The Padma Purana

by N.A. Deshpande | 1951 | 1,261,945 words | ISBN-10: 8120838297 | ISBN-13: 9788120838291

This page describes matali on three kinds of sin which is chapter 67 of the English translation of the Padma Purana, one of the largest Mahapuranas, detailling ancient Indian society, traditions, geography, as well as religious pilgrimages (yatra) to sacred places (tirthas). This is the sixty-seventh chapter of the Bhumi-khanda (section on the earth) of the Padma Purana, which contains six books total consisting of at least 50,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

Disclaimer: These are translations of Sanskrit texts and are not necessarily approved by everyone associated with the traditions connected to these texts. Consult the source and original scripture in case of doubt.

Chapter 67 - Mātali on Three Kinds of Sin

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Yayāti said:

1-2. O you charioteer of Indra, due to my good luck I have been able to see you. This gives me immense merit. Even in the mortal world human beings commit a terrible sin. O Mātali, now tell me about the ripening of their actions.

Mātali said:

3-12. Listen, I shall tell (you) the characteristics of a sinful behaviour. In this world great knowledge is produced when (things) are heard. People condemn the Vedas and censure brāhmaṇic practices. Those who are learned should also know what great sin is. He who causes harm to all the good persons (has committed) a major sin. It would go (i.e. its effect would be nullified only) by expiation. People give up the customs peculiar to their own family and practise those of others. Those who know what should be done (i.e. what is proper) have described this to be a major sin. Reviling one’s mother and father, beating one’s sisters, and abusing one’s father’s sister is certainly a sin. The dead ancestors of him, who, when the time for offering a śrāddha has come, proceeds (to offer the śrāddha and) feeds someone else through lust or anger or fear, ignoring his son-in-law living at a distance of five kośas, his daughter’s son, his own sister and her son, do not enjoy (the oblations offered by him), nor do the gods enjoy (the offerings made to them). This sin, committed by him, is equal to patricide. When the time for giving gifts has come, and when a brāhmaṇa (-group) has come, he avoids giving gifts to many, and gives them (only) to a few. That a gift is given to one, and no gift is given to another, is also a terrible sin, and is said to destroy (the merit acquired from) gifts.

13-23a. That is not a distinctive mark of a gift which is given (to someone else) ignoring his own brāhmaṇas employed by the patron. O king, a (patron) should well nourish, with all means and good gifts, that brāhmaṇa of a religious conduct who has resorted to him. He should not consider whether he is a foolish or a learned brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is always to be fed. He should always worship a learned brāhmaṇa endowed with all religious merit, who has come to him, after honouring him with good gifts. There is no doubt that the gifts which he would give to some other brāhmaṇa by ignoring that (learned brāhmaṇa) or the offerings that he would make, would be fruitless. On all auspicious occasions a brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya, a vaiśya and a śūdra as the fourth should worship a brāhmaṇa that has sought their shelter—whether he is a fool or a learned brāhnaṇa. Listen (I will tell you) the meritorious fruit of it. He obtains the fruit of a horse-sacrifice. O king, what is the reason for which (i.e. there is no reason why) he should not get done what is possible? If another brāhmaṇa comes at that time when the śrāddha-rite is going on, he should then honour both the brāhmaṇas by giving them food, shelter, tāmbūla and presents. (If he does this) his dead ancestors are pleased. One should always give gifts and make presents to (a brāhmaṇa) who has eaten at a śrāddha. The sin of that performer of a śrāddha who does not give gifts would be equal to that due to the killing of a cow. Therefore, O best king, these two should be honoured with faith. Or if he is poor he should honour one (of the two).

23b-30. Thus men belonging to the three castes such as brāhmaṇa etc. should perform a śrāddha on the day of a great calamity, or when the astronomical division of time called vaidhṛti has come, or on a new-moon day, or a day between two sunrises in the next half. O great king, he should employ priests -officiating at sacrifices. In the same way he should always employ brāhmaṇas for offering a śrāddha. A wise man should never employ an unknown brāhmaṇa. He should invite that brāhmaṇa whose family up to the third (previous) generation from is known and whose conduct is known, O king. He should consider the conduct of a brāhmaṇa whose family is not known. When the śrāddha-offering is to be made, it may not be known whether a brāhmaṇa is pure or foolish, or is one who has mastered the Vedas and the Vedāṅgas. A śrāddha-offering ought to be done; so he should invite a brāhmaṇa (for that); O best king, first hospitable reception should be given (to him). If a sinful (host) does otherwise he certainly goes to hell. Therefore a brāhmaṇa should be engaged at a presentation of gifts or a śrāddha on the parvan-days.

31-33. At the time of presentation of gifts or a śrāddha, he should engage a brāhmaṇa after examining him. In his house the dead ancestors do not eat without a brāhmaṇa. They go away after cursing (him who offers the śrāddha) from a śrāddha (performed) without a brāhmaṇa. He (who offers such a śrāddha) is a great sinner even if he resembles Brahmā. O king, he who lives by abandoning the performance (of rites) to the dead ancestors, should be known to be a great sinner to be excommunicated.

34-39. Those who give up auspicious practices relating to Viṣṇu and giving (i.e. bringing) enjoyments, and who condemn the brāhmaṇic way of conduct should be known as men of increasing sins. Those, who give up auspicious practices (or practices relating to Śiva), who hate the devotees of Śiva, who, the sinners, abuse Hari (i.e. Viṣṇu), who always hate Brahmā (or brāhmaṇas), who condemn the (religious) practices, are the greatest sinners. I shall now tell (you) about the religious merit of those who worship the first, venerable, the highest knowledge, the meritorious Bhāgavata and (other Purāṇas like) Viṣṇu, Harivaṃśa, Matsya or Padma. He (i.e. such a person) has actually worshipped god Viṣṇu. Therefore one should worship the knowledge, contained in the Viṣṇu (Purāṇa), (and) dear to Viṣṇu. O king, there is always (kept) a book (i.e. a copy) of the Viṣṇu (Purāṇa). When it is worshipped, Lakṣmī’s lord (i.e. Viṣṇu) is worshipped.

40-58. Those who, without worshipping (the Purāṇa containing) knowledge about Hari, sing or write, or without knowing it, present it, or listen to or recite it, or sell it through greed and devotion to bad (i.e. wrong) knowledge, or place it, as they will, at places that are not purified, or one who would declare it explicitly in accordance with (i.e. helping) his welfare, or he who, being capable, commits mistakes after having studied it, or he who being impure explains or listens to it at an impure place (all these condemn knowledge). This, in brief, is said to be the condemnation of knowledge. I (shall now) tell (you) about the sin of him who, the sinful one, desires to learn sacred texts without worshipping his preceptor, who does not render service (to his preceptor and) deliberately disobeys him, (and who) does not approve of the words (of the preceptor), does not respond to him, ignores when (some) work of the preceptor is to be done, (and he, who) abandons his preceptor who is afflicted and weak, or is proceeding to a foreign country or has been humiliated by adversaries or while he is reciting a Purāṇa. Till (the period during which) fourteen Indras have ruled, he would live in (the hell called) Kumbhīpāka. Also one who, of a sinful mind, ignores his preceptor reading the Purāṇa, has (committed) a terrible sin, giving (i.e. taking him to) hell. Also the sin (of him) who condemns his wife, sons and friends is as great as (that of) the condemnation of one’s preceptor. One who kills a brāhmaṇa, one who steals gold, one who drinks liquor, one who violates his teacher’s bed (i.e. his teacher’s wife)—all these are great sinners; so also the one who joins (i.e. abets) them. He, who very much cuts the vitals especially of a brāhmaṇa through anger, hatred or greed, is declared to be the killer of a brāhmaṇa. O king, he also is the killer of a brāhmaṇa, who, having invited a poor, soliciting brāhmaṇa, says ‘no’ (i.e. refuses to give any gift) to him. He is declared to be killer of a brāhmaṇa, who, due to the pride of his own knowledge, renders lustreless (i.e. humiliates) a neutral brāhmaṇa in an assembly. He is said to be the killer of a brāhmaṇa, who elevates himself by means of pretended virtues, and who opposes his preceptor. They call him to be the killer of a brāhmaṇa, who creates an obstacle to them, who, with their bodies tormented by hunger and thirst, seek food or meal. He also is said to be the killer of a brāhmaṇa, who, a wicked one, is intent upon finding out the weak points of all the people, who causes torture and is cruel. They call him the killer of a brāhmaṇa, who would snatchback the land, though destroyed, in course of time, which was formerly given to a deity, a brāhmaṇa, or cows. That sin of taking away the wealth of a brāhmaṇa obtained as (i.e. which was put as) a deposit should be known to be as great as that of killing a brāhmaṇa.

59-66. He who gives up making an oblation to the fire in the rite of the five daily sacrifices; he who stands as a false witness against his mother, father and preceptor (is, a great sinner). (This sin and) eating what is not dear to Śiva’s devotees and what ought not to be eaten, also killing innocent beasts in the forest, and setting fire to a cow-pen, a city or a village—all these are terrible sins equal to the sin (involved) in drinking liquor. Taking away all the possessions of a poor man, kidnapping another’s wife, snatching elephants and horses, or cows, land, silver, garments, herbs and minerals, sandal, aloe wood, camphor, musk, woven silk, or taking away the deposits (made) by others is said to be like the stealing of gold. Not giving (in marriage) his marriageable daughter to a befitting groom, having an illicit connection with the wife of his son or friend or his own sister, fearful violating of a maiden, attachment to a śūdra-woman, cohabiting with a woman of the same caste is said to be like violating one’s teacher’s bed (i.e. teacher’s wife). Those sins, which have been enumerated as sins, resemble major sins.

67-70. When a brāhmaṇa having promised money to a brāhmaṇa does not give it and forgets about it—that is equal to a minor sin. (Some other minor sins are:) snatching the wealth of a brāhmaṇa, crossing one’s limit, too much pride, too much anger, hypocrisy, ingratitude, lust for someone other (than one’s own wife), miserliness, wickedness, jealousy, sexual intercourse with the wife of someone. else, violating a chaste maiden. The elder brother before whom his younger brother gets married, the younger brother married before the elder brother, the girl whom he marries (are sinners). (It is a sin} to offer a girl to them, or to act as a priest at sacrifices performed by them. (Other sins are:)

71-80. Abandoning one’s son, friend, wife, also one’s master when he is reduced to poverty, and one’s wife and good people and ascetics; killing a cow, a kṣatriya, a vaiśya, a woman or a śūdra; destruction of a Śiva-temple, trees, and lovely groves. (He) who causes even a small damage to hermitages or harms the group of servents there, or the beasts (living there), or the grains or wild crops, or steals ploughs, corn or beasts, or acts as a priest at a sacrifice of those who do not deserve to perform a sacrifice (is a sinner). The sale of (the merit due to) a sacrifice, of a grove or a lake, one’s wife and children, of (the merit of) pilgrimage, fasts, vows and (other) pious acts (is a sin). (They are sinners) who live by the wealth of women and he who lives for a large part on the affluence of a woman (are sinners). O prince, he who would sell off his own faith, and he who would praise unrighteousness, he who mentions the faults of others, he who observes the weak points of others, he who longs for other’s wealth, he who (passionately) gazes on another’s wife—all these should be looked upon as resembling the killers of cows. (He is a sinner) who condemns all sacred texts, who snatches a cow, who sells the beasts, who tells lies or listens to the lies (uttered) by others; (he is a sinner) who plots against his master, or preceptor, who is deceitful, who is fickle or wicked. (He is a sinner) who eats (alone) leaving his hungry wife, sons, friends, children, old people, weak and afflicted persons, and also servants, guests and relatives.

81-87a. Those who eat savory (food) and do not give it to him who desires it should be known as ones cooking separately (for themselves only) and such a person is condemned by the teachers of the Vedas. Those who take up restrictions and (later), with their organs of sense not conquered, give them up, and also those who have given up the life of a recluse, and those who are in the company of drunkards, and those who do not protect a cow that is afflicted with consumption or with thirst and hunger, are the killers of cows and are said to be hellish beings. Those who are engrossed (in committing) all (kinds of) sins, those who destroy the (grazing) field of the quadrupeds, or he who would beat (i.e. beats) saints, brāhmaṇas, preceptors or a cow, and also those who beat a faultless woman settled in a good position (i.e. behaving properly), and he, who, with his entire body bound with laziness, sleeps again and again; those who do not feed the weak or who do not look for the missing ones, or who trouble (the bullocks) by (putting) large burdens on them or drive them (even) when they are wounded are involved in (i.e. have committed) all (kinds of) sins. So also those who eat together (i.e. from the same plate).

87b-95a. Those men, who do not protect a cow with her limbs broken, and afflicted with wounds and (other) diseases and with hunger, are said to be hellish beings. Those men, who, the most sinful ones, strike the scrotum of bulls (i.e. castrate them), and also who harm cow’s calves are beings living in a great (i.e. very painful) hell. Those (men) also, who do not honour a guest who has come to them with hope, and who is oppressed with hunger and exertion, go to hell. Those fools who do not show pity for a helpless, or maimed, or poor or young, or old or very much afflicted person, go to the ocean of (i.e. in the form of) hell. One who keeps goats, one who keeps buffaloes, one who is the husband of a śūdra or a barren woman, or a śūdra behaving like (i.e. following the profession of) a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya, also architects, artisans, physicians and devalakas,[1] and those who make their servants work hard, go to hell. He, who, having transgressed what is prescribed, would charge arbitrarily (more) tax, also he who would inflict punishment without a (proper) cause, would be roasted in hells. That king whose subjects are harassed by officials receiving bribes, by thieves in his kingdom, is roasted in hells.

95b-103a. There is no doubt that those brāhmaṇas who accept (gifts) from a king of a bad conduct also go to fearful hells. The king has (committed) that sin which is (committed) by men cohabiting with others’ wives or by thieves. Being favoured by a king who does not protect, is fearful. That king, who, without thinking (properly), behaves with a person, who is not a thief, as (he would behave) with a thief, or who behaves with a thief, as he would behave with one who is not a thief, would also go to hell. Men (go to hell, who) through greed, snatch such objects as ghee, oil, food, drink, honey, flesh, wine or (any other) spirituous liquor, jaggery, sugarcane, vegetables, curd, roots and fruits, grass, wood, flowers, leaves, vessels of bell-metal, shoes, umbrella, bracelet, palanquin, soft seat, copper, lead, tin, bell-metal, or conch etc. that has come up from water, musical instrument like a flute, domestic utensils, (garments made of) wool, cotton or silken garments, objects belonging to the place of assembly or temples, or cotton or fine garments. He, who would snatch these and other objects, even in a small quantity, would quickly go to hell.

103b-114. There is no doubt that a man who snatches other’s possession even of the measure of a mustard (i.e. even the smallest possession), goes to hell. There is no doubt that a man who takes away a small or a big object of another person, loved by the latter, goes to hell. Due to these and other sins, a man, immediately after his departure, would get (back) his former form or his body to be struck (by Yama’s servants). The embodied ones go to Yama’s world by the order of Yama. They are very much pained when they are being taken by the very fierce messengers of Yama. Dharmarāja (i.e. Yama) is said to be the punisher, due to various sorts of severe corporeal punishments meted out by him, to gods, lower animals and men who are governed by unrighteousness. A preceptor is the punisher through expiations (i.e. who makes them undergo expiations) of those who are endowed with decent behaviour but have soiled themselves through an error. Yama is not seen by them (i.e. their cases are not decided by Yama). A king is said to be the ruler of those who violate others’ wives, who are thieves and who do their transactions unjustly; and Dharmarāja is the ruler of those who have hidden themselves. Therefore, one should undergo expiation for the sin that one has committed. There is no destruction of (the acts whose fruits) one has not enjoyed (or suffered) even after crores of kalpas. For him, who himself commits a sin, or causes (someone else) to commit it, or approves of it, by means of body, mind or speech, the fruit is going down (to hell). In this way, the three kinds of sin have been explained (by me) in brief. Different courses (followed by) men committing sins are narrated. O king, I have told you in minute detail, the fruit of righteousness. O best of men, tell me, what else I should explain to you. I have told you about the fruit of unrighteousness. I (shall) tell you about the fruit of righteousness also.

115. Thus Mātali spoke to the king loved by all. The magnanimous one thus spoke on the topic of righteousness.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Devalaka—A low brahmaṇa who subsists upon the offerings made to an idol.

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