NOB- History of Bharat: Garuda Purana is very special in Ashtadasa Puranas! But many people do not want to read Garudapuranam as easily as reading other Puranas with interest. The reason for that can be said to be their misconception about Garudapurana. The contents of this Purana appear to be answers given by Lord Vishnu to clear the doubts of Garutmantha. The journey of the soul after leaving the body the conditions faced by the living being are clearly mentioned in this Purana. For this reason, reading Garuda Purana is becoming customary in some areas in some families during Shraddha times. Reading Garudapuranam in such cases helps the dead family members to know about the duties they have to perform for their good fortune. Apart from that, they are also taught things that they should not do. In fact, everyone should know these things. But the matter of reciting Garudapurana when someone dies is left aside. The doubt that reading Garudapuranam not good for anyone is gaining popularity. This is the reason why ‘Garuda Puranam’ is not found in anyone’s house. Scholars conclude that this Purana can be read without doubt, since Vyashabagavan wrote it with the intention of making everyone aware of the journey of the soul in heaven.

Garudapurana says that certain things should be sinned they are…

Apart from Brahmin killing, infanticide, cow killing, femicide, those who commit abortions, those who secretly commit sinful acts, those who steal money from teachers, scholars, deities, women and children must also suffer the punishments in hell. Likewise, those who do not repay debts, embezzlers, betrayers of faith, those who kill others, praise the guilty, blame the good, mock the debtors, and those who do not befriend good men are also sinned. Those who criticize holy shrines, nobles, good deeds, gurus and deities will have to walk the southern path in Yamaloka.

Those who slander Puranas, Vedas, Mimamsa, Nyayashastras, Vedanta Shastras, those who grieve when others are happy, rejoice when others are sad, and those who speak evil words must also be in the Narakam. There are those who do not listen to the advice of the elders, who are self-congratulatory, slanderers, and walk in the path of unrighteousness. That is those who insult their parents, teachers, leave their wives without reason, those who break their promise to give something, those who take back what they have given, those who give charity and suffer must  pass Vaitarani.Those who prevent the donors from giving, those who destroy the sacrifices, those who disturb the Harikathas, those who erase the borders of the lands and occupy the land, those who deprive the cattle of fodder, those who kill the cattle are to be overthrown in Vaitarani, which is the southern path of Yamaloka.

Following the order of Yamadharmaraja, the Yamabhatas throw the sinners into Vaitarani. The Garuda Purana says that those who bear false witness, earn money by deception, steal, cut down green trees, destroy fruit trees and flower gardens, obstruct pilgrims, cheat widows and kill themselves will suffer grief in Vaitarani and will be tied to a buruga tree on the bank and beaten by the hands of the Yamabhatas. Everyone should have fear. It could be god-fearing, sin-fearing whatever. Without that fear, there would be no difference between man and beast. That is why the sages wrote Puranas with great foresight and presented them to mankind. In all these Puranas there is a fear that doing that is a sin and doing this is a sin. Let’s put them aside. In fact fear is necessary to lead a man to righteousness. That is why our elders are so scared. In Garuda Purana everything is like this. Spiritualists say that a man should read the Garuda Purana to live as a man. That means Garudapurana is a great book written by our elders to guide man in the right path. By reading this man tries to change his life in a better way. But elders say that weak minded people will be shaken by reading it, so Garudapurana should be recited only at the time of death. But scholars say that there is no truth in the propaganda that it is not good to have Garudapurana in the house.

Sri Krishnarpanamastu,  Loka Samasta Sukhinobhavantu!