52 - Prayashchitta

 A religious act to atone for one's sin. 

Brahmå said: 

1-2. O Brahmins, hereafter I shall expound the process of atonement for sin. There are five great sinners: —the slayer of brahmins, the drunkard, the thief, defiler of preceptor's bed, and a person associating with any of these. The deities have mentioned the slaughter of cows, etc. as Upapapa (subsidiary sin). 

3. The slayer of a brahmin shall stay in a hut in the forest for twelve years. He shall observe fast, fall from a great precipice. 

4. Jump into fire, or drown himself into water. Or he shall cast off his body for the sake of a brahmin or a cow. 

5. By giving food to a scholar he can wipe off the evils of the slaughter of a brahmin. A brahmin (slayer of another brahmin) becomes free from the sin by bathing at the ceremonial bath after the horse-sacrifice. 

6-7. Or he shall give away everything he possesses to a brahmin knowing Vedas. A brahmin shall fast for three nights and take bath thrice a day in the famous confluence of River Sarasvati1. By taking bath at the Setubandha2 (at Ramešhvara3 in the south). 

1.    An important river in the Rugveda, flowed between Shatadru and Yamuna but, in later times, it was lost. 

2.   A bridge mentioned in the Ramayana; constructed by Rama to crow the sea to invade Lankā. 

3. According to the legends, Rāma worshipped the Shiva linga here. Now-a-days it is a place of pilgrimage situated on the island of Pambau. 

8. Or in Kapalamochana at Varanasi4 a man is freed from the sin of slaughtering a brahmin. A brahmin guilty of drinking wine shall be freed from the sin by drinking hot boiling wine. 

4. The modern Våråņasi. It was also known as Käshi. 

9. Milk, ghee or cow's urine. A thief stealing gold is freed from that sin if he is struck by the king with a pestle. 

10. A brahmin guilty of stealing gold shall wear bark garments and perform the expiatory atonement of a slayer of brahmin. A brahmin who passionately embraces the preceptor's wife. 

11. Shall expiate by embracing the redhot iron statue of a woman. All persons guilty of illegitimate intercourse with the preceptor's wife, shall perform the expiatory rites of a slayer of a brahmin. 

12. Or he shall perform Chandrāyana vow nine times [Taking fifteen mouthfuls of food on the full moon and decreasing it daily, taking nothing on the new moon day. This is a Chandrayana Vrata. This, he shall perform nine times. A brahmin associating with any of the four sinners mentioned above. 

13. Shall perform the due expiatory rites for the respective sins toward off the evil results. Or he shall perform bodily mortification and austerity for a year without fail. 

14. He shall offer all he possesses. He shall be freed from all sins. Due performance of Chandrayana or bodily mortification. 

15. Or going to holy places like Gayá is destructive of sin. He shall propitiate Lord Bhava (Shiva). 

16. After feeding brahmins on the new moon day he shall be freed from all sins. In the dark-half of the lunar month one shall obscrve fast on the fourteenth day. 

17-18. And on the next day in the morning he shall take bath in a river and offer water libations with gingelly seeds seven times saying Yamaya (to Yama, Dharmarajaya (to Dharmaraja), Mrutyave (to Mrutyu) Antakāya (to Antaka), Vaivasvataya (to Vaivasvata: Kalaya (to Kala) and Sarvabhutalakṣhayāya (to Sarvabhūtakşhaya). He shall then be freed from all sins. 

19. In all Vratas (sacred rites) he shall be quiescent, of controlled mind and shall observe Brahmacharya (celibacy), fast and worship of brahmins and shall lie only on the ground (not on a cot). 

20. He shall observe fast on the sixth day in the bright half of the lunar month and on the seventh day he shall worship God Sun with mental concentration. He shall be freed from all sins. 

21. Observing fast on the eleventh day in the bright half of the lunar month and worshipping Janārdana on the twelfth day he shall be freed from great sins. 

22. Austerity, recital of prayers, visit to holy places and worship of gods and brahmins on the occasion of eclipses, etc. are destructive of great sins. 

23. Even though a person is guilty of all sins, if he were to die in holy places after due performance of rites, he shall be freed from all sins. 

24. A woman can redeem her husband guilty of slaughter of a brahmin, or any other great sin, ingratitude, etc. if she ascends the funeral pyre of her husband. 

24. If a woman is chaste and is devotedly attached to her husband, she has no sin whatsoever here in this world or hereafter. 

26. As it is said that Sita, celebrated in the three worlds, wife of Råma the son of Dasharatha, subjugated even the lord of Rakshasas. 

27. Persons taking a dip in the holy river "Phalgu" (in Gayà), ctc., shall reap the fruit of all good actions. Thus did Lord Vishnu speak to me, O sages observing due rites! 

1. This river flows through the town of Gaya.