Garuda Puran: Garuda's Questions and What to Do at the Time of Death

The Preta Khanda begins with Garuda's curiosity. Travelling through the three worlds, he saw that all beings suffer and die, and asked the Lord why this is so and how one may be freed from it.

Garuda's questions

Garuda asked: "Lord, why do beings die? Where does the soul go after death? What is the road to Yama's realm like? How do the fates of the sinful and the virtuous differ? What should the family do for one who is dying? And how may a person be freed from this cycle?"

The Lord said: "You have asked this for the good of the world; listen carefully. Death is certain for all who are born. After death the soul goes according to its deeds. Hearing this knowledge, people turn to good deeds, and so it is beneficial."

Signs that death is near

The text says that before death changes come over body and mind: the senses grow weak, the voice changes, strength fails, and the person begins to recall the deeds of their life. The virtuous feel peace, while those who did wrong are troubled by fear. (These are traditional descriptions; in any health matter, always consult a doctor.)

What the family should do for a dying person

The Garuda Puran gives clear guidance to the family:

• Keep the atmosphere calm; avoid loud weeping and quarrels.
• Place a tulsi leaf and Ganga water in the mouth.
• Sit close and take the Lord's name, "Ram", "Narayana", "Hari" or "Om Namah Shivaya", and help the person remember it.
• Read aloud the Gita (especially chapter 8) or the Vishnu Sahasranama.
• Have food, water, clothing, sesame or a cow given in charity by the person or in their name, as one can afford.
• If possible, by tradition, lay the person on ground smeared with cow dung and spread with kusha grass, head to the north or east.

The Lord says that one who remembers God at the end has no fear of Yama's messengers.

The moment of death

The soul leaves the body carrying the fruit of a lifetime's deeds. According to the Garuda Puran it departs in a subtle body the size of a thumb. The virtuous are taken by the Lord's attendants or by gentle messengers; the sinful by Yama's messengers.

What this part teaches

• Death is certain for all, so prepare for it all through life with good deeds.
• At the end, peace, God's name and the family's presence are the greatest service.
• Charity and devotion are the only companions on the last journey.