The Garuda Purana is one of the eighteen Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as smriti. It is a Vaishnava purana; the epic is in the form of a conversation between Lord Vishnu and Garuda, primarily emphasizing the reason and meaning of human life. It contains details of life after death, funeral rites and the metaphysics of reincarnation, and therefore is recited as a part Antyesti or funeral rites in Hinduism.