"'Yudhishthira said, "After doing what acts does a man become liable to
perform expiation? And what are those acts which he must do for being
freed from sin? Tell me this, O grandsire."
"'Vyasa said, "Having omitted to do those acts that have been ordained,
and done those that have been interdicted, and having behaved
deceitfully, a man becomes liable to perform expiation. The person in the
observance of the Brahmacharya vow, who rises from bed after the sun has
risen or goes to bed while the sun is setting, one who has a rotten nail
or black teeth, one whose younger brother weds first, one who weds before
his elder brother is wedded, one who has been guilty of the slaughter of
a Brahmana, one who speaks ill of others, one who weds a younger sister
before the elder sister has been wedded, one who weds an elder sister
after having wedded a younger one, one who falls away from a vow, one who
slays any one of the regenerate classes, one who imparts a knowledge of
the Vedas to a person unworthy of it, one who does not impart a knowledge
thereof to a person that is worthy of it, one who takes many lives, one
who sells flesh, one who has abandoned his (sacred) fire, one who sells a
knowledge of the Vedas,[111] one who slays his preceptor or a woman, one
born in a sinful family, one who slays an animal wilfully,[112] one who
sets fire to a dwelling house, one who lives by deceit, one who acts in
opposition to his preceptor, and one who has violated a compact,--these
all are guilty of sins requiring expiation. I shall now mention other
acts that men should not do, viz., acts that are interdicted by both the
world and the Vedas. Listen to me with concentrated attention. The
rejection of one's own creed, the practice of other people's creed,
assisting at the sacrifice or the religious rites of one that is not
worthy of such assistance, eating of food that is forbidden, deserting
one that craves protection, neglect in maintaining servants and
dependants, selling salt and treacle (and similar other substances),
killing of birds and animals, refusal, though competent, to procreate
upon a soliciting woman, omission to present the daily gifts (of handfuls
of grass to kine and the like), omission to present the dakshina,
humiliating a Brahmana,--these all have been pronounced by persons
conversant with duty to be acts that no one should do. The son that
quarrels with the father, the person that violates the bed of his
preceptor, one that neglects to produce offspring in one's wedded wife,
are all sinful, O tiger among men! I have now declared to thee, in brief
as also in detail, those acts and omissions by which a man becomes liable
to perform expiation. Listen now to the circumstances under which men, by
even committing these acts, do not become stained with sin. If a Brahmana
well acquainted with the Vedas takes up arms and rushes against thee in
battle for killing thee, thou mayst proceed against him for taking his
life. By such an act the slayer does not become guilty of the slaughter
of a Brahmana.[113] There is a mantra in the Vedas, O son of Kunti, that
lays this down, I declare unto thee only those practices that are
sanctioned by the authority of the Vedas. One who slays a Brahmana that
has fallen away from his own duties and that advances, weapon in hand,
with intent to slaughter, does not truly become the slayer of a Brahmana.
In such a case it is the wrath of the slayer that proceeds against the
wrath of the slain. A person by drinking alcoholic stimulants in
ignorance or upon the advice of a virtuous physician when his life is at
peril, should have the regenerating ceremonies performed once more in his
case. All that I have told thee, O son of Kunti, about the eating of
interdicted food, may be cleansed by such expiatory rites. Connection
with the preceptor's wife at the preceptor's command does not stain the
pupil. The sage Uddalaka caused his son Swetaketu to be begotten by a
disciple. A person by committing theft for the sake of his preceptor in a
season of distress is not stained with sin. One, however, that takes to
thieving for procuring enjoyments for himself becomes stained. One is not
stained by stealing from other than Brahmanas (in a season of distress
and for the sake of one's preceptor). Only one that steals under such
circumstances without himself appropriating any portion thereof is
untouched by sin. A falsehood may be spoken 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. One's vow of Brahmacharya is not
broken by having wet dreams. In such cases the expiation laid down
consists in the pouring of libations of clarified butter on the blazing
fire. If the elder brother be fallen or has renounced the world, the
younger brother does not incur sin by marrying. Solicited by a woman,
connection with her is not destructive of virtue. One should not slay or
cause to be slain an animal except in a sacrifice. Animals have become
sacred (fit for sacrifice) through the kindness manifested towards them
by the Creator himself in the ordinance laid down by him. By making a
gift in ignorance to an undeserving Brahmana one does not incur sin. The
omission (through ignorance) to behave with liberality towards a
deserving person does not lead to sin. By casting off an adulterous wife
one does not incur sin. By such treatment the woman herself may be purged
while the husband may avoid sin. One who knows the true use of the Soma
juice, does not incur sin by selling it.[114] By dismissing a servant who
is incompetent to render service one is not touched by sin. I have now
said unto thee those acts by doing which one does not incur sin. I shall
now speak to thee of expiation in detail."'"