Garuda Mahā Purana - Preta Khaṇḍa
44 – On accidental death
Lord Vishnu said:
1-3. O bird, now listen. Those who die of their will, or through horned animals, toothed animals, reptiles, low caste people (Chandalas), suicide, poison, beating, water, fire, air, hunger are counted among great sinners. So also the women of bad character.
4. Such sinners do not deserve nava-shraddha or cremation or sapindana or sixteen shraddhas.
5. Just as money is thrown in water, or sacred fire on the cross-roads, similarly, rites performed for the sinner bear no fruit at all.
6-8. However, when the year is complete, the affectionate descendents should do the following: They should worship lord Vishnu and Yama on the eleventh day of the bright half of the month with incense, flowers, uncooked rice and offer the rice balls soaked in ghi and mixed with honey and gingelly seeds. This all the performer should do in silence, facing the south, putting the sacred thread on and meditating on lord Vishnu and Yama.
9. Then taking the articles of worship together he should throw them into the water, muttering all the while the personal name and the surname of the dead.
10. Then again, he should worship lord Vishnu and Yama with sandal paste, flowers, incense, lamp and eatables.
11. He should keep fast on that day and invite the brahmanas of noble families, of good character, learned and austere.
12. They may be nine or seven or five, according to his ability. Next day, at noon, Vishnu and Yama should be worshipped.
13. The brahmins should be seated facing the north. Lord Vishnu and Yama should be invoked and worshipped.
14. The performer of the rite should keep wearing the sacred thread to the right. He should name the dead and think upon him, lord Vishnu and Yama and complete the rite.
15. He should remember his other ancestors too and offer pinda to each separately or all together. Ten or five pindas, as prescribed, should be offered.
16. First, he should offer a pinda to Vishnu, then to Brahma, Shiva, his attendents and then the fifth to the dead.
17. While offering a pinda he should utter the name and surname of the dead and the name of lord Vishnu. Bowing with head, he should give the fifth pinda to the departed soul.
18. Remembering the dead he should give, according to his ability, a cow, a plot of land, articles of food, gingelly seeds to the brahmanas with darbha grass in hand.
19. So also coins, betel and corn should be given to the brahmanas. The headman among the brahmanas should be honoured with gold.
20. Taking the personal name and the surname of the dead the performer should gift the articles with the formula: May Vishnu be pleased. While the brahmanas are leaving he should follow them with his face to the south and throw water over the earth.
21. While he throws water over the earth, he should mention the name and surname of the dead and pronounce: "May the departed soul be pleased'. Then he should eat together with his friends and relatives, in perfect silence. The procedure should be repeated every year on the anniversary of the dead.
22. When all this has been done, the sinners go to heaven. So also, when sapindikarana has been performed.
23. If someone dies through water or by any other accident caused by inadvertence (and if he has no descendent to perform his obsequies) the king should perform the same as prescribed in the shastras.
24. A man should not approach a serpent, willingly or unwillingly. In each fortnight of the month, he should worship a naga on the fifth day.
25. A replica of the naga should be made of clay and worshipped with white flowers and scented sandal.
26. One should offer incense and a lamp and throw white rice-grains. So also corn with mango-juice and milk.
27. Similarly, money and clothes should be given. One should eat only sweets on that day and perform a deva-shraddha.
28. Then according to his ability he should offer an idol of snake made of gold to the best of brahmins. Then after giving a cow, he should say, 'O king of serpents be pleased.'
29. According to his means he should perform other rites too. All this should be done as prescribed in his own branch of the Vedas. Thus, he can effect the release of his ancestors from ghost hood and carry them forward on the path to heaven.
Summary of chapter 44 of the Garuda Mahā Purana - Preta Khaṇḍa is as follows:
The Supreme Lord provides a comprehensive summary of all obsequial and ancestral rites, weaving together the essential teachings scattered throughout the Preta Khaṇḍa into a clear spiritual guide. Bhagavān Vishṇu re-emphasizes the interconnectedness of all funeral ceremonies, from the final moments of life to the annual Śrāddha, showing how each step serves as a compassionate bridge between the mortal world and the subtle realms. The Lord reminds Garuḍa that when these rites are performed with genuine love and adherence to scriptural guidelines, they guarantee peace for the departed and divine grace for the living.