Garuda Purana, one of the major scriptures of Hinduism, gives a detailed description of life, death and the journey of the soul after death. It is told in this book that a person’s actions determine his next path. According to Garuda Purana, after death, the soul has to pass through many difficult paths during its journey to Yamalok, the most important and frightening of which is the river Vaitarani.
According to religious beliefs, the Vaitarani River is a divine river located between the Earth and Yamalok. It is said that this river is not filled with normal water, but with blood, feces, urine and other impure substances. Crossing this river is considered extremely difficult and painful for the souls of people who have committed sins. Such people have to endure many types of torture while crossing the river.
It is described in Garuda Purana that the souls of those who have committed unrighteousness, deceit, fraud, violence and other sins throughout their life struggle in the river Vaitarani. They have to face a lot of time and pain in crossing the river. Many times they are carried forward by messengers of Yama, but the weight of their karma makes this journey more difficult for them.
On the other hand, this journey is considered relatively easy for the souls of those who follow the path of religion, truth and morality. Especially in Garuda Purana, Godan (donation of cow) has been described as extremely virtuous. It is believed that the one who has donated a cow with devotion and regularly in his life, gets special help in crossing the river Vaitarani.
According to religious stories, the virtue of Godan becomes a support for the soul. It is believed that a donated cow helps the soul on the banks of river Vaitarni and helps it cross the river safely. For this reason, Godan has been kept in the category of Mahadan in Sanatan tradition.
Garuda Purana not only describes the journey after death, but also teaches that man should perform good deeds in life. A person who follows kindness, service, truth, charity and religion has to face less sufferings after death. This is why special emphasis has been laid on the importance of virtuous deeds and charity in religious texts.
According to religious scholars, the mention of river Vaitarani is not only a religious concept, but it also gives the message of making man aware of his deeds. It states that the impact of good and bad actions done in life remains even after death. Therefore, a person should always try to follow the path of religion, truth and humanity.
