Garuda Purana (Devanagari ) is one of the eighteen Puranas which are

part of the Hindu body of texts known as smriti. It is a Vaishnava Purana and the
epic is in form of conversation between Lord Vishnu and Garuda (King of Birds),
primarily emphasizing the reason and meaning of Human Life form. It contains
details of life after death, funeral rites and the metaphysics of reincarnation, thus it
is recited as a part Antyesti (Antim Sanskar) or funeral rites (funeral liturgy) in
Hinduism.[1] The Padma Purana categorizes Garuda Purana as a Sattva Purana
(Purana which represents goodness and purity). [2] The epic purana which is
considered to be lastly edited by Veda Vysa, speaks of different incarnations of
Lord Vishnu, geographical description, origin of the Universe, Creation, Procreation,
Genealogy of Gods and the journey of a soul after death. Garuda Purana also talks
about the origin and propagation of Garuda himself and also describes different
kinds of austerities, methods of worship, atonement for sin and divine & sacred
Manthras.

ttributed to a period of 4th century CE.[3] The Garuda Purana is a Vaishnava Purana and has
nineteen thousand shlokas that are divided into two parts, a purva khanda (first part) and an
uttara khanda (subsequent part). The others in this group are Vishnu Purana, Narada Purana,
Bhagavata Purana, Padma Purana and Varaha Purana.
The Purana which has nineteen thousand shlokas (lines)is classified as a medium-sized Purana.
The Skanda Purana, for example, has eighty-one thousand shlokas. And the Markandeya Purana
only nine thousand. Each khanda has several chapters (adhyaya).
The purva khanda has two hundred and thirty-four chapters. It is also called Achara Khanda. It
deals with astronomy, medicine, grammar and other subjects, such as gems. In this khanda we
can find the explanation of Ayurveda(medicine)in detail. The Uttara khanda has only forty-five.
The latter half of Garuda Purana deals with life after death. Hindus generally read this Purana
while cremating their dead.

List of Hellish Punishments

Garuda
Thamisra
Andhathamisra
Rourava
Maharourava

Wrong doings
Stealing other's property including wife,
children and belongings
Post marital cheating between husband and
wife
Destroying, splitting other's family and their
belongings
Brutally destroying other's property and
family for the sake of acquisition

Punishment given in Naraka

Thrashing with the weapon,
gada
Unconscious circulation in
abyss
Spanking the Life organs with
trident by Yama kinkaras
A wild animal, Ruru, tortures
them in various forms

Garuda

Wrong doings

Kumbhipakam

Destroying innocent lives for food

Kalasuthra

Torturing and putting elders & parents in

starvation
Abetting God and devolve from Dharma
practices
Punishing innocent people and accomplice
unlawful activities

Punishment given in Naraka

Roasting in hot oil tank by yama
kinkaras
Same set of treatment in hell

Torture by evil spirits; results in

fear
Grinding under the sharp teeth
Sukaramukha
of an animal resembling pig
Biting by wild animals; Run
Andhakoopam
Torturing lives and inhumane activities
over by wild animals
Snatching other's property by force, gaining Roasting in agni kunda in
Agnikunda
undue advantage and unlawfully making
inverted position with hands and
best out of everything in the world
legs tied under a stick
Unchaste people in physical contact with
Physical hugging with fire
Vajrakandaka
unmatching people
spitting idols
Insects are left intruding the
Krimibhojanam
Selfish survival; eating other's work
body
Salmali
Unchaste relationships by kamukas
Thrashing with gada
Submerging in Vaitarna river
Using official stature to attain undue
Vaitarani
where water is mixed with
advantage, acting against dharma
blood, urine and feces
Shameless behaviour, mixing with unchaste
Biting by poisonous insects and
Puyodaya
women & leading the life without any
animals
motive
Spanking the Life organs with
Pranarodhra
Torturing lives and killing them
arrows by Yama kinkaras
Pasusava
Torturing cows (in which are all devatas)
Slashing by canes
Gutting houses, torturing lives, poisoning
Torture by unknown wild
Sarameyadana
lives, involving in massacre
animals
Submerging and torturing in
Aveechi
Giving false evidence
livebodies
Paribathanam
Drinking and making others drink alcohol Drinking lava
Involving in bad activities and defaming
Torture the Life organs by
Kasharakarddama
elders and living with selfish motives
unknown spirits
Performing naramedha yaga, eating non
The same victims torture the
Rakshogana
vegetarian dishes and torturing soft animals hecklers
Killing innocent people, masterminding
Unknown birds peck and torture
Shulaprota
people, committing suicide and betraying a
with shula
person's trust.
Not doing any good, amassing wealth by
Stinging with nails and torturing
Suchimukha
wrong doings and stealing wealth
with hunger and thirst
Not doing any good and always doing bad to Stinging by insects like
Kunthasootha
others
scorpions
asipathra

Garuda
Vadaroga
Paryavarthanam

Wrong doings
Severely torturing living beings
Defaming guests and not treating them
Torturing wife / husband and involving her /
Lalabhakshakanam
him in unchaste relationships

Suta and the other sages

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Punishment given in Naraka

Handcuffed and burnt in fire
Torturing with hunger and thirst
Same set of treatment in hell

Sta was a learned sage. He was very well-versed in the Puranas and in the shastras (sacred
texts). He was also devoted to Vishnu.
Vedavyasa taught the Puranas to one of his disciples named Romaharshana or Lomaharshana. He
was thus named because the hair (roma) on his body was thrilled (harshana), leading to Goose
bumps, when he heard the Puranas from his teacher. It was Romaharshana who related the stories
of the Puranas to everyone else. The Bhagavata Purana says the Romaharshana had a son named
Suta and it was this son who related the story of that particular Purana to the other sages . On the
other hand, Romaharshana himself belonged to the suta class, so that he too could be addressed
as Sta. From reading the Garuda Purana, one does get the impression that it is Romaharshana
himself who is relating the story, and not his son.
To come back to the point, Romaharshana came to a forest known as Naimisharanya. He sat
there and contemplated the mysteries of the Lord Vishnu.
Several other rishis (sages) led by Shounaka also came to the forest. They told Romaharshana,
"Sage, you know everything. Who is the god of all gods? Who is to be worshipped? What does
one meditate on? Who destroys evil? How did the world come to be created? What is dharma
(righteousness)? Tell us all these things and more".
"I will", replied Romaharshana. "I will recite to you the Garuda Purana. Many years ago, this
Purana was told to the sage Kashyapa by the great bird Garuda himself. I learnt it from my
teacher Vyasadeva. But first let me list for you the twenty-two avataras of Vishnu.
The first incarnation was a young boy. In this form, Vishnu adopted celibacy (brahmacharya) and
performed difficult tapasya (meditation).
The second incarnation was as a boar (Varaha). In this form, Vishnu rescued the earth from the
underworld.
The third incarnation was as a great sage (Devarishi). In this form, Vishnu spread the knowledge
of several texts (tantras).
The fourth incarnation was as two sages named Nara-Narayana.
The fifth incarnation was as the great sage Kapila. Kapila taught his disciple Asuri the wonderful
philosophy known as Samkhya yoga.
The sixth incarnation was as the sage Dattatreya, the son of Atri and Anasuya.

The seventh incarnation took place in the manvantra known as svayambhuva. Vishnu was born
as the son of Ruchi and Akuti and performed many yajnas (sacrifices).
In the eighth incarnation, Vishnu was born as Urukrama, the son of Nabhi and Meru. He taught
everyone the righteous way of life.
In the ninth incarnation, Vishnu became the king Prithu and restored foodgrains and herbs to the
earth.
The tenth of Vishnus incarnations was as a fish (Matsya). He saved Vaivasvata Manu from the
flood that enveloped the world.
In the eleventh incarnation, Vishnu adopted the form of a turtle (Kurma). This was to help out the
gods (devas) and demons (asuras) in the churning of the ocean (samudra manthana).
The twelfth incarnation was as Dhanvantari, physician of the gods and the originator of
medicine.
The thirteenth was as Giant. Revealing his cosmic form to the Rishis of ancients.
In the fourteenth incarnation, Vishnu became Narasimha, a being who was half-man and halflion, to kil the evil asura Hiranyakashipu.
The fifteenth incarnation witnessed Vishnus adoption of the form of dwarf (Vamana). This was
to hoodwink the asura King Bali and restore the heaven to gods.
In the sixteenth incarnation, Vishnu became Parashurama, killed all the wicked Kshatriyas in the
world twenty-one times.
The seventeenth incarnation was as Vedavyasa, the son of Parashara and Satyavati. Vedavyasa
divided and classified the Vedas.
Vishnus eighteen incarnation was as the sage Narada.
The Nineteenth incarnation is Parasurama.
The Twentieth incarnation was Rama.
The twenty first incarnation was Krishna.
In the twenty-second incarnation, Vishnu was a noble king of Nepal , We call him Buddha), His
incarnation occurred between the dvapara Yuga and the Kali Yuga. He is the most well known
incarnation beyond hinduism. It is said that the twenty fourth incarnation will also take place in
the kingdom of himalaya , Nepal.

The twenty-third incarnation is yet to come. And Vishnu will come to destroy evil in the world
and restore righteousness in the form of Kalki".
There have been several other incarnations of Vishnu. But the ones mentioned above are the
major ones.