Monday, August 20, 2007

Part 25 Apstambha-Sutras

Penance for theft etc. and killing of some animals

1. He who has had connection with a Guru's wife shall cut off his organ together with the testicles, take them into his joined hands and walk towards the south without stopping, until he falls down dead.
2. Or he may die embracing a heated metal image of a woman.
3. A drinker of spirituous liquor shall drink exceedingly hot liquor so that he dies.
4. A thief shall go to the king with flying hair, carrying a club on his shoulder, and tell him his deed. He (the king) shall give him a blow with that (club). If the thief dies, his sin is expiated.
5. If he is forgiven (by the king), the guilt falls upon him who forgives him,
6. Or he may throw himself into the fire, or perform repeatedly severe austerities,
7. Or he may kill himself by diminishing daily his portion of food,
8. Or he may perform Krikkhra penances (uninterruptedly) for one year.
9. Now they quote also (the following verse):
10. Those who have committed a theft (of gold), drunk spirituous liquor, or had connection with a Guru's wife, but not those who have slain a Brâhmana, shall eat every fourth meal-time a little food, bathe at the times of the three libations (morning, noon, and evening), passing the day standing and the night sitting. After the lapse of three years they throw off their guilt.
11. (A man of any caste) excepting the first, who has slain a man of the first caste, shall go on a battle-field and place himself (between the two hostile armies). There they shall kill him (and thereby he becomes pure).
12. Or such a sinner may tear from his body and make the priest offer as a burnt-offering his hair, skin, flesh, and the rest, and then throw himself into the fire. 1
13. If a crow, a chameleon, a peacock, a Brâhmanî duck, a swan, the vulture called Bhâsa, a frog, an ichneumon, a musk-rat, or a dog has been killed, then the same penance as for a Sûdra must be performed.

For Part 26
http://grihyasutras.blogspot.com/2007/08/part-26-apastamba.html

4 comments:

Dharmaraja said...

Thanks for your comment.

This translation of the Apastambha-Sutras is interesting. Have you translated them yourself?

I would believe though that Apastambha Sutras would be classified among the Dharma Sutras rather than Grahya Sutras - which would deal with domestic rites.

KVSSNrao said...

Thanks. It is Buhler's translation. As I understand, sulva sutras, grihya sutras and dharma sutras are separate segments and are written by Apastamba. I am not sure at this point in time. But grihya sutra of apastamba is certainly a popular usage.

Dharmaraja said...

OK. Are the segments clearly specified in terms of chapters - assuming the segments are different sections of the same 'text'?

I have not read Apastambha Sutras before, however on reading these they sounded more like 'dos and donts' instead of descriptions of rituals, so I probably jumped to the conclusion.

I am looking for a good modern translation of the Shatapatha Brahmana; can you recommend something?

hari said...

There 30 prashnaaH in Apastamba Kalpa Sutram.
Prashna: Topic
-------------------
1-24: Shrauta Sutram
25: Explanations for Shrauta Sutra
26: Grhya MantraaH
27: Grhya Sutram
28: Dharma Sutram prashna 1(being posted on this blog)
29: Dharma Sutram prashna 2
30: Shulba Sutram


source:
. Wikipedia
. just below "p. xii" of Bhuler's into to Apastamba