10. Expiatory Rites in other Popular World Religions

The concept of sin and expiatory rites are the inevitable parts of every religion and they partially or completely are related to ritual performances. There are various concepts of expiatory rites in different religious groups. Christianity and Islam also believe in the concept of sin and expiation. According to the Biblical myth, Ādām was the first sinner. Moreover, it is considered that the death in the cross of Jesus provides expiation for all sinners in the world. Christianity follows the confession (before a Christian priest) for the cleansing of sin or crime.^[1]

Islamic concept of sin is mainly of two kinds: minor (Saghīra) and major (Kabīra).^[2] According to the Quran the major sins are murder, theft, unnatural crimes, neglect of the Ramadan fast, avoiding of Friday prayers, practicing magic, gambling, drunkenness, perjury, usury, disobedience to parents, false witness, defrauding orphans etc. The Islamic theologians observes that, Ramadan fasting and Hajj to Mecca (Pilgrimage to Mecca) are the main expiations for the cleansing of sins. Likewise, the observances of prayer at early dawn, at the close of the day and at the approach of the night would drive away the evil deeds and helps to attain the good deeds.^[3] In addition, Quran recommend the Sakkātt, a special rite of giving money and other materials to the needy. It is explained that the social intention of the rite is the re-distribution of wealth and property to destitute and such people. It is believed that the Sakkātt also helps to release the donor from sins.^[4] Moreover, Quran suggests different types of expiations for cleansing of sins and relief from the punishments of Allāḥ, the supreme god.

The above discussions reveal that the concept of sin and the expiation is different in different religious societies, but the core idea is almost the same. It is observed that the social control and re-distribution of wealth and properties are the main ideas of religion.^[5] For this purpose, religious authorities used the concept of sin and expiatory rites. The concept of expiatory rite has gradually helped the priests or the religious institutions to acquire abundant wealth.

It is obviously known from the available sources that the seeds of the concept of sin and its expiations are seen in Vedic literature. The descriptions of ritual mistakes and its expiations are visible in Brāhmaṇa texts. The Dharmasūtras also describe expiations related to the social rites and customs. The presence of the concept of ritual mistakes and its expiatory rites were not seen in this literature. The concept of impurity, which was also related to the caste system, was the base of most actions of expiations in Dharmasūtras and Smṛti treatises. The Purāṇas also emphasize the concept of expiatory rites. Nevertheless most of them were adapting the rules and regulations from Dharmasūtras and Smṛtis. Impact of Karma theory regenerates and spreads out the root growth of expiations by all means.

Various kinds of expiatory rites were seen in the Āgamic and Tantric tradition also. At the early period, the Āgamic ritual manuals were not seriously discussed about the expiation. Later on, the Vedic and Purāṇic Brahmanical ideas might have influenced the Tantric rituals and the concept of sin and expiatory rites became more complex. An assessment of the same is attempted in the coming chapters.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Singh, N.K., ed. Religious concept of Sin, Global Vision Publishing House, Delhi, 2003, pp. 99-120.

[2]:

Quran, 53.32, 42.37.

[3]:

Quran, 4.29, 12.81, 2.219, 5.90, 5.91 and 3.17.

[4]:

Ibid., 9.60.

[5]:

Bryan, S. Turner says thus: “Religion has been important for the distribution and control of property in society and it has performed this function by providing beliefs and institutions which are relevant to the control of instinctual life.” Religion and Social Theory, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 1991, p. 109.