173 - Different expiations for different sins

The Agni said:

1. Ishall describe the expiation as told by Brahmå 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. Oneshould examine carefully the place, time, age, ability and sin and lay down expiation when no expiation has been indicated. 

7. Oneshould 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 brahminshould 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) one eighth part (of that) and it would be known to be one-sixteenth in commencing (to kill) the last caste. 

13-20. Oneshould practice the vow (prescribed) for killing the last caste for having killed a woman not wicked. A killer of a cowshould 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 krucchra or atikrucchra for the kings and others. A brahmin who has killed a very old or very emaciated or very young or sickly cowshould practice half the vow as mentioned above. Heshould feed the brahmins according to his ability andshould give away gold, sesamum etc. Itshould be declared as killing a cow if the cow had been struck with clenched fist or by the elbow, or the born 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 (being tied) to a post, chain or rope, oneshould do three-fourth (expiation of the above). Oneshould practise sāntapana (if the death is due) to a log of wood, prājāpatya (if due) to a lump of earth, taptakrucchra (if due) to a stone and atikrucchra (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 birdshould drink milk for three days and practise expiation (called) chândrāyaṇa. (If the sin has been done) in secret, the expiation (should be done) in secrecy and (if done) explicitly, (expiationshould be done) explicitly. 

21-25. Oneshould do hundred prānāyāma¹ for dispelling all sins. Beverages, grape juice, date juice, palm juice, sugarcane juice, spirituous liquor got from the flower of madhūka, tankamādhvika (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 drink ing so oneshould do penance and become pure (by drinking) water. Then he may eat sinall quantity of food for a year or oil-cake once in the night. For dispelling (the sin due to drinking of wine oneshould 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 wineshould observe a vow for seven days. 

1. Breathing regulated by the repetition of gayatri mantra and the vyahrutis. 

26. One who has drunk water belonging to a chandālashould practise a vow for six days. Oneshould practise sāntapana for having drunk water from the well or vessel belonging to a chândāla. 

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 smallshell 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. Oneshould practise chândrāyaṇa for having eaten food from a man belonging to the lowest caste. (If one had eaten food) at the house of a sūdra at the time of distress, he becomes pure by means of repentance. 

30-31. A brahmin eating from the vessel of a südra (gets purificd) 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 sūdra 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 urineshould practise the prājāpatya. 

35-36. It is opined that chandrāyaṇa (should be done) at (the time of) navasrāddha¹, parāka at the māsika (monthly rites for the dead). Atikrucchra would be (in the ceremony) after three fortnights and krucchra at the six-monthly (rite). Padakrucchra 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. 

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

37. The expiation for having eaten the prohibited food is fasting. Oneshould do the sisuka expiation (Sisuchândrāyana) for having eaten bhūstruņa (a kind of fragrant grass) and garlic. 

38. One who has eaten prohibited food and remnant of food eaten by women and a šūdra and prohibited fleshshould drink milk for seven nights. 

39. If a brahmacåri (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), heshould do the expiation (known as) prajapatya. 

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 heshould 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 wineshould practise krucchra for a year, 

43. (One who steals) gems, pearls and corals, copper, silver, iron, bronze and stonesshould 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 chandrayana. 

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. Oneshould 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 daughtershould be deemed to have violated his teacher's bed. Heshould 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 teachershould practise chândrāyana for three months. Oneshould follow the same procedure for having cohabited even fallen women. Oneshould perform that vow for such (women) which a person would perform for others' wives. It is laid down that oneshould end his life for having cohabited girls, chandala women, daughters and wives of one's sapinda. (The sin) which a brahmin commits in a night by coha biting 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 chandrayana for having cohabited the wife of the paternal uncle, wife of one's brother, woman of the lowest caste, a woman of the pukkasa¹ 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 imaternal 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. 

1. A kind of mixed caste.