युधिष्ठिर उवाच कानि कृत्वेह कर्माणि प्रायश्चित्तीयते नरः। किं कृत्वा मुच्यते तत्र तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Yudhishthira said 'What are the necessary rites of expiation? And what are those acts which one must do for being released from sin? Tell me this, O grandfather.
व्यास उवाच अकुर्वन् विहितं कर्म प्रतिषिद्धानि चाचरन्। प्रायश्चित्तीयते ह्येवं नरो मिथ्यानुवर्तयन्॥
Vyasa said “Having omitted to perform those acts that have been ordained, and done those that have been forbidden, and have behaved deceitfully, a man becomes liable to perform expiation.
सूर्येणाभ्युदितो यश्च ब्रह्मचारी भवत्युत। तथा सूर्याभिनिर्मुक्तः कुनखी श्यावदन्नपि॥ परिवित्तिः परिवेत्ता ब्रह्मघ्नो यश्च कुत्सकः। दिधिषूपपतिर्यः स्यादग्रेदिधिषुरेव च॥ अवकीर्णी भवेद् यश्च द्विजातिवधकस्तथा। अतीर्थे ब्राह्मणस्त्यागी तीर्थे चाप्रतिपादकः॥ ग्रामघाती च कौन्तेय मांसस्य परिविक्रयी। यश्चाग्नीनपविध्येत तथैव ब्रह्मविक्रयी॥ स्त्रीशूद्रवधको यश्च पूर्वः पूर्वस्तु गर्हितः। यथा पशुसमालम्भी गृहदाहस्य कारकः॥ अनृतेनोपवर्ती च प्रतिरोद्धा गुरोस्तथा। एतान्येनांसि सर्वाणि व्युत्क्रान्तसमयश्च यः॥
The Brahmacharin, who rises from bed after the sun rise, or goes to bed while the sun is setting, one who has a rotten nail or black tecth, one whose younger brother married first, one who marries before his elder brother is married, one who has been guilty of Brahmanicide, one who speaks ill of others, one who marries a younger sister before the elder sister has been married, one who marries an elder sister after having married a younger one, one who does not observe his vow, one kill who a saint, one who imparts a knowledge of the Vedas to a unworthy person, one who does not impart a knowledge thereof a worthy person, one who takes many lives, one who sells flesh, one who has abandoned his (sacred) fire, one who sells the knowledge of the Vedas, one who kills his preceptor or a woman, one born in a sinful family, one who kills an animal wilfully, one who gives fire to a dwelling house, one who lives by deceit, one who disobeys his preceptor, and one who has violated agreement,-these all are guilty of sins requiring expiation.
अकार्याणि तु वक्ष्यामि यानि तानि निबोध मे। लोकवेदविरुद्धानि तान्येकाग्रमनाः शृणु॥
I shall now mention other acts which men should not do, viz., acts that are forbidden by men and the Vedas. Listen to me with rapt attention.
स्वधर्मस्य परित्यागः परधर्मस्य च क्रिया। अयाज्ययाजनं चैव तथाभक्ष्यस्य भक्षणम्॥ शरणागतसंत्यागो भृत्यस्याभरणं तथा। रसानां विक्रयश्चापि तिर्यग्योनिवधस्तथा॥ आधानादीनि कर्माणि शक्तिमान करोति यः। अप्रयच्छंश्च सर्वाणि नित्यदेयानि भारत॥ दक्षिणानामदानं च ब्राह्मणस्वाभिमर्शनम्। सर्वाण्येतान्यकार्याणि प्राहुर्धर्मविदो जनाः॥
The rejection of one's own religion, the following of other people's religion, assisting at the sacrifice or the religious rites of one who does not deserve such assistance, eating of forbidden food, deserting one who seeks refuge, neglect in maintaining servants and dependents, selling salt and treacle, killing of birds and animals, refusal, though able to beget children, upon a soliciting woman, negligence of making the daily offering, negligence to present the Dakshina, humiliating a Brahmana, these all are considered as forbidden acts by persons conversant with duty.
पित्रा विवदते पुत्रो यश्च स्याद् गुरुतल्पगः। अप्रजायन् नरव्याघ्र भवत्यधार्मिको नरः॥
The son that quarrels with the father, the person who violates the bed of his preceptor, one who neglects to beget children on his wife, are all sinful, O foremost of men.
उक्तान्येतानि कर्माणि विस्तरेणेतरेण च। यानि कुर्वन्नकुर्वच प्रायश्चित्तीयते नरः॥
I have now described to you in brief as also in detail, those acts and omissions by which a man is compelled to perform expiation.
एतान्येव तु कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि मानवाः। येषु येषु निमित्तेषु न लिप्यन्तेऽथ ताशृणु॥
Listen now to the circumstances under which men, by even committing these acts, are not sullied with sin.
प्रगृह्य शस्त्रमायान्तमपि वेदान्तगं रणे। जिघांसन्तं जिघांसीयान्न तेन ब्रह्महा भवेत्॥
If a Brahmana well acquainted with the Vedas takes up arins and tries to kill you in battle, you may proceed against him for taking his life. By such an act the slayer does not become guilty of Brahmanicide.
इति चाप्यत्र कौन्तेय मन्त्रो वेदेषु पठ्यते। वेदप्रमाणविहितं धर्मं च प्रब्रवीमि ते॥
There is a Mantra in the Vedas, O son of Kunti, that sanctions it, I describe to you only those practices which are sanctioned by the authority of the Vedas.
अपेतं ब्राह्मणं वृत्ताद् यो हन्यादाततायिनम्। न तेन ब्रह्महा स स्यान्मन्युस्तन्मन्युमृच्छति॥
One who kills a Brahmana who deviates from his own duties and who goes armed for killing a man, does not truly become the killer of a Brahmania. In such a case it is the anger of the slayer that proceeds against the anger of the slain.
प्राणात्यये तथाज्ञानादाचरन्मदिरामपि। आदेशितो धर्मपरैः पुनः संस्कारमर्हति॥
A person by drinking alcohol unknowingly or upon the advice of a virtuous physician when his life is in a danger should have the expiatory rites performed once more in his case.
एतत् ते सर्वमाख्यातं कौन्तेयाभक्ष्यभक्षणम्। प्रायश्चित्तविधानेन सर्वमेतेन शुद्ध्यति॥
All that I have told you, O son of Kunti, about the eating of forbidden food, inay be purified by such expiatory rites.
गुरुतल्पं हि गुर्वर्थं न दूषयति मानवम्। उद्दालक: श्वेतकेतुं जनयामास शिष्यतः॥
Knowing the preceptor's wife at the preceptor's behest, does not stain the pupil. The sage Uddalaka caused his son Shvetaketu to be begotten by a disciple.
स्तेयं कुर्वंच गुर्वर्थमापत्सु न निषिध्यते। बहुशः कामकारेण न चेद् यः सम्प्रवर्तते॥
A person by committing theft for his preceptor in a time of distress, is not sullied by that sin. One, however, who commits theft for procuring enjoyments for himself, becomes stained.
अन्यत्र ब्राह्मणस्वेभ्य आददानो न दुष्यति। स्वयमप्राशिता यश्च न स पापेन लिप्यते॥
One is not sullied by stealing from other than Brahmanas in times of distress and for the sake of his preceptor. Only one who steals under such circumstances without reserving for himself any portion thereof, is not sullied by sin.
प्राणत्राणेऽनृतं वाच्यमात्मनो वा परस्य च। गुर्वर्थे स्त्रीषु चैव स्याद् विवाहकरणेषु च॥
A falsehood may be uttered for saving one's own life or that of another, or for the sake of one's preceptor, or for gratifying a woman, or for bringing about a marriage.
नावर्तते व्रतं स्वप्ने शुक्रमोक्षे कथंचन। आज्यहोमः समिद्धेऽग्नौ प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयते॥
One's vow of celibacy is not broken by having nocturnal pollutions. In such cases the expiation consists in the pouring of libations of clarified butter on the burning fire.
पारिवित्त्यं त पतिते नास्ति प्रव्रजिते तथा। भिक्षिते पारदार्यं च तद् धर्मस्य न दूषकम्॥
If the elder brother is killed or has left the world, the younger brother does not commit sin by marrying. He who solicited by a woman, knows her commits no sin.
वृथा पशुसमालम्भं नैव कुर्यान्न कारयेत्। अनुग्रहः पशूनां हि संस्कारो विधिनोदितः॥
One should not kill or cause to be killed an animal except in a sacrifice. Animals have become sacred for the kindness shown towards them by the creator, himself in the ordinance laid down by him.
अनर्हे ब्राह्मणे दत्तमज्ञानात् तन्न दूषकम्। सत्काराणां तथा तीर्थे नित्यं वाप्रतिपादनम्॥
By making a gift unknowingly to an undeserving Brahmana one does not commit sin. The ignorant omission of behaving with liberality towards a deserving person does not lead to sin.
स्त्रियास्तथापचारिण्या निष्कृतिः स्याददूषिका। अपि सा पूयते तेन न तु भर्ता प्रदुष्यति॥
By forsaking an unchaste wife one does not incur sin. By such treatment the woman herself may be purified while the husband may avoid sin.
तत्त्वं ज्ञात्वा नु सोमस्य विक्रयः स्याददोषवान्। असमर्थस्य भृत्यस्य विसर्गः स्याददोषवान्। वनदाहो गवामर्थे क्रियमाणो न दूषकः॥
One who knows the true uses of the Soma juice, does not commit sin by selling it. By dismissing a servant who is incapable of doing service, one is not visited with sin.
उक्तान्येतानि कर्माणि यानि कुर्वन्न दुष्यति। प्रायश्चित्तानि वक्ष्यामि विस्तरेमैव भारत॥
I have grow described those acts by doing which one does not commit sin. I shall now speak to you of expiation in detail.