What the Garud Puran Is, and Why It Is Read After a Death

The Garud Puran is one of the eighteen great Puranas. It is named after Garud, king of birds and the carrier of Lord Vishnu. In it, Garud asks questions and Lord Vishnu answers. Later, the sage Suta told this conversation to the rishis gathered at Naimisharanya, and in this form it has come down to us.

The Puran is usually seen as having two large parts. The first part covers worship, vows, pilgrimages, medicine and many matters of dharma. The second part, called the Preta Khand or Uttara Khand, is about the soul's journey after death, shraddha, and the results of karma. This second part is what is mostly read in homes.

Traditionally, when someone in a family passes away, the Garud Puran is read in the home for thirteen days. Family members, relatives and neighbours sit together to listen. It is believed that this brings peace to the departed soul and makes its onward path easier.

But the reading is not only for the one who has gone. It is also for those left behind. When a home is full of grief, this text reminds us that the soul is eternal, that death is not the end, and that only our deeds travel with us. It helps turn sorrow into understanding and patience.

Some parts of this story may feel hard: the road to Yamlok, the descriptions of hell. Read them as teaching, not as something meant to frighten. The real message of the Garud Puran is simple: live a good life, speak the truth, be kind, and remember God. In the chapters ahead we will hear it slowly, in simple words.