Chapter 169 - Atonements for various offences (prāyaścitta)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Puṣkara said:

1-4. (I) shall describe the atonements [i.e., prāyaścitta] for the sins described so far. A killer of a brahmin should live in a forest for twelve years in a hut. For the sake of one’s purity one should seek alms carrying the skull of the dead person on a staff. Or one should throw oneself in the kindled fire thrice with head downwards. Otherwise one should do the aśvamedha, svarjit or gosava. Or one should recite one of the Vedas and walk one hundred yojanas^[1]. Otherwise one should give away all (his wealth) to a brahmin, learned in the Vedas. The impurity due to the great sins gets destroyed by these observances.

5-10. One who is possessed of minor sins (such as) killer of the cow should drink (only water along with) barley. After having had a shave he should live in the cowshed covering himself with the hide of that (cow killed by him). He should eat a little without alkaline things and salt in the fourth part (of the day). He should bathe in cow’s urine for two months controlling his senses. He should follow the cows during the day and consume the dust rising (from their feet) standing with raised (face). After having taken and observing a vow, he should make a gift of eleven bulls and a cow. In the absence of these one should make a gift of all his possessions to those learned in the scriptures. Having caused obstruction to the movement (of a cow) one should do a fourth (of the above atonements) and two-fourth if (he had) kept (the animal) bound. It would be a fourth less (i.e., three-fourth) if yoked and in full if (a cow) has been killed. If some mishap has occurred (to the cow) in the forests, mountains, inaccessible (terrain) and (due to) sickness, one fourth (of the atonement) is laid. If it dies on account of the tying of the bell or ornament, half the above (atonement) should be prescribed.

11. A quarter less (of the above expiation) should be observed if (the cow or ox) dies on account of taming (goading) or chaining or confining or yoking to a cart or (while being tied) to the pillar, chain or rope.

12-15. When the horn or the bone (of a cow) has been broken or the tail been cut off, one has to drink barley (water) till the cow becomes healthy. One should repeat the gomatī-vidyā^[2] and the hymn on the cow and contemplate on the gomatī (vidyā). If a herd of cows has been killed accidently, one fourth (atonement) should be practised separately for every killing. There will not be any sin if any mishap occurs when some help is rendered (with good intention). Those subject to minor sins except those who have violated the vow of continence should observe this vow or the cāndrāyaṇa.

16-18. One who has broken the vow of continence should worship Nirṛti in the night at the cross-road with the performance of pākayajña (a domestic sacrifice) with a black ass. After having kindled the fire as laid down, a wiseman should offer oblation to the Moon, Indra, Jupiter, Fire-god and others with twigs, vedic hymns and clarified butter. Otherwise one should wear the hide of an ass and roam about in the world. One should observe the vow for killing a brahmin after having killed an ass unknowingly.

19. Having drunk wine, through ignorance, a brahmin should drink wine of the colour of fire, or cow’s urine of the colour of fire or water alone.

20-21. A brahmin, who has stolen gold should approach the king and confess his act and say, “Let you punish me”. The king should take the club and kill with one stroke the person who had himself come. The expiation for the thief is by death. A brahmin (gets purified) by doing penance.

22-24. Having violated one’s preceptor’s bed, one should cut off the penis and testicles himself, hold (them) in the folded palms and move towards the south-west until he does not fall down. Then he should observe cāndrāyaṇa for three months controlling his senses. After having done wilfully one of the acts making one an outcaste, one should practise the sāntapana^[3]. The expiation (known as) the prājāpatya (is laid down for the same done) unwillingly. For acts causing mixture of castes, the expiation of cāndrāyaṇa (should be observed) for a month.

25-29. For acts which defile one (drinking of) boiled barley (water) for three days would be (the expiation). A fourth part (of the expiation) for the killing of a brahmin is prescribed for killing of a warrior class, an eighth part (for killing) a tradesman and a sixteenth part (for killing) the fourth class. Having killed a cat, a mongoose, a blue jay, a frog, a dog, godhā (a kind of alligator), an owl, and a crow one should practise the expiation as for killing the śūdra. For having killed an unsteady woman belonging to any one of the four castes and for having killed a woman unintentionally one should observe the expiation as for killing the fourth class. Doing breath-control is the expiation for killing all (beings) not having bones. One should practise the expiation sāntapana for having stolen things of little value from another’s house. One becomes pure after completing the vow.

30. The five products got from a cow are the purification for the stealing of eatables, food, vehicle, bed, seat, flowers, roots and fruits.

31. Fasting for three nights would be (the expiation) for (having stolen)grass, log of wood, tree, rice in the husk, molasses, saree, hide and flesh.

32. One should be eating a small quantity of food for twelve days (having stolen) gems, pearls, corals, copper and silver.

33. (One who had stolen) the cotton or silk or woollen rope of cloven-hoofed or whole-hoofed (animal), a bird, perfume and herb (shall take) only milk for three days.

34. One who had cohabited with a woman related by blood or with the woman, or daughter of the son of a friend as well as a woman belonging to the low caste should practise the expiation for that of violating the bed of his preceptor.

35. One should practise cāndrāyaṇa for having cohabited father’s sister’s daughter, (one’s) sister, mother’s sister’s daughter or (the daughter) of mother’s brother or a friend.

36. One should practise the kṛcchra sāntapana for having (emitted semen) in an unnatural way or (having gone) to a menses woman or having emitted semen in the water.

37. A brahmin who had intercourse with a woman in the bullock-cart or in the water or during the day should bathe together with his dress.

38. A brahmin cohabiting a woman of the caṇḍāla or the low caste and having eaten (food therein) and having received a gift (from them) unknowingly gets defiled. But (done) knowingly becomes in par (with them).

39. The husband should keep the woman defiled by a brahmin confined in a room. That which a male should observe for having cohabited other’s wives, the same vow should be made to be practised by her.

40. If she is defiled again being advised by a person of the same (character), only kṛcchra cāndrāyaṇa is remembered to be the purification for her.

41. That which a brahmin does in one night by resorting to a low-caste woman, gets rid of it by eating only that collected as alms and by repeating (the sacred syllables) daily for three years.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A yojana is equal to eight or nine miles.

[2]:

A vedic hymn to be repeated while observing an expiation for having kiled a cow.

[3]:

The expiation in which cow’s urine, cowdung, milk, curd, clarified butter or water with kuśa is taken and fasting is observed for one night.