Life Lessons Imparted From The Garuda Purana

Purana means ancient in English, and Mahapuranas hold a special place in Hinduism. The traces of Hinduism’s origin are from the Rig Vedic age, around 3500 years ago. However, in the early ages, the scriptures recognised only four gods: Agni, Indra, Shiva, and Soma. As things advanced, many religious philosophers realised that there is a force greater than nature.

That is, there is a divine entity that is responsible for our reality. Moreover, religious gurus who attained spiritual awakening often had divine encounters. The records of these encounters are in several Hindu scriptures. Over time, it realised that different Gods control different aspects of the universe. It gave rise to a hierarchical system of divinity, and the Hindu religion became quite sophisticated.

Scholars in ancient times recorded the religious journey of the renowned “rishis”, which unearthed the details of several powerful entities. The 18 Mahapuranas record different Gods’ history who holds a powerful place in Hinduism. Garuda Mahapurana is concerned with Lord Vishnu, who is known as the preserver of the universe. Lord Vishnu also restores the order in society when evil becomes much too powerful. Garuda Mahapurana is part of Vaishnava literature. It records the details about Lord Vishnu that were not known to humankind

This literature aims to teach us the way of life and the ideas of dharma and morality. Some of the things mentioned in Garuda Purana give us a completely different outlook on life, which may affect our way of living and drive us to a more meaningful path. Additionally, Garuda Purana unravels the secrets of death and the afterlife.

One of the basic principles in this Purana is that God is present in human beings and nature. To summarise, Garuda Purana in Hindi PDF is full of unique moral values, and it elaborates upon the Hindu themes and ideals. This article will discuss the top 10 life lessons you can learn from Garuda Purana.

1. Unravels all the secrets of death

The only thing about life that we know with certainty is that it will end one day. This harsh truth drives us to ask existential questions like What are we doing? What is the purpose of everything? What purpose do my acts serve? Existential questions can be annoying and drive us to depression and detachment.

Almost all the scriptures in Hinduism and beyond talk about life and how we should live it, but hardly any literature talks about what happens when we die. Garuda Purana Marathi and in other languages covers this aspect of our being, and it teaches us about life beyond death. By reading more into Garuda Purana, we find solace that none of our deeds in this life will go in vain and that Karma is the only thing that matters.

It talks about the truth behind the afterlife, Moksha, birth-rebirth cycle, etc. We know that religion starts where science ends, and we do not completely understand our religious history. In Hindu culture, ancient religious heads were considered enlightened, and they knew everything about life and death.

These people were powerful rishis who claimed to have received all the knowledge from Hindu gods. Therefore, it is safe to say that Garuda Purana Katha talks about things that are still unexplained by science. We can read the secrets of death in this Purana to improve our deeds in this life, and it can give you a driving force to indulge in more moral acts.

2. Punishments in Garuda Purana

Garuda Purana lays down the ideal way of life, and it tells us how we should live our lives and what deeds will receive gifts. Additionally, the Purana also talks about how Lord Vishnu perceives the society and what are his expectations. Moreover, it also talks about the punishments for different acts.

This section aims to add a deterring effect to society, which will lead to safe social practices. Garuda Purana has nineteen thousand shlokas to put things into perspective, and there are two parts of the shlokas.

The first part is termed “Purva Khanda”, where Purva means former, and the second part is termed “Uttar Khand”, where Uttar means latter. These shlokas contain information about the type of punishment that will deliver depending upon the nature of the sin. There are mentions of detailed descriptions of the penalties in these shlokas. Lord Yamraj entrusts the task of carrying out these punishments.

3. Detachment from the physical body

As discussed earlier, Garuda Purana’s adhyay contains life and death details. We know everything about life on Earth, but what happens when we die? People who walk the path of entitlement feel detached from the physical world because they want to know the “final truth.” Garuda Purana mentions the end of the soul’s business on Earth when the funeral or “Antim Sanskar” is complete

That means the soul loses power and can no longer exist on Earth. This truth must perceive in a positive sense. After the final rites, a pure soul attains Moksha. The soul gets freedom from birth and rebirth and attains complete freedom. All restraints on a soul must retract.

The soul can roam freely in the universe. The Garuda Purana also talks about the incumbent period where the soul is free to walk around the Earth and experience its favourite things. These things could be the favourite place of the person, favourite restaurants, people close to that person, etc. That is to say that the soul gets seven days where it can do all the favourite things on Earth.

4. Meeting with forefathers

Once the incumbent seven days are over, the loved ones organise several prayers to ensure that the demised person attains peace. According to the Hindu rituals, the 11th and 12th days are important. During these days, people organise prayers and rituals so the departed soul can attain Moksha and peace and detach itself from the reveries of the material world.

Garuda Purana Katha in Hindi mentions that this is also the time when the soul reunites with its fathers and forefathers. The unison includes relatives, ancestors, friends, close family, etc. The Purana tells us that after the final prayers, the soul enters heaven, where its loved ones heartily welcome it. The meeting description is meeting two friends who see each other after a long time

5. Mystery behind rebirth

Not all souls attain freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Our deeds in this life determine our debt to the universe. If our sins overpower our moral acts, our soul will not be free from the cycle of birth and rebirth. It is an incentive that talks of Garuda Purana ki Katha. According to Purana, the goal of every living being should be to ensure Moksha for its spirit. However, there is more to rebirth than morality.

The Garuda Purana video states that our chances of rebirth are also dependent on an agreement that we make after the formation of the egg. In this agreement, we get the freedom to choose our parents, relatives, etc. Once the contract becomes binding, we are born in this world.

Also, our birth location depends on the horoscope, which depends on our time of birth. The horoscope is termed “Kundli” in the Hindu scriptures. The Kundli is the blueprint of our entire being on this Earth, and this blueprint regulates our deeds and actions. Lastly, the Garuda Purana Adhyay 2 states that it is crucial to life, death and the afterlife.

6. Life is a precious gift

Garuda Purana saar terms life as a precious gift by God that no one should waste. We often think about the reason why God sent us here. What do the Gods want to achieve by placing humans on Earth? The Garuda Purana states that we are here so that our souls can be judged.

Accordingly, their position in the universe will get to determine. For every wrong deed committed, there is a specific punishment mentioned. The delivery of punishment is not during the lifecycle. Instead, the soul has to wait for the final judgement by Lord Yamraj. The soul will do its time in hell if it has to serve a sentence. Moreover, the soul is sent to the Earth so that it can redeem its sins of previous birth.

Therefore, the soul is stuck in a vicious cycle where it can attain Moksha only when it has balanced its sins. Hence, all the souls strive to achieve freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. The Garuda Purana in Bengali and other languages mentions that life is a precious gift, and every action must be taken diligently and in the best interest of society.

7. Anti-Vedic acts are the signature of sins

Modern crime and punishment lines are there in the Garuda Purana PDF download. In this literature lies the basic principle that when a person commits a grave sin, it has a long-lasting effect on the entire community. When a society is adversely affected, moral growth becomes stunted. Most of the sins that fall in this category are anti-Vedic acts.

Anti-Vedic acts are explicitly prohibited by Hindu Vedas—for example, murdering a Brahmin, killing a cow, etc. These are the crimes that attract intense punishments. So when a man kills a Brahmin, he is doomed to be born a consumptive.

Similarly, a cow-killer is doomed to be born as a person with a humped back. The Garuda Purana ki Kahani also emphasises the protection of women because the vulnerable section of society deem them. Purana says that a man who murders a woman is bound to be born a savage with multiple diseases.

8. Women who commit sins against husbands are most unfortunate

In a marriage, the man assumes the highest power according to the Garuda Purana padhne ke niyam. The Purana states that if a woman injures her husband or kills him, she is bound to remain partnerless in the next birth. Therefore, a woman must praise her husband and worship him.

It also mentions that depending on circumstances, the execution of harm and the decision of its punishment’s gravity are taken simultaneously. God can forgive a woman if he thinks it is suitable. Moreover, Lord may grant a peaceful life. The Purana states that a woman’s primary objective in life should be to be spiritual and think about the miracles of God.

9. Teachings about yoga

Garuda Purana PDF download is a rich piece of literature because it is not centred around religion and covers the entire way of life. The benefits of yoga and different asanas are in the last chapter of Purana. Additionally, things like meditation, samadhi, etc., and their relevance in life. It states that incorporating all these practices can help us fight long-term and short-term diseases.

10. Tells about diseases and medicines

Garuda Purana is complete literature in itself. Apart from talking about the spiritual side of things, it also mentions the science behind different diseases and their cure. In ancient times, the biggest concern of humanity was the mortality rate, and people would die due to minor conditions. It is where literature like these came in very handy.

In some chapters of the Purana, details of several diseases and their ayurvedic cure are available. The mentions of conditions related to animals are in Purana as they were quintessential to society.