105 - Teachings of Yajnavalkya

Yajnavalkya said: 

1. A person is degraded when he fails to do what he is enjoined to do and does what is forbidden and also by not curbing his sense organs. 

2. Hence expiatory acts have to be performed with great care for purification. Thereby his conscience becomes clear and the world he attains becomes pure. 

3-6. The whole world becomes happy if he performs atonement whereby his sins are dispelled. Those who never do atonement and repent fall into hell, according to the gravity of sins. The names of different hells are: -Tamisra, Lohashanku (Iron bolted), Putigandha Samakula (agitated by putrefying smell), Hamsabha, Lohitoda, Sanjivana, Nadipatha, Mahanilaya, Kakolam, Andhatamisra, Avichi and Kumbha Paka, a murderer of brahmins, a wine-drinker, a stealer of gold, a defiler of preceptor's bed and a person who associates with any of these these and similar sinners fall into hell. 

7-8. Decrying Vedas and despising preceptors are equivalent to the sin of murdering a brahmin in gravity. Taking food prohibited, low and base acts, and drinking the honey off the lips of a maiden in her monthly course are all akin to drinking of wine. Stealing of a horse is on a par with stealing of gold. 

9. Coitus with a friend's wife, a virgin, a woman of a low caste, a woman of the same clan or one who gave birth to oneself-all these are sins akin to defiling of preceptor's wife. 

10-12. Illegitimate intimacy with father's sister, mother's sister, aunt, one's own sister, mother's co-wife, her sister, preceptor's daughter and wife and one's own daughter -- all these, are on a par with defiling preceptor's bed. The guilty man's penis should be cut off and he should be killed. The woman too shall be killed if she had been a willing partner in the illegal intercourse. 

13-20. There are many Upapatakas (minor sins and turpitudes). They are :--slaughtering of a cow, stealing a brahmin's personal effects, non-payment of debts, not maintaining sacred fires, trading, the younger brother's marrying when the elder brother is still a bachelor, learning from a servant, teaching a boss, adultery, abetment of Parivedana, Usury, sale of salt, killing of a good Shudra, Vaishya or Kshatriya, infamous livelihood, misappropriation of a deposit, breaking of a vow, sale of meet, sale of a cow, abandonment of father, mother or a friend, sale of tanks and parks, selling of daughter's ornaments, giving the post of the presiding priest in a sacrifice to a man guilty of Parivedana, giving one's daughter to such a man, crookedness, causing break in the vow of others, selfish ventures, cohabitation with a wine-drinking woman, forsaking of one's study of Vedas, sacred fires, son, and kinsmen, perusal of illegal and unholy literature, selling of oneself or one's own wife, all these are Upapatakas. Now know the process of atonement. A brahmin-slayer shall hold a broken skull over his head, loudly proclaim his guilt, beg for alms for sustenance and roam about for twelve years taking only very little food. He will thus be purified. Or in the alternative he shall perform some sacrifice or Graha Homa with the respective mantras “Somobhyah Svaha," "Lobhavan," etc. Thus, also a sin of slaying a brahmin can be atoned for. 

21-22. If a brahmin or a cow was killed for the sake of a brahmin, without much cruelty, the murderer shall read Vedasamhita three times residing in a forest in a holy atmosphere. Or he shall pray to Goddess Sarasvati and deposit a pot of coins in the river Sarasvati. If one kills a Kshatriya or a Vaishya in the act of performing a sacrifice, he too shall perform the expiatory rites of a brahmin-slayer. 

23-25. The man guilty of abortion shall perform the Vrata "Trayinishudana" according to the caste of the child killed. If a brahmin engaged in Savana is the victim of an attempted murder the would-be slayer should perform the Vrata twice. The expiatory rite for drinking wine is the drinking of red-hot wine, ghee water and cow's urine. If the man does not die by drinking the hot liquid he shall perform the expiatory rite of a brahmin-slayer wearing barks of trees and matted hair, he now becomes pure. But he must have all brahminical rites all over again. 

26. A brahmin woman drinking wine should similarly perform expiatory rite by drinking semen, faeces and cow's urine. Otherwise, she becomes fallen from husband's world (Patiloka) and is born as a vulture, pig or bitch. 

27. A brahmin stealing gold should hand over a pestle to the king proclaiming his guilt. If the king strikes him with it the brahmin becomes pure. Or he should give the king enough gold equal in weight to himself. He thus becomes pure. 

28-29. If a man rapes a woman sleeping in her own bed, his penis and scrotum should be cut off and thrown in the south west quarter. 

30. The wicked defiler of the preceptor's bed should perform the Prajapatya1 Krucchra Vrata2 or the Chandrayana Vrata or should read Veda Samhita for three months.

1. An expiation of four periods of three days.

2. Bodily mortification.

31. A slayer of cow shall remain celibate for a month, lie down in the cowshed for the night and during the day he should serve the cow following it like a shadow and finally make a gift of it. He shall be pure. 

32. Expiation for all Upapatakas is by Chandrayana Vrata. Or he should live on milk alone for a month or perform Paraka (Twelve days' fast) rite. 

33. The killer of a Kshatriya should make a gift of one bull or a thousand cows. Or he should perforin the expiatory rite of a brahmin-slayer for three years. 

34. The slayer of a Vaishya should perform it for a year or make a gift of a hundred cows. A slayer of a Shudra should perform the rite for six months or make a gift of ten cows. A slayer of an undefiled woman shall perform the expiatory rite of a slayer of a Shudra. 

35. A slayer of a cat, mungoose, alligator, a frog or any other animal shall drink only milk for three days and perform Krucchra Vrata. 

36. A slayer of an elephant should atone for it by making a gift of five blue bulls and a calf white in colour and two years old. If a mule goat or sheep is killed a bull should be given. If a Krauncha bird is killed a three-year-old bull should be given, 

37-38. For felling and cutting down trees, hedges and creepers the expiation is the recital of a hundred Ruks. A Brahmacharin embracing a woman will become the breaker of vows. If he touches an ass he should recite a Nairruta mantra. For the sin of taking wine and meat the rites of Krucchra Shesa shall be performed. 

39. If the disciple dies running an errand the preceptor should perform the Krucchra rite. If the disciple acts, contrary to the interests of the preceptor, he should propitiate him and crave forgiveness. He will be free from sin. 

40. If the enemy is wounded he shall be taken care of by giving food and affectionate treatment. If a brahmin dies when being treated there is no sin. 

41. After committing a major sin or a minor turpitude if a person utters falsehood he should expiate by remaining in exile for a month without begging anyone and exercising self-control. 

42. Without the formal sanction of the elders, if a younger brother indulges in sexual intercourse with the wife of the elder brother he shall perform Chandrayana. To expiate for the sin of cohabiting with a woman in her menses he should drink ghee at the end of three days' fast. 

43. To expiate for the sin of accepting a gift from an undeserving person, he should stay in a cowshed for a month drinking milk, leading a celibate life and chanting Gayatri mantra. He should be free from the sin. 

44. For the sin of not sheltering a person seeking refuge the atonement is reading the Vedas upto capacity. If a Vratya is employed in sacrifice both shall expiate by performing the Krucchra rite thrice. 

45. If a man is forced to travel in a mule cart or a camel cart he should do Pranayama thrice. If a man indulges in sexual intercourse with his wife during the day, he shall bathe naked to a tone for the sin. 

46. O sages, the sin resulting from being rude or using abusive language to the preceptor or by defeating a brahmin in an argument shall be wiped off by craving his indulgence and observing fast for a day. 

47. For the sin of brandishing a staff at a brahmin the expiation is Krucchra; for the sin of beating, the atonement is Atikrucchra. Whenever atonement is mentioned the facts of time, place, age, strength and the gravity of the sin should be taken into consideration before deciding the way of expiation. 

48. Wilful abortion and hatred of the husband are great sins in women without any expiation. Hence, she shall be shunned from a distance. 

49. If the guilt has become public the expiation shall be done as prescribed by the preceptor, in public view. If it is not publicised the Vrata shall be performed secretly. 

50. A slayer of a brahmin shall give a milch cow after fasting for three days. 

51-52. And he shall repeat Aghamarshana mantra standing in water. He shall stand in water for a day, only breathing (i.e., without taking food) and performing homa with the mantra "Somebhyah Svaha" for forty times using ghee. A drinker of wine or a stealer of gold shall remain standing in water reciting “Rudra" mantras and shall afterwards perform homa with ghee with the "Kushmanda" mantra and observe fast for three days. 

53. A defiler of preceptor's bed shall be expiated by reciting Sahasrashirsha1 mantra.

1. RV. 10.90.1.

54. To expiate for any sin committed, one shall perform Pranayama a hundred times. 

55. By unwittingly swallowing faeces, semen and wine a brahmin incurs impurity, which shall be wiped off by fasting for the day and drinking water in the evening with Onkara. 

56. O Brahmins, the destruction of all sins inadvertently committed is possible when Sandhya prayers are offered thrice in the day. All sins should be dispelled if Rudra mantra is recited eleven times. 

57. No sin defiles a brahmin regularly studying Vedas and performing the five sacrifices. Excepting the sin of slaying a brahmin all sins are removed by reciting Gayatri, a thousand times. 

58. The Yamas (restraints) are Celibacy, mercy, patience, meditation, truthfulness, contentment, nonviolence, non-stealing, sweetness, and mental control. 

59. The Niyamas (Suppressions) are bathing, silence, fasting, sacrifices Vedic study, control of sense organs, austerity, non-furiousness, devotion to the preceptor, and physical purity. 

60. O Brahmins, the Panchagavya consists of cow's milk, ghee, curd, urine and dung. The expiator should swallow these and fast for the next day. This is called Santapana Krucchra, 

61. Six days' fast after taking in one of the articles constituting the Santapana and Krucchra for the seventh day. This is called Mahasantapana. 

62. The leaves of Udumbara, Rajiva (lotus) Bilva and water from Kusha Grass-each of these is taken once every day. This is Parnakrucchra. 

63. Boiled milk, water, curd---either of these is taken every day and fasting for the night. This is the holy Taptakrucchra.

64: One unsolicited morsel one night, and fast for the next-This is called Padakrucchra. 

65. Any of the above practised three times is called Prajapatya. If one takes only a palmcupful of water along with the previous, it is called Atikrucchra. 

65. Krucchra and Atikrucchra alternatively for twenty-one days and fast for twelve days. This is called Paraka. 

67. One morsel of Pinyaka (oil cake), whey, and powdered barley is taken one day and fasting for the next---This is called Krucchrasama. 

68. The rite for fifteen days when each one of the Krucchras mentioned above is practised for three days, is called Tulapurusha. 

69. In the bright half of the lunar month on the first day, a morsel of food of the size of a peacock's egg is taken; on the second day two morsels are taken. Thus, the number is increased upto fifteen. In the dark half the number is gradually reduced. This is called Chandrayana. 

70. Another type of Chandrayana is taking in two hundred and forty morsels of food in the course of a month without any stipulation on the number for any day. 

71. This Pinda Chandrayana is to be performed after Trishavanasnana (plunging into water for three times). Gayatri mantra shall be repeated over the pindas. 

72-73. In sins known or unknown there is purification by Chandrayana. Those who practise this only for the sake of virtue attain to Chandraloka. Those who practise Krucchra similarly attain great prosperity.