Chapter 173 - Different expiations for different sins

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The Fire-god said:

1. I shall describe the expiation as told by Brahmā that would alleviate the sin. That action which results in the separation of the soul from the body (death) is known to be killing.

2. One who kills a brahmin on account of anger, hate or by one’s own or other’s fault, would become a killer of a brahmin.

3. If one is a killer among many who are engaged in the same act and who bear weapons, all of them are considered to be killers.

4. If a brahmin dies on account of being censured or beaten or is hurt by means of wealth that person (who caused death) is said to be the killer of that person.

5. When some help is rendered such as (the supply of) medicine there is no sin if the recipient dies. There is no sin when the son or pupil or wife dies when chastised.

6. One should examine carefully the place, time, age, ability and sin and lay down expiation when no expiation has been indicated.

7. One should give up his life at once for the sake of a cow or a brahmin. One gets free from (the sin of) killing a brahmin by throwing himself into the fire.

8. One who kills a brahmin should hold the skull on the banner and seek alms proclaiming the act (done by him) for twelve days, eating moderately. He would become pure.

9. A man who had killed a brahmin becomes pure by doing good deeds for six years. Twofold (expiation) is laid down for a motivated action as that of an unmotivated one.

10-12. The expiation would be for three years in the (case of a brahmin) who has attempted to kill. If a warrior kills a person (the expiation would be) twofold. A tradesman or the person of the last class (doing that crime has to observe) thrice that twofold (expiation). In the case of a brahmin (causing the death) of a warrior (the expiation) would be a fourth less (of that prescribed for the death of a brahmin), and half a quarter in the case of (causing the death of) a tradesman. In the death of a warrior caused by a warrior and (the death) of an old man, woman, child and sick it would be one fourth of that for killing a brahmin. In (the death of) a tradesman (it would be) oneeighth part (of that) and it would be known to be one-sixteenth in commencing (to kill) the last caste.

13-20. One should practice the vow (prescribed) for killing the last caste for having killed a woman not wicked. A killer of a cow should drink five things got from a cow and have (the senses) subdued for a month. (He) should lie down in a cowshed, follow a cow and he becomes purified by giving a cow as a gift. It will be a quarter less in the kṛcchra or atikṛcchra for the kings and others. A brahmin who has killed a very old or very emaciated or very young or sickly cow should practice half the vow as mentioned above. He should feed the brahmins according to his ability and should give away gold, sesamum etc. It should be declared as killing a cow if the cow had been struck with clenched fist or by the elbow or the horn had been broken or had been struck with the club or stick. In the event of the death of a cow while being subdued or chained or yoked to a cart etc. or (beṃg tied) to a post, chain or rope, one should do three-fourth (expiation of the above). One should practise sāntapana (if the death is due) to a log of wood, prājāpatya (if due) to a lump of earth, taptakṛcchra (if due) to a stone and atikṛcchra (if due) to a weapon. One who has killed a cat or an alligator or a mongoose or a frog or a dog or a bird should drink milk for three days and practise expiation (called) cāndrāyaṇa. (If the sin has been done) in secret, the expiation (should be done) in secrecy and (if done) explicitly, (expiation should be done) explicitly.

21-25. One should do hundred prāṇāyāma^[1] for dispelling all sins. Beverages, grape juice, date juice, palm juice, sugarcane juice, spirituous liquor got from the flower of madhūka, ṭaṅkamādhvīka (a kind of liquor), maireya (a kind of intoxicating drink) and coconut juice are not (classified as) intoxicating drinks although (they are) intoxicating. Only those which are mainly made of flours are known to be surā (wine). Drinking (of wine) is prohibited for the three castes. After drinking so one should do penance and become pure (by drinking) water. Then he may eat small quantity of food for a year or oil-cake once in the night. For dispelling (the sin due to) drinking of wine one should wear woollen dress, have matted hair and hold a staff. Having eaten unknowingly the excreta or urine or something which has come into contact with wine, the three castes of twice-borns require to be purified again by the performance of rites. One who has drunk water kept in the vessel for wine should observe a vow for seven days.

26. One who has drunk water belonging to a caṇḍāla should practise a vow for six days. One should practise sāntapana for having drunk water from the well or vessel belonging to a cāṇḍāla.

27-28. A brahmin (becomes pure by eating) the five things got from a cow for three nights for having drunk the water belonging to the last caste. (One who has eaten) fish, thorn, snail, conch-shell, shell and a small shell and has drunk fresh water becomes pure by (taking) five things got from a cow. One gets pure after three nights after having drunk water from a well having a dead body.

29. One should practise cāndrāyaṇa for having eaten food from a man belonging to the lowest caste. (If one had eaten food) at the house of a śūdra at the time of distress, he becomes pure by means of repentance.

30-31. A brahmin eating from the vessel of a śūdra (gets purified) by (eating) the five things got from a cow and fasting. That which is cooked in an oven, cooked in oil, oil, curd and flour as well as jaggery, milk and juices from a śūdra are not prohibited (items). One who eats without bathing gets pure by fasting and repeating (sacred syllables) at the end of the day.

32-34. One who had eaten food after discharging urine without getting purified becomes pure after three nights. One who had eaten food into which hair or worm had fallen, knowingly touched by the foot, seen by one who causes abortion, or touched by a woman in her courses, licked by a crow and other (birds), touched by a dog, and smelt by cow etc. should fast for three days. One who eats the semen, excreta or urine should practise the prājāpatya.

35-36. It is opined that cāndrāyaṇa (should be done) at (the time of) navaśrāddha^[2], parāka at the māsika (monthly rites for the dead). Atikṛcchra would be (in the ceremony) after three fortnights and kṛcchra at the six-monthly (rite). Pādakṛcchra would be (done) at the annual (ceremony) and one day (rite) at the second annual (ceremony). The annual ceremony will be on the preceding day and the second annual ceremony on the next day.

37. The expiation for having eaten the prohibited food is fasting. One should do the śiśuka expiation (śiśucāndrāyaṇa) for having eaten bhūstṛṇa (a kind of fragrant grass) and garlic.

38. One who has eaten prohibited food and remnant of food eaten by women and a śūdra and prohibited flesh should drink milk for seven nights.

39. If a brahmacārī (student) or an ascetic or one who has undertaken a vow (drinks) wine and eats flesh while he is impure due to the death (of a person) or birth (of a child), he should do the expiation (known as) prājāpatya.

40-41. Taking away another’s (belongings) by illegitimate means is said to be stealing. One who has stolen gold gets purified if the king beats him to death with a club. Otherwise he should lie down on the floor, bear matted hair, eat leaf, root and fruit and eat well only once a day. He gets purified after twelve years.

42. A person who had stolen gold or drunk wine or killed a brahmin or cohabited the wife of the preceptor or committed theft or drunk wine should practise kṛcchra for a year.

43. (One who steals) gems, pearls and corals, copper, silver, iron, bronze and stones should eat little quantity of food for twelve days.

44. The expiation for abduction of men or women or taking possession of lands or houses or wells or tanks is said to be cāndrāyaṇa.

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

46. One should not take food for three nights (for having stolen) the grass, wood, tree, dry food, jaggery, dress, hide and flesh.

47-54. One who cohabits his mother, sister, the daughter of his preceptor, the wife of the preceptor and his own daughter should be deemed to have violated his teacher’s bed. He should be declared as having violated his teacher’s bed and made to embrace a heated and glowing iron image (of a woman) and he becomes purified by death. Otherwise a person who has violated the bed of his teacher should practise cāndrāyaṇa for three months. One should follow the same procedure for having cohabited even fallen women. One should perform that vow for such (women) which a person would perform for others’ wives. It is laid down that one should end his life for having cohabited girls, caṇḍāla women, daughters and wives of one’s sapiṇḍa. (The sin) which a brahmin commits in a night by cohabiting a women of the lowest caste is got removed by him in three years by eating (the food) got after seeking alms and daily repetition (of sacred syllables). One has to practise cāndrāyaṇa for having cohabited the wife of the paternal uncle, wife of one’s brother, woman of the lowest caste, a woman of the pukkasa^[3] caste, one’s daughter-in-law, sister, friend, sisters of the mother and father, a woman who has been entrusted to one’s care, a woman who has sought refuge, wife of maternal uncle, one’s sister, a woman belonging to the same clan, a woman who desires another person, the wife of one’s pupil and the wife of one’s teacher.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Breathing reflated by the repetition of gāyatrī mantra and the vyākṛtis.

[2]:

The first series of ceremonies collectively offered on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th days after the death of a person.

[3]:

A kind of mixed caste.