Monday, August 20, 2007

Part 24 Apastambha-Sutras

Penance for Killing persons

1. He who has killed a Kshatriya shall give a thousand cows (to Brâhmanas) for the expiation of his sin.
2. (He shall give) a hundred cows for a Vaisya,
3. Ten for a Sûdra,
4. And in every one (of these cases) one bull (must be given) in excess (of the number of cows) for the sake of expiation.
5. And if women of the (three castes mentioned have been slain) the same (composition must be paid).
6. He who has slain a man belonging to the two (first-mentioned castes) who has studied the Veda, or had been initiated for the performance of a Soma-sacrifice, becomes an Abhisasta.
7. And (he is called an Abhisasta) who has slain a man belonging merely to the Brâhmana caste (though he has not studied the Veda or been initiated for a Soma-sacrifice),
8. Likewise he who has destroyed an embryo of a (Brâhmana, even though its sex be) undistinguishable,
9. Or a woman (of the Brâhmana caste) during her courses.
10. (Now follows) the penance for him (who is an Abhisasta).
11. He (himself) shall erect a hut in the forest, restrain his speech, carry (on his stick) the skull (of the person slain) like a flag, and cover the space from his navel to his knees with a quarter of a piece of hempen cloth.
12. The path for him when he goes to a village, is the space between the tracks (of the wheels).
13. And if he sees another (Ârya), he shall step out of the road (to the distance of two yards).
14. He shall go to the village, carrying a broken tray of metal of an inferior quality.
15. He may go to seven houses only, (crying,) 'Who will give alms to an Abhisasta?'
16. That is (the way in which he must gain) his livelihood.
17. If he does not obtain anything (at the seven houses), he must fast.
18. And (whilst performing this penance) he must tend cows.
19. When they leave and enter the village, that is the second occasion (on which he may enter) the village.
20. After having performed (this penance) for twelve years, he must perform) the ceremony known (by custom), through which he is re-admitted into the society of the good.
21. Or (after having performed the twelve years' penance), he may build a hut on the path of robbers, and live there, trying to take from them the cows of Brâhmanas. He is free (from his sin), when thrice he has been defeated by them, or when he has vanquished them.
22. Or he is freed (from his sin), if (after the twelve years' penance) he bathes (with the priests) at the end of a horse-sacrifice.
23. This very same (penance is ordained) for him who, when his duty and love of gain come into conflict, chooses the gain.
24. If he has slain a Guru or a Brâhmana, who has studied the Veda and finished the ceremonies of a Soma-sacrifice, he shall live according to this very same rule until his last breath.
25. He cannot be purified in this life. But his sin is removed (after death).

For Part 25
http://grihyasutras.blogspot.com/2007/08/part-25-apstambha-sutras.html

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