170 - The description of expiations for association with major sinners

Pushkara said:

1. Ishall 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 orshares a seat and has thus association with a degraded personshould do that vow (relating to that act) for the purification from such an association. The water of libationshould be offered (for that person) in the company of sapiņdas¹ and relatives. 

1. Those eligible to have the same rice-ball offering.

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. Oneshould fast the whole day and observe pollution along with the relatives. (The relatives)should cease to talk with him and seize theshare (of the paternal property) as the eldest. Theshare of the property as the eldest would be got by the younger brother excelling him in moral qualities. After the expiation has 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 follow ed in the case of degraded women also. Theyshould be supp lied with dress, food and drinks and theyshould live near the houses (of their husbands). The hymn of Såvitri² of those brahmins (who officiate as priests for the degraded) become degenerated. (A brahmin who) has officiated soshould practise 

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

three kruchra¹ (observances)and as laid downshould 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. 

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

10. One gets free (from the sin) of accepting a gift from a vile person by repeating the savitri (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, mulc or carnivorous village animals, or a man, camel or horse or pig gets pure by doing prāņāyāma. 

13-19. In the (case of) breaking the vow of snätaka² and neglecting) his duty (oneshould) fast. Having uttered the syllable of hum to a brahmin and (having made) familiar address to the elder, oneshould bathc and abstain from food the rest of the day and appease (the offended person) after prostration. Oneshould practise kṛucchra and atikrucchra³ respectively for having assaulted and assaulted fatally (a brahmin). Oneshould observe kruchrāti-krucchra for having caused blood to come out from a brahmin. If a chāņdāla and others happen to stand at the house (of a person) unknowingly, purificationshould be done from the time it was known explicitly, Chândrāyaṇa or parākas⁵ are the purificatory (rites) for a brahmin. Präjäpatya 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) theyshould be kept in the house and at the entrance and theyshould be put into the fire. It is laid down that(the polluted) earthen vesselshould be discarded. 

2. The observance marking the completion of onc's study.

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

4. Eating for nine days the quantity of water onc can hold in the band and fasting for threc days. But compare the explanation given in the next chapter. 

5. Fasting for twelve days. 

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 chandala,should do the chāndrāyana or the taptakrucchra. One becomes pure after six nights after having eaten or drunk from a vessel in a melee defiled by chandāla and others of vile (caste). Those of the twice-born communities after having eaten the remnants (of food) eaten by the low-castesshould do the vow of chândrāyaṇa and a sūdra (should do it) for three nights. A brahmin who had unknowingly drunk water from a well or pot (used by) a chandālashould do the sāntapana¹ and a sūdrashould fast for a day. A brahmin who drinks water after having been touched by a chaņdala (should fast) for three days and a sūdrashould fast for that day. A brahmin who has been touched by a dog, a šūdra 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 warriorshould 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 anywhereshould cleanse himself, sprinkle (water on the food) andshow it to the sun and fire. 

1. Drinking milk, ghee or water heated once overy three days. 

30-32. Ishall 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 (oneshould do) in the natural order of the castes. At the end of the krucchra a brahmin is again to be given the samskära (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 casteshould not eat untilshe 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. Ishall 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 krucchras¹ or chândrāyana.² Then theyshould be purified by purificatory rites such as the jätakarman³ and others. 

1. A kind of simple expiation.

2. See note 2 on p. 471.

3. Rite performed immediately after the birth of a child.

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 hadshaved or sold or wears blue coloured cloth etc. for the purpose of austerity becomes pure by (doing) three krucchras. 

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

42. One who has touched a chandala or svapacha 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 purificd 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 theshaving (gets pure) by bathing, One who eats food at the time of an eclipse (gets purified) by doing the krucchra. 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)krucchra, repetition (of mantras) and (offering) oblations. All sinners get purified by repentance and by doing oblation etc.