Chapter 170 - The description of expiations for association with major sinners

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Puṣkara said:

1. I shall describe the expiations (to be practised) by those who associate with major sinners. A man having associated with a degraded person for a year would himself be degraded.

2-3. A person who officiates as a priest or teaches or has marital relationship or travels in the same vehicle or eats together or shares a seat and has thus association with a degraded person should do that vow (relating to that act) for the purification from such an association. The water of libation should be offered (for that person) in the company of sapiṇḍas^[1] and relatives.

4-9. On the day of degradation, a servant (of that person) should throw around a pot with water in the presence of the relatives, priest and preceptor at evening (time) as if he was dead. One should fast the whole day and observe pollution along with the relatives. (The relatives) should cease to talk with him and seize the share (of the paternal property) as the eldest. The share of the property as the eldest would be got by the younger brother excelling him in moral qualities. After the expiation been done (the relatives) should bathe in the sacred waters of a tank and fill a new pot with water and drink water along with the degraded person. The same procedure has to be followed in the case of degraded women also. They should be supplied with dress, food and drinks and they should live near the houses (of their husbands). The hymn of Sāvitrī^[2] of those brahmins (who officiate as priests for the degraded) become degenerated. (A brahmin who) has officiated so should practise three kṛcchra^[3] (observances) and as laid down should be invested with the brahminhood. (Those brahmins) who do not practise the rites enjoined on them become outcastes and the same procedure is to be prescribed also for them.

10. One gets free (from the sin) of accepting a gift from a vile person by repeating the sāvitrī (mantra) for three thousand times and drinking milk at the cow-shed for a month.

11. For having forsaken a person who had sought refuge and having violated the Veda, a brahmin gets rid of that sin by taking limited food for a month.

12. One who has been bitten by a dog, jackal, mule or carnivorous village animals, or a man, camel or horse or pig gets pure by doing prāṇāyāma.

13-19. In the (case of) breaking the vow of snātaka^[4] and neglecting) his duty (one should) fast. Having uttered the syllable of huṃ to a brahmin and (having made) familiar address to the elder, one should bathe and abstain from food the rest of the day and appease (the offended person) after prostration. One should practise kṛcchra and atikṛcchra^[5] respectively for having assaulted and assaulted fatally (a brahmin). One should observe kṛcchrāti-kṛcchra^[6] for having caused blood to come out from a. brahmin. If a cāṇḍāla and others happen to stand at the house (of a person) unknowingly, purification should be done from the time it was known explicitly, Cāndrāyaṇa or parāka^[7] are the purificatory (rites) for a brahmin. Prājāpatya is (laid down for the fourth class of men. The rest follow this. If the jaggery or flower (safflower) or salt or grains etc. (get polluted) they should be kept in the house and at the entrance and they should be put into the fire. It is laid down that (the polluted) earthen vessel should be discarded.

20-29. Purification of the materials is laid down in the case of materials which are remnants. Those who have become polluted by drinking (water) from the same well and by touch get pure by fasting or by the five things got from a cow. A brahmin who eats as desired after having touched a caṇḍāla, should do the cāndrāyaṇa or the taptakṛcchra. One becomes pure after six nights after having eaten or drunk from a vessel in a melee defiled by caṇḍāla and others of vile (caste). Those of the twice-born communities after having eaten the remnants (of food) eaten by the low-castes should do the vow of cāndrāyaṇa and a śūdra (should do it) for three nights. A brahmin who had unknowingly drunk water from a well or pot (used by) a caṇḍāla should do the sāntapana^[8] and a śūdra should fast for a day. A brahmin who drinks water after having been touched by a caṇḍāla (should fast) for three days and a śūdra should fast for that day. A brahmin who has been touched by a dog, a śūdra or by the remnants (of food) becomes pure after fasting a night and by taking the five products obtained from a cow, and (if touched) by a tradesman or a warrior should bathe (that) night. A brahmin beginning a journey and discharging urine at a forest where there is no water holding cooked food on his lap without placing it anywhere should cleanse himself, sprinkle (water on the food) and show it to the sun and fire.

30-32. I shall describe the mode of purification for travellers for having taken food both permitted and prohibited in a place habited by aliens and robbers. After having returned to one’s native place (one should do) in the natural order of the castes. At the end of the kṛcchra a brahmin is again to be given the saṃskāra (purificatory rite). A warrior (class) (gets purified) after three-fourths (of the above rite), a tradesman after half of it and the fourth class after doing a quarter and gets purified after making a gift.

33. A woman in her courses touched by another woman in her courses belonging to the same caste no doubt gets purified by bathing that day itself.

34. A woman in her courses having been touched by a woman of the lower caste should not eat until she gets pure. She gets pure by the purificatory bath.

35. A man having discharged urine passing through a road and drinking water forgetfully becomes pure after fasting a day and night and by taking the five products got from a cow.

36. A brahmin having discharged urine and eaten forgetfully without having cleansed himself becomes pure after drinking barley (water) for three nights.

37-38. I shall now describe the mode of purification for the brahmins who have renounced the life of a mendicant and the life of detachment. They have to do three kṛcchras^[9] or cāndrāyaṇa^[10]. Then they should be purified by purificatory rites such as the jātakarman^[11] and others.

39. One whose face comes into contact with the sandal or impure thing, the means of purification for him are the earth, cow-dung or the five things got from a cow.

40. A brahmin who had shaved or sold or wears blue coloured cloth etc. for the purpose of austerity becomes pure by (doing) three kṛcchras.

41. A woman in her courses having been touched by a low caste or a caṇḍāla becomes pure on the fourth day. She has to observe (a vow for) three nights.

42. One who has touched a caṇḍāla or śvapaca or the discharge from a delivered woman or a dead body or a person who has touched it (dead body) becomes pure immediately after bathing.

43-45. A brahmin gets purified by bathing with oil after touching the bone of a man. One who had a vomitting or purging becomes pure after (smearing) with street mud and water below the navel, bathing and taking ghee. One who had done the shaving (gets pure) by bathing, One who eats food at the time of an eclipse (gets purified) by doing the kṛcchra. One who has eaten food with an outcaste (becomes pure) after taking (the five) things got from a cow. One who has been bitten by a dog, one who has been bitten by an insect and one who commits suicide (gets purified) by (doing) kṛcchra, repetition (of mantras) and (offering) oblations. All sinners get purified by repentance and by doing oblation etc.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Those eligible to have the same rice-ball offering.

[2]:

The gāyatrī mantra is called so as it is addressed to the Sun god.

[3]:

Consists of taking urine or dung or milk or curd or butter of a cow or the kuśa immersed water and fasting for a night.

[4]:

The observance marking the completion of one’s study.

[5]:

A kind of severe penance to be finished in 12 nights.

[6]:

Eating for nine days the quantity of water one can hold in the hand and fasting for three days. But compare the explanation given in the next chapter.

[7]:

Fasting for twelve days.

[8]:

Drinking milk, ghee or water heated once every three days.

[9]:

A kind of simple expiation.

[10]:

See note 2 on p. 471.

[11]:

Rite performed immediately after the birth of a child.