38 - On Salvalion, Heaven, Gifts, Pilgrimage and good deeds 

Garuda said: 

1-3. O lord, please explain to me the nature of salvation and heaven realizable or accessible by gifts or pilgrimages. How does a man attain salvation and how does he reach and stay in heaven for a long time? What are the causes of fall of living beings from heaven and other regions among the upper seven worlds. 

4. After obtaining human form in any of the thirteen castes in Bharata, if a man dies in a holy centre he is never born again. 

5. The seven cities of Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kanchi, Avantika, Kashi and Dvåravati confer salvation. 

6. If at the time when the vital airs have reached the throat (when death is imminent) a man says 'I have renounced', he attains the region of Vişhnu after death and is not born again. 

7. He has already tucked his clothes for his journey to his goal of salvation if he pronounces the two letters Hari even for once. 

8. He who remembers me ever and anon saying Krishna, krišhna, krishna is listed up by me from hell just as the lotus springs up breaking through the water. 

9. Undoubtedly one attains salvation if one dies near a Salagråma stone which is powerful for annihilating all sins and defects. 

10. There is no doubt in this that salvation is ever present wherever Sålagråma stone or the stone of Dväravati or both are present. 

11. O bird, by growing, nurturing, sprinkling, saluting and extolling the Tulasi plant Man's sin accumulated in various births is wiped off. 

12. He who has taken ablution in the holy lake of Manasa where wisdom is the eddy, truth the water and which removes the dirt of love and hatred is never tarnished by sins. 

13. God is not present in wood, stone or clods of earth. He is present in our heart. Hence, one should invoke the heart which plays a prominent part in devotion. 

14. Fishermen visit Narmada, the holy river, every morning. But their mind does not become pure. 

15. Men reap the fruits of their actions in accordance with their feeling; their goal in the other world is also befitting that. Their activity yields accordant fruits. 

16. He who lays down his life for the sake of his preceptor, a brahmin, a woman or a child attains salvations. 

17. After making various gifts to brahmins if a person dies during the period of fast he is freed from all bondage and attains salvation. 

18-19. Such are the ways which lead either to salvation or heaven. In thwarting the seizure of cows, civil commotions and national calamities or disasters in holy places and temples, it is equally beneficent whether one succumbs or survives. Life becomes pleasant by making gifts and enjoyments. Death is efficacious in battle and holy places. 

20. Casting themselves off, human beings whether of high, middling or low class attain their heavenly abode. 

21-22. A man dying in Harikşhetra, Kurukshetra, Bhrugukshetra, Prabhasa, Shrishaila, Arbuda, Puşhkara or Bhūteśhvara attains heavenly abode for the period of a day of Brahma and thereafter falls to the earth. 

23. He who accords gifts to a brahmin devoted to the observance sufficient to last for a year raises his family and is honoured in heaven. 

24. He who offers a virgin in marriage to a brahmin well versed in the Vedas shall stay in Indraloka along with the members of his family. 

25-26. By giving gifts a man shall reap the fruits thereof. There is no doubt in this that he who resuscitates and repairs tanks, wells, lakes, parks and temples in ruins reaps twice the merit derived by the original builder. 

27-29. He who gives to a scholarly brahmin burdened with a family, ornaments for the ears, neck, fingers and arms, a chosy house fully furnished with utensils and other requisites, a cow and the contrivances to prevent chillness, gusts of wind and scorching heat, is honoured in heaven for thirty-five million years. The woman of the same caste who follows her husband in death attains heaven and stays for as many heavenly years as she spent human years in this world with him. 

30. If a woman leaves her sons, grandsons and other relatives and follows her husband in death both of them attain heaven along with three generations. 

31. Even if a woman has committed sins including evil intention against her own husband she can wash off her sins if she follows her husband in death.¹ 

1. Refers to Sati custom which seems to be optional when this Purana was written. 

32. Even if the husband has been a sinner and wicked, his sins will be washed off if the wife follows him after death. 

33. If a man offers only a morsel of bread to the needy he will be proceeding to heaven in an aerial chariot endowed with chowries and umbrellas. 

34. If he offers maintenance sufficient for a year, the sins committed by him till his death are destroyed. 

35. If he helps a brahmin to celebrate the marriage of his daughter, he washes off his sins of the past, future and present births. 

36. The merit accruing from digging ten wells is acquired by digging a tank. The merit accruing from digging ten tanks is acquired by digging a lake. O bird, a drinking water shed erected in a dry place is equal to digging ten lakes. 

37. The drinking water shed erected in a dry place is equal to a gift to an indigent brahmin. He who shows mercy to living beings becomes a leader of the world. 

38. By means of meritorious deeds like these one can attain heaven. After reaping the fruits of his virtuous deeds one becomes well established. 

39. Leaving off useless insignificant activities one shall ever be virtuous. Gifts, truth and mercy constitute the essential characteristics of the three worlds. 

40. A gift made to an indigent man is excellent; the worship of a Linga in a secluded place is so. If a man contributes to cremate the corpse of an orphan, he reaps the fruit of performing millions of sacrifices.