108 - The Garuda Purāņa: Contents

God Brahmā said: 

1. O Marichi, listen, I shall recount to you the auspicious Garuda Purāņa.¹ On being asked, the Lord Vişhnu, seated on Garuda, recounted this to Garuda. 

1. The GP (Garuda Purana) is an ancient encyclopaedia of Indian wisdom, though its Preta-kalpa section adds little to its glory. According to the NP. Bh. P. (xii. 13. 8) and BV. P., GP consists of 19,000 verses while according to the Vayu and Mt. P the total no. of its verses is 18,000 (Kane HD, vii. 832) and according to AP 272, 21, 8000 verses. Kane’s statements need revision as the Väyu 104.8 (GM. edt.) clearly states, 19000 as its total No. of verses. 

ekona-vimsha-sdhasram Vainateyam udahrutam|

But GP (I. 1. 35) states 8800 verses as its extent.

ashtau-shloka-sahasrani tataa cashtau shatani cha|

Puranam Garudam Vydsah pura’ sau ma’bravid idam ||

The confusion is due to difference in Mss. or versions of the GP. available to the writer of the Puråņa, e. g. GP. I. ch. 107 (ref. to the Paräshara Smruti) is not known to the NP. noted by Dr. Ramshankar Bhattacharya (GP. Intro, p. 14-15)., the table of contents given in the NP agrees more closely with the Jibanand edt. of the GP. (though Venkateshvara edt, of GP also tallies with that of the NP). 

The Pretakalpa in thc NP. differs in some respects from all the printed editions of the GP as accretions went on increasing in the Pretakalpa (R. S. Bhattacharya-ibid, p. 16). 

A few slips in the readings of the NP (Venkateshvara) edt.

NP. Shraddha (verse 3) for GP. I. 10 Shreyādi Pūja.

NP. Vidhi Kriya (verse 9 for GP. I. 53) Nidhi Kriya. 

2. It consists of nineteen thousand verses. The story deals with the events of the Tårkşhya Kalpa. There is the usual enquiry about the beginning of the Purăņa, creation of the Universe is described succinctly. 

3. O Brāhmaṇa, there are rules of the procedure of the worship of the sun; thereafter, the rules regarding initiation ceremony; then there is the worship in connection with Śhräddhas, after this (injunctions regarding) the worship of nine Vyūhas (manifestations of the Lord). 

4. Then the injunctions regarding the worship, the Panjara (ritualistic cage) pertaining to Vişhņu, the chapter on Yoga system and the glorification of Vişhnu’s thousand names. 

5. The meditation on Vişhņu, then the worship of the Sun, thereafter, the Archanã (worship) of Mrutyunjaya, the Mälämantra (Garland mantra), the worship of Shiva and then the worship of his attendants. 

6. The adoration of Gopāla, the worship of Śhrīdhara, the fascinator of the three worlds, the worship of Vişhņu of the five Tattvas, the discus and the worship of the Lord. 

7. The rites of Nyasa, etc., the Upāsti, performance of Sandhyā prayers, the worship of Durgå and then the worship of the Devas, the worship of Maheśhvara, and then the rite of wearing the Pavitra (Darbha grass with a loop worn in the finger like a ring) and worshipping. 

8. The meditation on the idol of the Lord, the measurements of the sites of the buildings; the characteristics of palaces, the mode of installation of all the Devas with the several modes of worship. 

9. The Yoga with its eight ancillaries, the Dharmas regarding the charitable gifts, the activity and the rules of procedure regarding the expiatory rites, the narration of different continents and their Lords, the description of hells, the solar system (planetary system around the sun) and Jyotişha (Science of Astrology and Astronomy.) 

10. The science of Sāmudrika (Palmistry of prediction based on the characteristic marks on the body), the knowledge of the notes, scrutiny tests of the Navaratnas (the nine precious stones) the glory of the holy centres, the excellent greatness of Gaya. 

11. Then the description of the Manvantaras severally along with their divisions, the enumeration of the Pitris, the duties of the different Varņas (castes), the purification of the materials of worship, the dedication of benefit unto God. 

12. Śhråddha, worship of vinayaka, Grahayajña (sacrifice for propitiating the planets), the Aśhramas (stages of life), the impurity due to birth and death (in the family), Nitiśhāstra (science of Polity and Ethics), statements about the holy rites. 

13. The Solar race, the lunar race, the narration of the incarnations of Hari, the story of Rama, (the Ramayana), the genealogical line of Hari (the Harivamsha) and then the story of Bharata. 

14. The science of life, pathology at the outset and (then) the treatment, then materia-medicha (Dravyajā Guņāḥ), the Kavacha (Mantras as coat of mail) that dispels ailments and which pertains to Vişhņu and Garuda, the mantra pertaining to Tripura. 

15. Praśhna-chūdā-maņi (a treatise on answering astrologically problems asked) at the end, the exposition of the veterinary science branch about Horses, the enumeration of the names of drugs and then discussion about grammar. 

16. The science of prosody, good conduct and discipline, and then the rules regarding ablution, the rites of Tarpaņa Vaiśhvadeva, the twilight prayers and the holy rites (offering ablutions to Pitris during Parvans such as the full moon and the new moon days and such other special days. 

17. Nityaśhraddha (the daily Shraddha), the description of Sapinda rite, the essence of Dharma, the atonement of sins, the secondary creation, the dissolution and the particular characteristics of the Yugas are narrated, the benefit of religious rites. 

18. The system of Yoga philosophy, the devotion to Vişhņu, the benefit of obeisance to Hari, the greatness of Vişhņu, the excellent hymn to Narasimha. 

19. The nectar of perfect knowledge, the set of eight verses in praise of Guha (Kärttikeya), the eulogy of Vişhņu, the principal tenets of Vedanta and Samkhya, the knowledge of the Brahman and the Atman. 

20. The gist of the Bhagavadgitā, glorification of the fruit thereof-these are the topics mentioned in the first section. Then in the second section Pretakalpa (the rituals after the death) is narrated. 

21. O Brāhmaṇa, on being asked by Tārkşhya (Garuda) the lord communicated all these things, the revelation of Dharmas, the cause of salvation of the Yogins. 

22. The benefit of charitable gifts etc. is mentioned and then the Mantras for the rites of obsequies, then the description of the path leading to the world of Yama. 

23. The details (regarding the performance) are stated along with the fruit of sixteen Śhrāddhas. Expiatory rites in regard to the path of Yama, then the greatness of Dharmarāja. 

24. Specific mention of the harassment of the Pretas (ghosts), review of the characteristic signs of the Pretas, the narration of the stories of the Pretas; the cause of ghosthood. 

25. Consideration of religious rites for the ghosts; statements regarding Sapiņdikaraņa (the rite regarding the offerings of the balls of rice to the departed), the description of the release from ghost-hood, the charitable gifts for the purpose of salvation (of the ghosts). 

26. The indispensable excellent charitable gift; the inference of things causing happiness to the ghosts; the description of the embodied soul, the description of Yama’s world. 

27. The narration of the uplift from ghosthood; the specification regarding the holy rites and the doer, the narration of the rites to be performed before death, the exposition of subsequent rites. 

28. The ‘middle’ sixteen Śhráddhas, the stipulation of activities for the attainment of heaven, the reckoning of Sutaka (period of impurity due to birth), the rite of Narayana Bali (oblation unto Närāyaṇa.) 

29. The greatness of Vruşhotsarga (the rite of setting a bull calf free), the avoidance of forbidden activities, statement of the rites when accidental and premature death takes place, the fruits of human action. 

30. The consideration of Krutya and Akrutya (what should be done and what should not be done), meditation on Vişhņu for the purpose of Salvation, narration of the rites laid down for the attainment of heaven, the description of happiness in heaven. 

31. The description of Bhürloka, (the Earth,) the description of seven nether-worlds, the narration of five upper worlds, the description of the position of the Cosmic Egg. 

32. Many stories concerning the cosmic egg, the exposition of the Brahman and the Jiva (the individual soul); the narration of the ultimate dissolution (of the Universe) and the narration of the eulogy of benefits. 

33. Thus is the Purāņa named after Garuda; it yields worldly pleasures and salvation; it is glorified as destructive of sins of those men who read and listen to it. 

34. He who writes out this Purāņa and gifts it to a Brāhmaṇa at the time of equinoctial transit, along with a pair of swans made of gold, goes to heaven.