Mahapurana #17 of 18 · rajasic · Vishnu
गरुड पुराण
Garuda Purana
Garuḍa Purāṇa
Verses: 19,000 · Best known for: Preta-khanda — read during 13-day post-death rites
Central theme
What happens after death — the soul’s journey, karma, the afterworlds, and shraddha rites
Summary
Narrated by Vishnu to Garuda. The Preta-kanda (chapters on the dead) is the most-recited Hindu text at funerals — describes the 13-day journey of the soul, the realms (lokas), the rules of pinda-dana, and the importance of dharma in life.
Notable stories + sections
- ●The soul’s 13-day post-death journey
- ●Yama’s court + the 28 hells
- ●Karma-phala doctrine
- ●Pretas + ancestral rites
Why read it
Recited at every Hindu shraddha — defines the Hindu vision of afterlife + the practice of ancestor reverence.