ANUSHASANIKA PARVA: Chapter 136

The expiation of a Brahmana disregarding the law

युधिष्ठिर उवाच उक्तास्तु भवता भोज्यास्तथाभोज्याश्च सर्वशः। अत्र में प्रश्नसंदेहस्तन्मे वद पितामह॥
Yudhishthira said You have told me fully of those from whom food may be taken and of those from whom it should not be taken?

ब्राह्मणानां विशेषेण हव्यकव्यप्रतिग्रहे। नानाविधेषु भोज्येषु प्रायश्चित्तानि शंस मे॥
But I have grave doubts on one points, Do you o Sire enlighten me; do you tell me what expiations a Brahmana should make upon accepting the different kinds of food, those especially offered in honour of the celestials and the oblations made to the departed Manes.

भीष्म उवाच हन्त वक्ष्यामि ते राजन् ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम्। प्रतिग्रहेषु भोज्ये च मुच्यते येन पाप्मनः॥
Bhishma said I shall tell you, O prince, how great Brahmanas may be freed from all sins incurred by acccpting food from others.

घृतप्रतिग्रहे चैव सावित्री समिदाहुतिः। तिलप्रतिग्रहे चैव सममेतद् युधिष्ठिर॥
In accepting clarified butter, the expiation is made by pouring oblations on the fire, reciting the Savitri hymn. In accepting sesamum, o Yudhishthira the same expiation has to be made.

मांसप्रतिग्रहे चैव मधुनो लवणस्य च। आदित्योदयनं स्थित्वा पूतो भवति ब्राह्मणः॥
In accepting meat, or honey, or salt, a Brahmana becomes purged off of all sins by standing till the rising of the Sun.

काञ्चनं प्रतिगृह्याथ जपमानो गुरुश्रुतिम्। कृष्णायसं च विवृतं धारयन् मुच्यते द्विजः॥ एवं प्रतिगृहीतेऽथ धने वस्त्रे तथा स्त्रियाम्। एवमेव नरश्रेष्ठ सुवर्णस्य प्रतिग्रहे॥
If a Brahmana accepts gold from any one, he becomes cleansed of all sins by silently reciting the great Gayatri, and by holding a piece of iron in his hand, before the public. In accepting money or clothes or women or gold, the purification is the same as before.

अन्नप्रतिग्रहे चैव पायसेक्षुरसे तथा। इक्षुतैलपवित्राणां त्रिसंध्येऽप्सु निमज्जनम्॥
In accepting food, or rice boiled in milk and sugar, or sugarcane juice, or sugarcane, or oil or any sacred thing, one becomes purified by bathing thrice during the day, viz., at morning noon and evening.

व्रीहौ पुष्पे फले चैव जले पिष्टमये तथा। यावके दधिदुग्धे च सावित्रीं शतशोऽन्विताम्॥
If one accepts paddy, flowers fruits, water half ripe barley, milk or curdled milk or anything made of meal or flour the expiation is done by reciting the Gayatri prayer a hundred times.

उपानहौ च च्छत्रं च प्रतिगृौर्ध्वदेहिके। जपेच्छतं समायुक्तस्तेन मुच्येत पाप्मना॥
In accepting shoes or clothes at obsequial ceremonies, the sin is dissipated by reciting devoutly the same hymn a hundred times.

क्षेत्रप्रतिग्रहे चैव ग्रहसूतकयोस्तथा। त्रीणि रात्राण्युपोषित्वा तेन पापाद् विमुच्यते॥
a The acceptance of the gift of land during an eclipse or during the period of impurity, is expiated by observing a fast during three successive nights.

कृष्णपक्षे तु यः श्राद्धं पितॄणामश्नुते द्विजः। अन्नमेतदहोरात्रात् पूतो भवति ब्राह्मणः॥
The Brahmana who partakes of oblations offered to departed Manes, in course of the dark fortnight, is purified by fasting for a whole day and night.

न च संध्यामुपासीत न च जाप्यं प्रवर्तयेत्। न संकिरेत् तदन्नं च ततः पूयेत ब्राह्मणः॥
Without performing his ablutions Brahmana should not recite his evening prayers nor engage in religious meditation, nor take his food a second time. By so doing he is purified.

इर्थमपराह्ने तु पितॄणां श्राद्धमुच्यते। यथोक्तानां यदश्नीयुर्ब्राह्मणाः पूर्वकीर्तिताः॥
Therefore the Shraddha of departed Manes has been ordained to be performed in the afternoon and then the Brahmana who has been invited beforehand should be treated with food.

मृतकस्य तृतीयाहे ब्राह्मणो योऽन्नमश्नुते। स त्रिवेलं समुन्मज्य द्वादशाहेन शुध्यति॥
The Brahmana who takes food at the house of a dead person on the third day after the death, is purified by bathing three times daily for twelve days.

द्वादशाहे व्यतीते तु कृतशौचो विशेषतः। ब्राह्मणेभ्यो हविर्दत्त्वा मुच्यते तेन पाप्मना॥
After the expiration of twelve days, and performing the purification ceremonies duly, the sin is dissipated by giving clarified butter to Brahmanas.

मृतस्य दशरात्रेण प्रायश्चित्तानि दापयेत्। सावित्रीं रैवतीमिष्टिं कूष्माण्डमघमर्षणम्॥
If a man takes any food in the house of a dead person, within ten days after the death, he should perform all the expiations before mentioned and should recite the Savitri hymn and perform the sin-destroying Ishti and Kushmanda penances.

मृतकस्य त्रिरात्रे यः समुद्दिष्टे समश्नुते। सप्त त्रिषवणं स्नात्वा पूतो भवति ब्राह्मणः॥ सिद्धिमाप्नोति विपुलामापदं चैव नाप्नुयात्॥
The Brahmana who takes his food in the house of a dead person for three nights becomes purified by performing his ablutions thrice daily for seven days, and thus gains all the objects of his desire, and is never troubled by misfortunes.

यस्तु शूद्रैः समश्नीयाद् ब्राह्मणोऽप्येकभोजने। अशौचं विधिवत् तस्य शौचमत्र विधीयते॥
The Brahmana who take his food in the company of Shudras, is purged from all impurities by duly performing the ceremonies of purifications.

यस्तु वैश्यैः सहाश्नीयाद् ब्राह्मणोऽप्येकभोजने। स वै त्रिरात्रं दीक्षित्वा मुच्यते तेन कर्मणा॥
The Brahmana who takes his food in the company of Vaishyas, is purged off of all sins, by living on alms for three successive nights.

क्षत्रियैः सह योऽश्नीयाद् ब्राह्मणोऽप्येकभोजने। आप्लुत: सह वासोभिस्तेन मुच्येत पाप्मना॥
If a Brahmana takes his food with Kshatriyas, he should perform expiation by bathing with his clothes on.

शूद्रस्य तु कुलं हन्ति वैश्यस्य पशुबान्धवान्। क्षत्रियस्य श्रियं हन्ति ब्राह्मणस्य सुवर्चसम्॥
By eating with a Shudra on the same plate the Shudra loses his family prestige; the Vaishya by eating on the same plate with a Vaishya, loses his cattle and friends. The Kshatriya loses his prosperity; and the Brahmana, his effulgence and power.

प्रायश्चित्तं च शान्तिं च जुहुयात् तेन मुच्यते। सावित्रीं रैवतीमिष्टिं कूष्माण्डमघमर्षणम्॥
In such cases expiations should be performed and propitiatory rites should be observed, and oblations offered to the celestials. The Savitri hymn should be recited and the Revati rites and Kushmanda penances should be performed for destroying the sin.

तथोच्छिष्टमथान्योन्यं सम्प्राशेन्नात्र संशयः। रोचना विरजा रात्रिर्मङ्गलालम्भनानि च॥
If any of the above four castes partake of food partly eaten by a person of any other caste, the expiation is forsooth, made by smearing the body with sacred articles like Rochana, Durba grass, and turmeric,

तथोच्छिष्टमथान्योन्यं सम्प्राशेन्नात्र संशयः। रोचना विरजा रात्रिर्मङ्गलालम्भनानि च॥
If any of the above four castes partake of food partly eaten by a person of any other caste, the expiation is forsooth, made by smearing the body with sacred articles like Rochana, Durba grass, and turmeric,