Garuda Mahā Purana - Preta Khaṇḍa
19 - Life after Death
The lord said:
1. Assuming an airy form derived from his previous actions and suffering from hunger he moves along with Yama.
2. There is a town of Chitragupta covering twenty yojanas. There the embodied beings observe their virtue and sin all around.
3. If he had made substantial gifts in his life-time he derives pleasure therefrom. From here Vaivasvata town of Yama is situated at the distance of twenty-four Yojanas.
4. The residents of Vaivasvatapura are satiated by the gifts of iron, salt, cotton and a vessel of gingelly seeds, offered by the relatives of the deceased.
5. The dead repair to Vaivasvata town and inform Dharmadhvaja, the keeper at Yama's gate (about the gifts). Dharmadhvaja is always present at the gate of Yama.
6. Dharmadhvaja is pleased with the gift of seven grains. Propitiated by that, he tells the dead about their virtues and sins.
7. Holy and pious people see Dharmaraja as a god of noble countenance, while the sinful and the wicked see him as a god of dreadful and terrible aspect.
8. The deceased person is terribly afraid at his sight and laments bitterly. Those who have offered gifts in their life-time should entertain no fear.
9. Yama moves from his seat as soon as he sees a holy man. He thinks that he will supersede him in status and reach Brahmaloka.
10. Virtue can easily be procured by offering gifts. The path to Yama's region can easily be traversed by acts of Charity. This High Way cannot be easily covered otherwise. O dear, none can reach the city of Yama without doing charitable acts.
11. That dreadful path is full of terror-striking servants of Yama. Each of the cities is guarded by a thousand of these servants.
12. The messengers of Yama torture the sinner in (hot) waters and take off his skin till he becomes a skeleton.
13. The deceased for whom no obsequial rites have been made traverse the path with great difficulty. They are led like animals bound with ropes.
14-15. The person may become a god, a mare, a man of low species, or as Yama ordains he may attain salvation or be born as a human being as a son to his father.
16. He obtains birth according to his activities. He passes through a series of births in this world.
17. Knowing that even the highest happiness is non eternal, he should perform acts of righteousness when he has received a human body.
18. Human body is cither reduced to worms, ashes, or faces. Though he carries a lantern in hand, he may fall in a dreadful hell full of darkness.
19. He can acquire human body as a result of his pious acts. He who performs holy deeds in human body acquires supreme position.
20. If he neglects Dharma, he comes to grief.
21. The soul obtains human body after passing through series of births. O bird, in human body too, his birth as a Brahmana is a rare event. He who observes vows natural to his caste becomes immortal after death by the blessing of God.
Summary of chapter 19 of the Garuda Mahā Purana - Preta Khaṇḍa is as follows:
The Supreme Lord describes the dreadful River Vaitaraṇī, a terrifying hundred-Yojana-wide moat of burning blood, pus, and ferocious aquatic monsters that encircles the realm of Yamaloka. Bhagavān Vishṇu reveals that while sinful souls sink into its scalding currents in immense agony, those who performed the sacred gift of a black cow known as Vaitaraṇī Dāna during their lifetime or had it performed by their children are met by a divine boatman. The blessed soul boards a majestic golden boat and crosses the terrifying river in complete comfort and safety, proving the immense power of selfless charity.