36/. On fast and pilgrimage

37/. Gift of a vessel filled with water

38/. On salvation, Heaven, Gifts, Pilgrimage, and good deeds.

39/. Rules of impurity (asaucham & mritakam)

40/. On accidental death

41/. Releasing the Bull (Vritsarga & Narayan Bali)

42/. On bestowing gifts

43/. On performing a Shraddha

44/. On accidental death

45/. The mode of annual Shraddha

46/. Results of activity

47/. On sins and Vaitarani

48/. On Dharma and Adharma

49/. Method of Final Release

Brahma (Moksha Kaanda chapters 1-29 Glorify Vishnu as Supreme.

1/. Classification of the Puranas; The nature of the Deities.

2/. Puranic Trinity; Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva; Their respective roles.

3/. Creation of the Universe; Variaion due to difference in Gunas.

4/. Gunas and their nature; Imbalance and Equilibrium

5/. Deities and their relative status

6/. Deities and their relative status II

7/. Praise of Lord Vishnu by the Deities and sages

8/. Praise of Lord Vishnu by the Deities and sages II

9/. Nature of Deities and the serial order of their position.

10/. Creation primary and secondary

11/. Cause of Ignorance

12/. Praise of Vishnu by Brahma.

13/. Creation of Deities after dissolution

14/. Nature and form of Vishnu and benefits of Vaishvadeva

15/. Incarnations of Vishnu

16/. Incarnations of Mahalaxmi

17/. Forms of Bharati in different births

18/. Incarnations of Rudra (Shiva) and after

19/. The episode of Niilaa

20/. The episode of Bhadraa

21/. The episode of Kaalindi

22/. The episade of Laxmanaa

23/. The episode of Jambavatii

24/. The glory of Venkatesha and Lord Srinivaasa

25/. Glory of Venkatesha and the method of worship

26/. On the mountain Venkata, Svaamipushkarini and the Deities residing there.

27/. Visit to places of pilgrimage

28/. Anecdotes of the glory of Vishnu

29/. On unfolding the mystery and secret of reality.