Before delving into its Malayali avatar, one must understand the source. The Garuda Puranam is one of the 18 Mahapuranas in Hinduism, traditionally narrated by Lord Vishnu’s mount, Garuda, to the sage Kashyapa. While the original Sanskrit text is an encyclopedic work covering cosmology, astrology, medicine, gemology, and even military science, its most famous section—the Pretakalpa (the chapter on the rites of the dead)—has come to define the entire Purana in popular perception.
: The text provides detailed descriptions of the soul's journey after leaving the physical body, including the paths to heaven (Swerga) and hell (Naraka). garuda puranam malayalam book
The paper is cheap, yellowing, and smells of camphor and incense. To open a 1960s edition is to enter a time capsule of Kerala’s devout, feudal, fear-driven past. Before delving into its Malayali avatar, one must