Chapter 44 - Description of Prayschit in five types of sins such as Mahapaap like Brahma-hatya

Description of Prayschit in five types of sins such as Mahapaap like Brahma-hatya. 

Sage Narayan said:- 

Prayschit of Brahma-Hatya:- If a Brahmin kills another Brahmin unknowingly, he himself should observe the vow for twelve years for nullifying the effect of the sin. 1. 

He should hold the skull of the Brahmin whom he has killed, or in the; absence of that, the skull of any other (Brahmin), in his hand as a mark and another skull of some other Brahmin mounted at the top of a stick in his hand. Furthermore, in his other hand he should hold a broken piece of a shallow red earthen pot for begging. Thus, he should live alone, outside the town or in a hut built in the forest or under a tree, wearing a blanket only, he should spend his time in doing good to all. 2 - 4. 

He should live on the fruits brought from the forest or should begin a village from seven houses randomly and whilst begging, he should confess his (cruel) deed before them. 5. 

He should then return to his place and eat only once. Moreover, he should keep hair matted, have control over senses, stick to his duties, and observe celibacy. 6. 

He should always take bath with cold water, for purification of his spirit and visit holy places and, always confess his sin where ever goes and finally at the end of the period of expiation, he will get purified. 7. 

If he happens to die or remains alive while protecting a cow or a Brahmin from a tiger, thief or so forth; and though may not have completed the period of twelve years, he is purified from the sin at the same moment. 8. 

If he confesses his sin in the assembly of kings and Brahmins at the time of Ashvamedha sacrifice and takes bath after the sacrifice (known as Avabhrut Snana), he is immediately purified. 9. 

If a person or a Brahmin who has started this purificatory rites and cures a seriously ill Brahmin or a cow; he is automatically purified (even) whatever the period he has observed that vow (It is not necessary that he should complete the period of twelve years). 10. 

If a person dies while undergoing and observing expiation rite, he is automatically purified for here and in the other world on that very day. 11. 

One, who sponsors the sinner, should undergo a quarter less than that of full punishment (12 yrs) i.e. three quarters (9 years). He who provokes should undergo half of it (6 years); he who supports the sinner should undergo a quarter plus half of the quarter (4 and half years); the one who instigates the sinner should undergo a quarter of the whole punishment (3 years) and finally, he who commits the sin orally should undergo half of the quarter (one and half year). 12 - 13.

One, who even thinks of murdering a Brahmin, should undergo a fast for twelve days. After that he will be purified by taking Panchagvya. 14. 

If a person scolds a Brahmin due to the matters regarding a house, land or others and if that Brahmin, may not be a learned one, commits suicide due to anguish, and dies; then the person who has caused the suicide should undergo the vow of krucchra for three years or he may go on pilgrimage from the place where river Saraswati enters the sea, towards the source of the river, for purifying himself. After that, he is purified from his sin. 15 - 16. 

The vow of twelve years I have told you, is for killing an ordinary Brahmin. If the Brahmin who is killed is a learned one, then this punishment should be doubled. 17. 

After finishing the first part of atonement, if a person is unable to undergo the second part of the punishment, he should gift thousand cows to a worthy person to compensate the same. 18. 

If a Kshatriya or a Vaishya kills a Brahmin unknowingly; then the first one should undergo the punishment twice that of a Brahmin (24 yrs), and the next one should undergo thrice that of the Brahmin (36 years). 19. 

Whatever expiation is recommended for a householder committing a sin, the twice of it is advised for a celibate (Brahmachari), whereas it is thrice for a forest dwelling hermit (Vanaprastha) and it is four times for an ascetic. 20.

Prayaschit of Patak-paap like Brahma-Hatya. 

Now, know that, all the following sins are equal to killing a Brahmin. (1) Insulting an elderly person or a teacher, (2) censuring the Vedas being under the influence of heretic thoughts, (3) Neglecting the study of Vedas that one has learnt and mocking and making fun of it under the influence of wrong or false theories; (4) killing a crowned king or person who has taken initiation for observing a vow or sacrifice, (5) killing a pregnant a woman or a woman in her menstrual course, (6) killing a woman born in Atri family , 6) killing or terminating a foetus by medicines and (7) killing a person who has surrendered. 21 - 23. 

The atonement for the above said sins is supposed to be half of the punishment advised for previously stated major sins. Now I shall tell you about the expiation for drinking liquor. 24. 

The expiation rites for drinking liquor. 

If a Brahmin, Kshatriya or Vaishya drinks liquor unknowingly even once, then he should approach the assembly of Brahmins, with wet clothes on and boil the liquor till it shines like fire in an iron vessel and drink it from the same vessel. If he dies while doing so he is purified. 25 - 26. 

Or, he should observe the vow of twelve years as mentioned before. He should hold a banner marked with liquor (vessel) and a liquor glass in his hand and do everything else as told before. He should visit various places of pilgrimage; when he completes the fixed period, he is purified after performing the purificatory rites. 27 - 28. 

If a person mistakes liquor for water and drinks it, he should vomit it and observe the sin-removing vow for three years. 29. 

If a Brahmin or a Kshatriya or a Vaishya drinks liquor again unknowingly, he can clear up his sin by performing rites after three years period of expiation; thus says the great sage Parashara. 30. 

If a person (entitled to 3 years punishment) eats broken rice or oil cake once a day and that at night and drinks the five products of cow in the morning then he gets purified from the sin. 31. 

If One (unknowingly) drinks a medicine mixed with liquor by someone else, and learns it afterwards, should also observe Chandrayana vow and give gifts according to his capacity. 32. 

If some Brahmin drinks water from the glass that had liquor, for twelve days he should then drink a milk, boiled with fresh Suvarchala Brahmi. 33. 

If a Brahmin willingly smells liquor on his own, he should undergo the Santapana-krucchra vow and if he smells it unknowingly should observe Prajapatya- Krucchra vow. 34. 

The following sins are considered to be equal to drinking liquor. These are - to eat prohibited items like garlic etc. knowingly, crooked behaviour with gentlemen, to speak lie in self interest, to kill a friend (other than Brahmin), bear false witness and kiss a lady who is in her menstrual period. 35 - 36. 

The above enumerated sins are like major sins (Mahapataka). In these cases the expiation - punishment is half of the major sins. In case of aged and ladies, it should be known as stated before. 37. 

expiation for stealing gold of a Brahmin and similar sins like illegal sex relations, etc. 

Now, I shall tell you about the expiation rites prescribed for men of three casts, in case of stealing or taking away by force, gold weighing sixteen Mashas (about 30 gms), owned by a Brahmin. 38. 

The thief with his hair loose and wet with clothes on, holding an iron rod (in his hand), should go to king’s court and confess his theft to the assembly. 39. 

He should say ‘you do beat me with this iron rod.’ The King, the protector of the law, himself should strike by that rod, once. 40. 

If he dies or remains alive and the king sets him free, he gets purified. Otherwise, he should observe the aforesaid vow of twelve years. 41. 

If he has taken away the gold directly and forcefully, he should hold a wooden sword in his hand, and if he has stolen in absence of a owner, he should hold a flag marked with a picture of a spade, and move about during the expiation period of twelve years. 42. 

The punishment should be in proportion to the theft. If the theft is of less or more than one unit (16 Mashas) the punishment should be less or more in proportion to it. Thus, the rule should be applied with discrimination. 43. 

If a man steals gold being in difficult situation, then he should observe the vow for six years or he should visit pilgrim places; thereafter he will become free from the stain of theft. 44. 

A person, even thinks about stealing gold possessed by a Brahmin, he should then observe all the rules of vow (non-violence etc) and eat only wind for twelve days. 45. 

Taking away by force male or female servant, horse, cow, land or gems owned by a Brahmin or taking away deposit (money etc.) of someone - these two types of sins are equal to stealing gold. 46. 

In addition to the above, illegal sex relation with guru’s wife is said to be the fourth major sin. Here, guru is supposed to be the father and his wife is taken to be as step-mother. If anyone from four castes, goes to her even once, it is considered to be a major sin. Such a sinner should undergo expiation as follows. 47 - 48. 

One who has done such a disdainful act should chop off all the hair on his body, shed off clothes and apply ghee to his body, confess his deed and sleep on the hot iron bed and embrace a red hot iron image. When he meets with death during it, then alone gets purified from his sin. 49 - 50.

Or, he himself should cut off his genital and hold it in his own hands start walking towards the south-west direction without looking back. He should keep on going straight till his way is not obstructed by some fencing or a wall. He should live there until his death. After that he is thus purified. 51 - 52. 

Or, he should observe the twelve years vow ordained for the sin of killing a Brahmin or as stated before, he should bare a banner marked with genital organ in his hand, for that much period. Completing that period he is purified. 53. 

The great Sage Parashara has instructed that if that sinner is weak, then the punishment to be followed should be less. Moreover, time and place should be taken into consideration. 54. 

The sinner, having controlled his senses, should observe the vow of Kruchhra or Prajapatya for one year. However, He can even observe Chandrayana vow for three months. 55. 

In case, a person commits sin of keeping sex-relations with any of the following females, it is to be considered equal to enjoying sex with the wife of a teacher i.e. it is to be known as major sin - A sister of mother or father i.e. maternal or paternal aunt, wife of paternal or maternal uncle, wife of a teacher or a friend, woman of the same lineage (Gotra), a lady observing a vow; Mother-in-law, an ascetic lady, queen, student’s wife, daughter of a teacher, sister’s friend, a woman in menstrual course, one living in the house to be taken care of, lady who has sought protection; A Brahmin woman, a virgin, a wet nurse and a lady who serves food. 56 - 58. 

The sinner in such a case, should cut off his genital and observe nine years of vow. If he had done it unknowingly he should observe the vow for six years only. 59. 

If a person keeps sex relation with his mother, sister, daughter and daughter in law ; it is even more than a major sin and to burn oneself in fire is the only expiation for it. 60. 

One who keeps company of one who has committed any of the above said major sins and shares food, seat and bed etc, for one year, should be considered to be a major sinner as well. 61. 

The expiation for a person being in the company of a sinner, is the same as advised for the sinner himself, thus he should observe it for twelve years as to get purified. 62. 

It should always, in all cases be known that coming in contact with a sinner, also creates a blemish. Thus, whatever expiation rite is prescribed for the doer of the sin, it is to be understood that the same should be observed by one who is closely associated with the sinner. One who comes in to contact with the associate of a sinner, should observe the three quarters of the recommended punishment for the sinner. The proportion should be understood by taking into account the proportion of the association. 63 - 64.

It is direct or indirect, the period of it, etc. 

Here the occasional vows, for the period of twelve years etc. are to be observed accompanied by chanting Gayatri or other mantras (God’s name). Then alone those vows give result. Those could be observed by learned twice bourns only. Ladies or uneducated men should observed it by uttering the chant ending with Namo in which the name of Vishnu occurs in the forth case (Om Vasudevay Namah). 65 - 66. 

A low caste person who is not qualified for Vedic chants (like Gayatri), certainly gets purified, at the end of expiation period, donating gifts, observing fasts, serving cows and Brahmins(by chanting Lord’s name along with). 67. 

O you noble minded one! I have hereby explained the expiation rites for major sins in brief. You should learn it in detail with the procedure from ‘Mitakshara’ (the commentary on Yajnyavalkya smriti). 68. 

Thus ends the forty-fourth chapter entitled, ‘narration of atonement for major sins and grave sins in the code of atonement,’ in the fifth Prakaran of Satsangi jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra. (the rules of the code of conduct). 44