Garuda Purana is named after Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu. Many
people today believe it is bad to keep Garuda Puran at home. Garuda Purana has two
parts; the second part which deals with knowledge regarding journey of the dead
and the rituals that have to be performed by relatives to help the dead persons
to have a smooth journey.
This Purana was composed by Veda Vyasa as one of the
eighteen puranas and it is believed that Hindu God Vishnu himself revealed it
to Garuda.
Earlier in traditional Hindu homes a priest was invited to
recite Garuda Purana after the death of a person so that relatives are given
the required knowledge to perform Shradh and other rituals towards the dead. Sadly,
this is no longer followed in majority of Hindu homes.
Today many people believe it is bad to keep the book Garuda Purana
in their homes. The book is also not read by many fearing death will happen in
the family. Some communities only read it during the ten days after the death
of a person.
Is there any truth in this taboo? No.
All Hindu scriptures are meant to be read and understood.
The sole aim of all scriptures is to help human beings understand their true
nature.
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