Sins That Call for Atonement

Verse 1 (12.33.1)

कानि कृत्वेह कर्माणि प्रायश्चित्तीयते नरः । किं कृत्वा मुच्यते तत्र तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

kāni kṛtveha karmāṇi prāyaścittīyate naraḥ | kiṃ kṛtvā mucyate tatra tanme brūhi pitāmaha

By doing what deeds does a man become liable to atonement, and by doing what is he freed from it? Tell me that, grandfather.

Verse 2 (12.33.2)

अकुर्वन्विहितं कर्म प्रतिषिद्धानि चाचरन् । प्रायश्चित्तीयते ह्येवं नरो मिथ्याऽनुवर्तयन् ॥

akurvanvihitaṃ karma pratiṣiddhāni cācaran | prāyaścittīyate hyevaṃ naro mithyā'nuvartayan

By not doing the prescribed act, by doing the forbidden, and by acting deceitfully, a man becomes liable to atonement.

Verse 3 (12.33.3)

सूर्येणाभ्युदितो यश्च ब्रह्मचारी भवत्युत । तथा सूर्याभिनिर्मुक्तः कुनखी श्यावदन्नपि ॥

sūryeṇābhyudito yaśca brahmacārī bhavatyuta | tathā sūryābhinirmuktaḥ kunakhī śyāvadannapi

A student of the Veda over whom the sun rises as he sleeps, and likewise one over whom it sets; one with misshapen nails, and one with blackened teeth;

Verse 4 (12.33.4)

परिवित्तिः परिवेत्ता ब्रह्मेज्यायाश्च दूषकः । दिधिषूपतिस्तथा यः स्यादग्रेदिधिषुरेव च ॥

parivittiḥ parivettā brahmejyāyāśca dūṣakaḥ | didhiṣūpatistathā yaḥ syādagredidhiṣureva ca

the elder brother passed over in marriage and the younger who marries before him; one who disparages the Vedic sacrifice; the husband of an elder sister married after the younger, and the husband of a younger sister married before the elder;

Verse 5 (12.33.5)

अवकीर्णी भवेद्यश्च द्विजातिवधकस्तथा । अतीर्थे ब्राह्मणस्त्यागी तीर्थे चाप्रतिपादकः ॥

avakīrṇī bhavedyaśca dvijātivadhakastathā | atīrthe brāhmaṇastyāgī tīrthe cāpratipādakaḥ

one who has broken his vow of chastity, one who kills a twice-born, a brahmin who gives to an undeserving person, and one who does not give to a worthy recipient;

Verse 6 (12.33.6)

ग्रामयाजी च कौन्तेय मांसस्य परिविक्रयी । यश्चाग्नीनपविध्येत तथैव ब्रह्मविक्रयी ॥

grāmayājī ca kaunteya māṃsasya parivikrayī | yaścāgnīnapavidhyeta tathaiva brahmavikrayī

a village priest, O son of Kunti, a seller of meat, one who abandons the sacred fires, and likewise one who sells the Veda;

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.35.6a (CE rājñaś ca parivikrayī, 'a seller of the king', for Wikisource मांसस्य परिविक्रयी, 'a seller of meat'; kept as the base text reads); line 2 = CE 12.35.8a (yaś cāgnīn apavidhyeta tathaiva brahmavikrayī). The alignment left both unmatched.

Verse 7 (12.33.7)

शूद्रस्त्रीवधको यश्च पूर्वः पूर्वस्तु गर्हितः । वृथा पशुसमालम्भी वनदाहस्य कारकः ॥

śūdrastrīvadhako yaśca pūrvaḥ pūrvastu garhitaḥ | vṛthā paśusamālambhī vanadāhasya kārakaḥ

the killer of a Shudra woman (each one named before is the more blameworthy than the next), one who slaughters animals in vain, and one who sets a forest on fire;

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.35.6c (śūdrastrīvadhako yaś ca pūrvaḥ pūrvas tu garhitaḥ); line 2 = CE 12.35.7a (vṛthāpaśusamālambhī vanadāhasya kārakaḥ). The alignment left both unmatched.

Verse 8 (12.33.8)

अनृतेनोपवर्ती च प्रतिषेद्धा गुरोस्तथा । स्वदत्तस्यापहर्ता च परदत्तनिरोधकः ॥

anṛtenopavartī ca pratiṣeddhā gurostathā | svadattasyāpahartā ca paradattanirodhakaḥ

one who lives by falsehood, one who obstructs his teacher, one who takes back what he himself has given, and one who blocks a gift made by another;

Note on the text: Removed a stray wiki mark (backtick) opening line 2. Lines 1-2 correspond to CE 12.35.7 (anṛtenopacartā ca pratiroddhā guros tathā; Wikisource's उपवर्ती and प्रतिषेद्धा are variants of upacartā and pratiroddhā for line 1); line 2 (स्वदत्तस्यापहर्ता …) is not in the critical edition, neither in its text nor its star passages (vulgate-only).

Verse 9 (12.33.9)

वाग्दत्तं च मनोदत्तं धारादत्तं च यो हरेत् । पाकभेदेन भोक्ता च भुञ्जानस्याप्यनादरः ॥

vāgdattaṃ ca manodattaṃ dhārādattaṃ ca yo haret | pākabhedena bhoktā ca bhuñjānasyāpyanādaraḥ

one who takes back what was given in word, given in thought, or given with the pouring of water; one who eats apart by cooking separately, and one who shows disrespect to a person at his meal;

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); no matching line in its text or star passages.

Verse 10 (12.33.10)

स्वजनैः कलहं चैव आश्रितानामरक्षणम् । एतान्येनांसि सर्वाणि व्युत्क्रान्तसमयश्च यः ॥

svajanaiḥ kalahaṃ caiva āśritānāmarakṣaṇam | etānyenāṃsi sarvāṇi vyutkrāntasamayaśca yaḥ

quarrelling with one's own kin and failing to protect those who depend on one: all these are offences, and so is the offence of one who has broken an agreement.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (an ASCII apostrophe closing the backtick-opened lines 8b-10a, and a danda after it, inside line 1). Line 1 (स्वजनैः कलहं चैव …) is not in the critical edition (vulgate-only); line 2 = CE 12.35.8c (etāny enāṃsi sarvāṇi vyutkrāntasamayaś ca yaḥ).

Verse 11 (12.33.11)

अकार्याणि तु वक्ष्यामि यानि तानि निबोध मे । लोकवेदविरुद्धानि तान्येकाग्रमनाः शृणु ॥

akāryāṇi tu vakṣyāmi yāni tāni nibodha me | lokavedaviruddhāni tānyekāgramanāḥ śṛṇu

Now I shall tell you the acts that must not be done; learn them from me. Listen with a single mind to those that go against the world and the Veda.

Verse 12 (12.33.12)

स्वधर्मस्य परित्यागः परधर्मस्य च क्रिया । अयाज्ययाजनं चैव तथाऽभक्ष्यस्य भक्षणम् ॥

svadharmasya parityāgaḥ paradharmasya ca kriyā | ayājyayājanaṃ caiva tathā'bhakṣyasya bhakṣaṇam

Abandoning one's own dharma and practising another's, officiating for one unfit to sacrifice, and eating what may not be eaten;

Verse 13 (12.33.13)

शरणागतसंत्यागो भृत्यस्याभरणं तथा । रसानां विक्रयश्चापि तिर्यग्योनिवधस्तथा ॥

śaraṇāgatasaṃtyāgo bhṛtyasyābharaṇaṃ tathā | rasānāṃ vikrayaścāpi tiryagyonivadhastathā

forsaking one who has taken refuge, failing to support one's dependents, selling of rasas, and the killing of creatures of animal birth;

Verse 14 (12.33.14)

आधानादीनि कर्माणि शक्तिमान्न करोति यः । अप्रयच्छंश्च सर्वाणि नित्यदेयानि भारत ॥

ādhānādīni karmāṇi śaktimānna karoti yaḥ | aprayacchaṃśca sarvāṇi nityadeyāni bhārata

one who, though able, does not perform the rites that begin with the setting up of the sacred fire, and one who withholds all the daily gifts, O Bharata;

Verse 15 (12.33.15)

दक्षिणानामदानं च ब्राह्मणस्वाभिमर्शनम् । सर्वाण्येतान्यकार्याणि प्राहुर्धर्मविदो जनाः ॥

dakṣiṇānāmadānaṃ ca brāhmaṇasvābhimarśanam | sarvāṇyetānyakāryāṇi prāhurdharmavido janāḥ

not paying the sacrificial fees, and laying hands on a brahmin's property: those who know dharma declare all these to be acts that must not be done.

Verse 16 (12.33.16)

पित्रा विवदते पुत्रो यश्च स्याद्गुरुतल्पगः । अप्रजायन्नरव्याघ्र भवत्यधार्मिको नरः ॥

pitrā vivadate putro yaśca syādgurutalpagaḥ | aprajāyannaravyāghra bhavatyadhārmiko naraḥ

A son who quarrels with his father, one who violates his teacher's bed, and, O tiger among men, a man who does not beget children by his lawful wife, becomes unrighteous.

Verse 17 (12.33.17)

उक्तान्येतानि कर्माणि विस्तरेणेतरेण च ॥

uktānyetāni karmāṇi vistareṇetareṇa ca

These acts have now been told, both at length and in brief.

Note on the text: One-line verse, as the page prints it (12-33-17a only). The critical edition has this line as the first line of 12.35.15 (uktāny etāni karmāṇi vistareṇetareṇa ca); its second line is carried by the first line of Wikisource's next verse.

Verse 18 (12.33.18)

यानि कुर्वन्नकुर्वंश्च प्रायश्चित्तीयते नरः । एतान्येव तु कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि मानवैः । येषुयेषु निमित्तेषु न लिप्यन्तेऽथ ताञ्शृणु ॥

yāni kurvannakurvaṃśca prāyaścittīyate naraḥ | etānyeva tu karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni mānavaiḥ | yeṣuyeṣu nimitteṣu na lipyante'tha tāñśṛṇu

Those acts by doing or neglecting which a man becomes liable to atonement: these very acts, when men perform them, do not stain them under certain circumstances. Hear those now.

Note on the text: Corrected कुर्वन्निकुर्वंश्च → कुर्वन्नकुर्वंश्च (misprint in Wikisource; dropped अ; the critical edition reads kurvann akurvaṃś ca). Three-line verse, as the page prints it (labelled 12-33-18a, b, c). Line 1 = CE 12.35.15c (Wikisource नरः for janaḥ); lines 2-3 = CE 12.35.16a and 16c (etāny eva tu karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni mānavān / yeṣu yeṣu nimitteṣu na limpanty atha tac chṛṇu), which the alignment left unmatched.

Verse 19 (12.33.19)

प्रगृह्य शस्त्रमायान्तमपि वेदान्तगं रणे । जिघांसन्तं जिघांसीयान्न तेन ब्रह्महा भवेत् ॥

pragṛhya śastramāyāntamapi vedāntagaṃ raṇe | jighāṃsantaṃ jighāṃsīyānna tena brahmahā bhavet

If a man comes on in battle with weapon raised, even one versed in the Vedanta, and one goes against him who seeks to kill, the slayer does not thereby become a killer of a brahmin.

Verse 20 (12.33.20)

इति चाप्यत्र कौन्तेय मन्त्रो वेदेषु पठ्यते । वेदप्रमाणविहितं धर्मं च प्रब्रवीमि ते ॥

iti cāpyatra kaunteya mantro vedeṣu paṭhyate | vedapramāṇavihitaṃ dharmaṃ ca prabravīmi te

And on this point, O son of Kunti, a mantra is recited in the Vedas; I tell you also the dharma laid down on the authority of the Veda.

Verse 21 (12.33.21)

अपेतं ब्राह्मणं वृत्ताद्यो हन्यादाततायिनम् । न तेन ब्रह्महा स स्यान्मन्युस्तन्मन्युमृच्छति ॥

apetaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ vṛttādyo hanyādātatāyinam | na tena brahmahā sa syānmanyustanmanyumṛcchati

If a man kills an attacker, a brahmin fallen from right conduct, he does not become a killer of a brahmin by that; wrath goes to meet wrath.

Verse 22 (12.33.22)

प्राणात्यये तथाऽज्ञानादाचरन्मदिरामपि । आदेशितो धर्मपरैः पुनः संस्कारमर्हति ॥

prāṇātyaye tathā'jñānādācaranmadirāmapi | ādeśito dharmaparaiḥ punaḥ saṃskāramarhati

A man who, when his life is in danger, or through ignorance, has taken even liquor deserves, when so directed by those devoted to dharma, a fresh purificatory rite.

Note on the text: Corrected तथा ज्ञानादाचरन् → तथाऽज्ञानादाचरन् (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha, which flips the sense; the critical edition reads tathājñānād ācaran, 'or through ignorance').

Verse 23 (12.33.23)

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं कौन्तेयाभक्ष्यभक्षणम् । प्रायश्चित्तविधानेन सर्वमेतेन शुद्ध्यति ॥

etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ kaunteyābhakṣyabhakṣaṇam | prāyaścittavidhānena sarvametena śuddhyati

All this has been told to you, son of Kunti, about eating what may not be eaten; by this procedure of atonement, everything is purified.

Verse 24 (12.33.24)

गुरुतल्पं हि गुर्वर्थं न दूषयति मानवम् । उद्दालकः श्वेतकेतुं जनयामास शिष्यतः ॥

gurutalpaṃ hi gurvarthaṃ na dūṣayati mānavam | uddālakaḥ śvetaketuṃ janayāmāsa śiṣyataḥ

Going to the teacher's bed, when it is for the teacher's sake, does not defile a man: Uddalaka had Shvetaketu begotten through a disciple.

Verse 25 (12.33.25)

स्तेयं कुर्वंश्च गुर्वर्थमापत्सु न निषिध्यते । बहुशः कामकारेण न चेद्यः संप्रवर्तते ॥

steyaṃ kurvaṃśca gurvarthamāpatsu na niṣidhyate | bahuśaḥ kāmakāreṇa na cedyaḥ saṃpravartate

Stealing for a teacher's sake in times of distress is not forbidden, provided one does not often engage in it of his own wish.

Verse 26 (12.33.26)

अन्यत्र ब्राह्मणस्वेभ्य आददानो न दुष्यति । स्वयमप्राशिता यश्च न स पापेन लिप्यते ॥

anyatra brāhmaṇasvebhya ādadāno na duṣyati | svayamaprāśitā yaśca na sa pāpena lipyate

One who takes from sources other than a brahmin's property is not at fault, and he who has not himself eaten of it is not stained by the sin.

Verse 27 (12.33.27)

प्राणत्राणेऽनृतं वाच्यमात्मनो वा परस्य च । गुर्वर्थे स्त्रीषु चैव स्याद्विवाहकरणेषु च ॥

prāṇatrāṇe'nṛtaṃ vācyamātmano vā parasya ca | gurvarthe strīṣu caiva syādvivāhakaraṇeṣu ca

A lie may be told to save a life, one's own or another's; also for a teacher's sake, in dealings with women, and in arranging marriages.

Verse 28 (12.33.28)

नावर्तते व्रतं स्वप्ने शुक्रमोक्षे कथंचन । आज्यहोमः समिद्धेऽग्नौ प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयते ॥

nāvartate vrataṃ svapne śukramokṣe kathaṃcana | ājyahomaḥ samiddhe'gnau prāyaścittaṃ vidhīyate

A vow is in no way undone by an emission of semen in a dream; the atonement ordained is an oblation of ghee into a kindled fire.

Verse 29 (12.33.29)

पारिवित्त्यं तु पतिते नास्ति प्रव्रजिते तथा । भिक्षिते पारदार्यं च तद्धर्मस्य न दूषकम् ॥

pārivittyaṃ tu patite nāsti pravrajite tathā | bhikṣite pāradāryaṃ ca taddharmasya na dūṣakam

There is no fault of marrying before an elder brother where he has fallen or gone forth as an ascetic; and going to another's wife, when she asks for it, does not mar one's dharma.

Verse 30 (12.33.30)

वृथा पशुसमालम्भं नैव कुर्यान्न कारयेत् । अनुग्रहः पशूनां हि संस्कारो विधिनोदितः ॥

vṛthā paśusamālambhaṃ naiva kuryānna kārayet | anugrahaḥ paśūnāṃ hi saṃskāro vidhinoditaḥ

One should neither make nor cause a vain slaughter of animals; for sparing the animals is the rite of purification laid down by rule.

Note on the text: Corrected भ्रनुग्रहः → अनुग्रहः (misprint in Wikisource; misprint (भ्र for अ); the critical edition reads anugrahaḥ and the page's own gloss glosses पशूनामनुग्रहः).

Verse 31 (12.33.31)

अनर्हे ब्राह्मणे दत्तमज्ञानात्तन्न दूषकम् । सत्काराणां तथा तीर्थे नित्यं वा प्रतिपादनम् ॥

anarhe brāhmaṇe dattamajñānāttanna dūṣakam | satkārāṇāṃ tathā tīrthe nityaṃ vā pratipādanam

A gift made to an unworthy brahmin through ignorance is not a fault; nor is the constant bestowal of honours on a worthy recipient.

Note on the text: Line 2 is a recension variant of CE 12.35.29c (sakāraṇaṃ tathā tīrthe 'tīrthe vā pratipādanam); kept as the base text reads.

Verse 32 (12.33.32)

स्त्रियास्तथापचारिण्या निष्कृतिः स्याददूषिका । अपि सा पूयते तेन न तु भर्ता प्रदुष्यति ॥

striyāstathāpacāriṇyā niṣkṛtiḥ syādadūṣikā | api sā pūyate tena na tu bhartā praduṣyati

For a woman who has strayed, a purification is ordained that leaves no stain; she too is made pure by it, and her husband is not defiled.

Verse 33 (12.33.33)

तत्त्वं ज्ञात्वा तु सोमस्य विक्रयः स्याददोषवान् । असमर्थस्य भृत्यस्य विसर्गः स्याददोषवान् ॥

tattvaṃ jñātvā tu somasya vikrayaḥ syādadoṣavān | asamarthasya bhṛtyasya visargaḥ syādadoṣavān

The sale of soma by one who knows its true nature is free of fault, and so is the release of a servant who is unable to serve.

Note on the text: Lines 1-2 = CE 12.35.31a, 31c (CE adūṣakaḥ for Wikisource अदोषवान्, in line 1), which the alignment left unmatched.

Verse 34 (12.33.34)

वनदाहो गवामर्थे क्रियमाणो न दूषकः । उक्तान्येतानि कर्माणि यानि कुर्वन्न दुष्यति ॥

vanadāho gavāmarthe kriyamāṇo na dūṣakaḥ | uktānyetāni karmāṇi yāni kurvanna duṣyati

Burning a forest for the sake of cows is not a fault. These are the acts by doing which one is not stained.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.35.31e (vanadāho gavām arthe kriyamāṇo na dūṣakaḥ); line 2 = CE 12.35.32a (uktāny etāni karmāṇi yāni kurvan na duṣyati). The alignment left both unmatched.

Verse 35 (12.33.35)

प्रायश्चित्तानि वक्ष्यामि विस्तरेणैव भारत । यानि कृत्वा नरः पूतो भविष्यति नराधिप ॥

prāyaścittāni vakṣyāmi vistareṇaiva bhārata | yāni kṛtvā naraḥ pūto bhaviṣyati narādhipa

I shall tell you the atonements at length, O Bharata, by doing which a man becomes pure, O lord of men.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (backtick opening line 2, an ASCII apostrophe closing it, and a doubled danda inside line 2). Line 1 = CE 12.35.32c (prāyaścittāni vakṣyāmi vistareṇaiva bhārata); line 2 is the CE star passage 12.35.32d*0047_01 (yāni kṛtvā naraḥ pūto bhaviṣyati narādhipa), which the alignment left unmatched.