Chapter 165

“Bhishma said, ‘For enabling such pious and impoverished Brahmanas ashave been robbed of their wealth (by thieves), as are engaged in theperformance of sacrifices, as are well conversant with all the Vedas, andas are desirous of acquiring the merit of righteousness, to dischargetheir obligations to preceptors and the Pitris, and pass their days inreciting and studying the scriptures, wealth and knowledge, O Bharata,should be given.[467] Unto those Brahmanas that are not poor, only theDakshina,[468] O best of the Bharatas, should be given. As regards thosethat have fallen away (in consequence of their sinful deeds) from thestatus of Brahman, uncooked food should be given to them outside thelimits of the sacrificial altar.[469] The Brahmanas are the Vedasthemselves and all the Sacrifices with large presents. Desirous ofexcelling one another, they always perform sacrifices, impelled by theirvirtuous inclinations. The king should, therefore, make presents ofdiverse kinds of valuable wealth unto them. That Brahmana who hath asufficiency of stores for feeding his family for three or more years,deserves to drink the Soma.[470] If not withstanding the presence of avirtuous king on the throne, the sacrifice begun by anybody, especiallyby a Brahmana, cannot be completed for want of only a fourth part of theestimated expenses, then the king should, for the completion of thatsacrifice, take away from his kinsmen the wealth of a Vaisya that ispossessed of a large flock of cattle but that is averse from sacrificesand abstains from quaffing Soma. The Sudra has no competence forperforming a sacrifice. The king should, therefore, take away (wealth forsuch a purpose) from a Sudra house of ours.[471] The king should also,without any scruple, take away from the kinsmen the wealth of him whodoes not perform sacrifices though possessed of a hundred kine and alsoof him who abstains from sacrifices though possessed of a thousand kine.The king should always publicly take away the wealth of such a person asdoes not practise charity, by acting in this way the king earns greatmerit. Listen again to me. That Brahmana who has been forced by want togo without six meals,[472] may take away without permission, according tothe rule of a person that cares only for today without any thought of themorrow, only what is necessary for a single meal, from the husking tub orthe field or the garden or any other place of even a man of low pursuits.He should, however, whether asked or unasked, inform the king of hisact.[473] If the king be conversant with duty he should not inflict anypunishment upon such a Brahmana. He should remember that a Brahmanabecomes afflicted with hunger only through the fault of theKshatriya.[474] Having ascertained a Brahmana’s learning and behaviour,the king should make a provision for him, and protect him as a fatherprotects the son of his own loins. On the expiry of every year, oneshould perform the Vaisvanara sacrifice (if he is unable to perform anyanimal or Soma sacrifice). They who are conversant with religion say thatthe practice of an act laid down in the alternative, is not destructiveof virtue. The Viswedevas, the Sadhyas, the Brahmanas, and great Rishis,fearing death in seasons of distress, do not scruple to have recourse tosuch provisions in the scriptures as have been laid down in thealternative. That man, however, who while able to live according to theprimary provision, betakes himself to the alternative, comes to beregarded as a wicked person and never succeeds in winning any felicity inheaven. A Brahmana conversant with the Vedas should never speak of hisenergy and knowledge to the king. (It is the duty of the king toascertain it himself.) Comparing again the energy of a Brahmana with thatof the king, the former will always be found to be superior to thelatter. For this reason the energy of the Brahmanas can scarcely be borneor resisted by a king. The Brahmana is said to be creator, ruler,ordainer, and god. No word of abuse, no dry speeches, should be addressedto a Brahmana. The Kshatriya should cross all his difficulties by the aidof the might of his arms. The Vaisya and the Sudra should conquer theirdifficulties by wealth; the Brahmana should do so by Mantras and homa.None of these, viz., a maiden, a youthful woman, a person unacquaintedwith mantras, an ignorant guy, or one that is impure, is competent topour libations on the sacrificial fire. If any of these do so, he or sheis sure to fall into hell, with him for whom they act. For this reason,none but a Brahmana, conversant with the Vedas and skilled in allsacrifices should become the pourer of sacrificial libations. They whoare conversant with the scriptures say that the man who, having kindledthe sacrificial fire, does not give away the dedicated food as Dakshina,is not the kindler of a sacrificial fire. A person should, with hissenses under control, and with proper devotion, do all the acts of merit(indicated in the scriptures). One should never worship the deities insacrifices in which no Dakshina is given. A sacrifice not completed withDakshina, (instead of producing merit) brings about the destruction ofone’s children, animals, and heaven. Such a sacrifice destroys also thesenses, the fame, the achievements and the very span of life, that onehas. Those Brahmanas that lie with women in their season, or who neverperform sacrifices, or whose families have no members conversant with theVedas, are regarded as Sudras in act. That Brahmana who, having married aSudra girl, resides for twelve continuous years in a village has only awell for its water supply, becomes a Sudra in act. That Brahmana whosummons to his bed an unmarried maiden, or suffers a Sudra, thinking himworthy of respect, to sit upon the same carpet with him, should sit on abed of dry grass behind some Kshatriya or Vaisya and give him respect inthat fashion.[475] It is in this manner that he can be cleansed. Listen,O king, to my words on this subject. The sin that a Brahmana commits in asingle night by respectfully serving a member of a lower order or bysporting with him in the same spot or on the same bed, is cleansed byobserving the practice of sitting behind a Kshatriya or a Vaisya on a bedof dry grass for three continuous years. A falsehood spoken in jest isnot sinful; nor one that is spoken to a woman. O king, nor one that isspoken on an occasion of marriage; nor one spoken for benefiting one’spreceptor; nor one spoken for saving one’s own life. These five kinds offalsehood in speech, it has been said, are not sinful. One may acquireuseful knowledge from even a person of low pursuits, with devotion andreverence. One may take up gold, without any scruple, from even anunclean place. A woman that is the ornament of her sex may be taken (forwife) from even a vile race. Amrita, if extracted from poison, may bequaffed; women, jewels and other valuables, and water, can never,according to the scriptures, be impure or unclean. For the benefit ofBrahmanas and kine, and on occasions of transfusion of castes, even aVaisya may take up weapons for his own safety. Drinking alcoholicliquors, killing a Brahmana, and the violation of the preceptor’s bed,are sins that, if committed consciously, have no expiation. The onlyexpiation laid down for them is death. The same may be said of stealinggold and the theft of a Brahmana’s property. By drinking alcoholicliquors, by having congress with one with whom congress is prohibited, bymingling with a fallen person, and (a person of any of the other threeorders) by having congress with a Brahmani, one becomes inevitablyfallen. By mixing with a fallen person for one whole year in such mattersas officiation in sacrifices and teaching sexual congress, one becomesfallen. One, however, does not become so by mixing with a fallen personin such matters as riding on the same vehicle, sitting on the same seat,and eating in the same line. Excluding the five grave sins that have beenmentioned above, all other sins have expiations, provided for them.Expiating those sins according to the ordinances laid down for them, oneshould not again indulge in them. In the case of those who have beenguilty of the first three of these five sins, (viz., drinking alcoholicliquors, killing a Brahmana, and violation of the preceptor’s bed), thereis no restriction for their (surviving) kinsmen about taking food andwearing ornaments, even if their funeral rites remain unperformed whenthey die. The surviving kinsmen should make no scruple about such thingson such occasions. A virtuous man should, in the observance of hisduties, discard his very friends and reverend seniors. In fact, untilthey perform expiation, they that are virtuous should not even talk withthose sinners. A man that has acted sinfully destroys his sin by actingvirtuously afterwards and by penances. By calling a thief a thief, oneincurs the sin of theft. By calling a person a thief who, however, is nota thief one incurs a sin just double the sin of theft. The maiden whosuffers her virginity to be deflowered incurs three-fourths of the sin ofBrahmanicide, while the man that deflowers her incurs a sin equal to afourth part of that of Brahmanicide. By slandering Brahmanas or bystriking them, one sinks in infamy for a hundred years. By killing aBrahmana one sinks into hell for a thousand years. No one, therefore,should speak ill of a Brahmana or slay him. If a person strikes aBrahmana with a weapon, he will have to live in hell for as many years asthe grains of dust that are soaked by the blood flowing from the wounded.One guilty of foeticide becomes cleansed if he dies of wounds received inbattle fought for the sake of kine and Brahmanas. He may also be cleansedby casting his person on a blazing fire.[476] A drinker of alcoholicliquors becomes cleansed by drinking hot alcohol. His body being burntwith that hot drink, he is cleansed through death in the otherworld.[477] A Brahmana stained by such a sin obtains regions of felicityby such a course and not by any other. For violating the bed of apreceptor, the wicked-souled and sinful wretch becomes cleansed by thedeath that results from embracing a heated female figure of iron. Or,cutting off his organ and testicles and bearing them in his hands, heshould go on in a straight course towards the south-west and then castoff his life. Or, by meeting with death for the sake of benefiting aBrahmana, he may wash off his sin. Or, after performing a horse-sacrificeor a cow-sacrifice or an Agnishtoma, he may regain esteem both here andhereafter. The slayer of a Brahmana should practise the vow ofBrahmacharya for twelve years and devoting himself to penances, wander,holding in his hands the skull of the slain all the time and proclaiminghis sin unto all. He should even adopt such a course, devoted to penanceand leading the life of an ascetic. Even such is the expiation providedfor one who slays a woman quick with child, knowing her condition. Theman who knowingly slays such a woman incurs double the sin that followsfrom Brahmanicide. A drinker of alcoholic liquor should live on frugalfare, practising Brahmacharya vows, and sleep on the bare ground, andperform, for more than three years the sacrifice next to the Agnishtoma.He should then make a present of a thousand kine with one bull (unto agood Brahmana). Doing all this, he would regain his purity. Having slaina Vaisya one should perform such a sacrifice for two years and make apresent of a hundred kine with one bull. Having slain a Sudra, one shouldperform such a sacrifice for one year and make a present of a hundredkine with one bull. Having slain a dog or bear or camel, one shouldperform the same penance that is laid down for the slaughter of a Sudra.For slaying a cat, a chasa, a frog, a crow, a reptile, or a rat, it hasbeen said, one incurs the sin of animal slaughter, O king! I shall nowtell thee of other kinds of expiations in their order. For all minor sinsone should repent or practise some vow for one year. For congress withthe wife of a Brahmana conversant with the Vedas, one should for threeyears practise the vow of Brahmacharya, taking a little food at thefourth part of the day. For congress with any other woman (who is notone’s wife), one should practise similar penance for two years. Fortaking delight in a woman’s company by sitting with her on the same spotor on the same seat, one should live only on water for three days. Bydoing this he may cleanse himself of his sin. The same is laid down forone who befouls a blazing fire (by throwing impure things on it). He whowithout adequate cause, casts off his sire or mother or preceptor, surelybecomes fallen, O thou of Kuru’s race, as the conclusion is of thescriptures. Only food and clothes should be given, as the injunction is,unto a wife guilty of adultery or one confined in a prison. Indeed, thevows that are laid down for a male person guilty of adultery should becaused to be observed by also a woman who is guilty of the same. Thatwoman who abandoning a husband of a superior caste, has congress with avile person (of a lower order), should be caused by the king to bedevoured by dogs in a public place in the midst of a large concourse ofspectators.[478] A wise king should cause the male person committingadultery under such circumstances to be placed upon a heated bed of ironand then, placing faggots underneath, burn the sinner thereon. The samepunishment, O king, is provided for the woman that is guilty of adultery.The wicked sinner who does not perform expiation within a year of thecommission of the sin incurs demerit that is double of what attaches tothe original sin. One who associates with such a person for two yearsmust wander over the earth, devoting himself to penances and living uponeleemosynary charity. One associating with a sinner for four years shouldadopt such a mode of life for five years. If a younger brother wedsbefore his elder brother, then the younger brother, the elder brother andthe woman that is married, all three, in consequence of such wedding,become fallen. All of them should observe the vows prescribed for aperson who has neglected his sacrificial fire, or practise the vow ofChandrayana for a month, or some other painful vow, for cleansingthemselves of their sin. The younger brother, wedding, should give hiswife unto his unmarried elder brother. Afterwards, having obtained thepermission of the elder brother, the younger brother may take back hiswife. By such means may all three be cleansed of their sin. By slayinganimals save a cow, the slayer is not stained. The learned know that manhas dominion over all the lower animals. A sinner, holding in his hand ayak-tail and an earthen pot, should go about, proclaiming his sin. Heshould every day beg of only seven families, and live upon what may bethus obtained. By doing this for twelve days he may be cleansed of hissin. He who becomes unable to bear in his hand the yak-tail whilepractising this vow, should observe the vow of mendicancy (as statedabove) for one whole year. Amongst men such expiation is the best. Forthose that are able to practise charity, the practice of charity has beenlaid down in all such cases. Those who have faith and virtue may cleansethemselves by giving away only one cow. One who eats or drinks the flesh,ordure, or urine, of a dog, a boar, a man, a cock, or a camel must havehis investiture of the sacred thread re-performed. If a Soma-drinkingBrahmana inhales the scent of alcohol from the mouth of one that hasdrunk it, he should drink warm water for three days or warm milk for thesame period. Or, drinking warm water for three days he should live forthat period upon air alone. These are the eternal injunctions laid downfor the expiation of sin, especially for a Brahmana who has committedthese sins through ignorance and want of judgment.'”