Chapter 109

“Garuda continued, ‘In days of yore, Vivaswat, having performed asacrifice, gave this quarter away as a present (Dakshina) unto hispreceptor, And it is for this that this region is known by the name ofDakshina (south). It is here that the Pitris of the three worlds havetheir habitation. And, O Brahmana, it is said that a class of celestialssubsisting upon smoke alone also live there. Those celestials also thatgo by the name of Viswedevas always dwell in this region along with thePitris. Worshipped in sacrifices in all the worlds, they are equalsharers with the Pitris. This quarter is called the second door of Yama.It is here that the periods allotted to men are calculated in Trutis andLavas.[15] In this region always dwell the celestial Rishis, thePitriloka Rishis, and the royal Rishis, in great happiness. Here arereligion and truth. It is here that the acts (of persons) exhibit theirfruits. This region, O best of the twice-born, is the goal of the acts ofthe dead. It is this region, O best of regenerate persons, whither allmust repair. And as creatures are all overwhelmed by darkness, theycannot, therefore, come hither in bliss. Here, O bull among regeneratepersons, are many thousands of Malevolent Rakshasas in order to be seenby the sinful. Here, O Brahmana, in the bowers on the breast of Mandaraand in the abodes of regenerate Rishis, the Gandharvas chant psalms,stealing away both the heart and the intellect. It was here that Raivata(a Daitya), hearing the Sama hymns sung in a sweet voice, retired to thewoods, leaving his wife and friends and kingdom. In this region, OBrahmana, Manu and Yavakrita’s son together set a limit which Surya cannever overstep. It was here that the illustrious descendant of Pulastya,Ravana, the king of the Rakshasas, undergoing ascetic austerities,solicited (the boon of) immortality from the gods. It was here that (theAsura) Vritra, in consequence of his wicked conduct, incurred the enmityof Sakra. It is in this region that lives of diverse forms all come andare then dissociated into their five (constituent) elements. It is inthis region, O Galava, that men of wicked deeds rot (in tortures). It ishere that the river Vaitarani flows, filled with the bodies of personscondemned to hell. Arrived here, persons attain to the extremes ofhappiness and misery. Reaching this region, the sun droppeth sweet watersand thence proceeding again to the direction named after (Vasishtha),once more droppeth dew, It was here that I once obtained (for food), aprodigious elephant battling with an enormous tortoise. It was here thatthe great sage Chakradhanu took his birth from Surya. That divine sageafterwards came to be known by the name of Kapila, and it was by him thatthe (sixty thousand) sons of Sagara were afflicted. It was here that aclass of Brahmanas named Sivas, fully mastering the Vedas, became crownedwith (ascetic) success. Having studied all the Vedas they at lastattained eternal salvation. In this region is the city called Bhogavatithat is ruled by Vasuki, by the Naga Takshaka and also by Airavata. Theythat have to journey hither (after death) encounter here a thick gloom.And so thick is that gloom that it cannot be penetrated by either the Sunhimself or by Agni. Worthy of worship as thou art, even thou shalt haveto pass this road. Tell me now if thou wishest to sojourn towards thisdirection. Else, I listen to an account of the western direction.'”