Atonement for Forbidden Unions

Verse 1 (padma.4.18.1)

शौनक उवाच । अगम्यागमनं सूत कुर्याद्यो वै विमोहितः । तस्य शुद्धिर्भवेत्केन कथयस्व समूलतः ।

śaunaka uvāca agamyāgamanaṁ sūta kuryādyo vai vimohitaḥ tasya śuddhirbhavetkena kathayasva samūlataḥ

Shaunaka said: O Suta, whoever, deluded, commits union with one who is forbidden — by what means is his purification achieved? Tell me this in full detail.

Verse 2 (padma.4.18.2)

सूत उवाच । अभिगच्छति चांडालीं श्वपाकीं यो द्विजोत्तमः । उपवासत्रयं कुर्यात्प्राजापत्यं चरेत्ततः ।

sūta uvāca abhigacchati cāṁḍālīṁ śvapākīṁ yo dvijottamaḥ upavāsatrayaṁ kuryātprājāpatyaṁ carettataḥ

Suta said: Whatever best of Brahmins approaches a Chandala woman or a dog-cooker's woman should observe a three-day fast and then perform the Prajapatya penance —

Verse 3 (padma.4.18.3)

सशिखं वपनं चैव दद्याद्गोद्वयमेव च । यथार्थदक्षिणां दत्वा शुद्धिमाप्नोति स द्विजः ।

saśikhaṁ vapanaṁ caiva dadyādgodvayameva ca yathārthadakṣiṇāṁ datvā śuddhimāpnoti sa dvijaḥ

— he should have his head shaved, leaving the topknot, and give two cows; by giving a fitting fee, that Brahmin attains purification.

Verse 4 (padma.4.18.4)

क्षत्त्रियो वापि चांडालीं वैश्यो वा यदि गच्छति । प्राजापत्यं सकृच्छ्रं च दद्याद्गोमिथुनद्वयम् ।

kṣattriyo vāpi cāṁḍālīṁ vaiśyo vā yadi gacchati prājāpatyaṁ sakṛcchraṁ ca dadyādgomithunadvayam

If a Kshatriya, or likewise a Vaishya, approaches a Chandala woman, he should perform the Prajapatya and a single Krichchhra penance, and give two pairs of cows.

Verse 5 (padma.4.18.5)

अनुगच्छति शूद्रो हि श्वपाकीं च तपोधन । चतुर्गोमिथुनं दद्यात्प्राजापत्यं व्रतं चरेत् ।

anugacchati śūdro hi śvapākīṁ ca tapodhana caturgomithunaṁ dadyātprājāpatyaṁ vrataṁ caret

O ascetic, if a Shudra consorts with a dog-cooker's woman, he should give four pairs of cows and observe the Prajapatya penance.

Verse 6 (padma.4.18.6)

मातरं यदि वा गच्छेद्भगिनीं स्वसुतामपि । वधूं च मोहितो गच्छंस्त्रीणि कृच्छ्राण्यथाचरेत् ।

mātaraṁ yadi vā gacchedbhaginīṁ svasutāmapi vadhūṁ ca mohito gacchaṁstrīṇi kṛcchrāṇyathācaret

If one, deluded, approaches his mother, his sister, his own daughter, or his daughter-in-law, he should perform three Krichchhra penances.

Verse 7 (padma.4.18.7)

चांद्रायणत्रयं कृत्वा दद्याद्गोमिथुनत्रयम् । सशिखं वपनं कृत्वा पंचगव्यं पिबेत्ततः ।

cāṁdrāyaṇatrayaṁ kṛtvā dadyādgomithunatrayam saśikhaṁ vapanaṁ kṛtvā paṁcagavyaṁ pibettataḥ

Performing three Chandrayana penances, he should give three pairs of cows; having his head shaved with the topknot left, he should then drink the five products of the cow.

Verse 8 (padma.4.18.8)

हुते ह्यग्नौ तथाप्यत्र शुद्ध्यत्येवं तपोधन । पितृदारान्द्विजश्रेष्ठ मातुश्च भगिनीं तथा ।

hute hyagnau tathāpyatra śuddhyatyevaṁ tapodhana pitṛdārāndvijaśreṣṭha mātuśca bhaginīṁ tathā

Offering oblation into the fire besides, purification is thus achieved, O ascetic. O best of Brahmins, one's father's wife, one's mother's sister,

Verse 9 (padma.4.18.9)

गुरुपत्नीं मातुलानीं भ्रातुर्भार्यां स्वगोत्रजाम् । यदि गच्छति मोहेन प्राजापत्यद्वयं चरेत् ।

gurupatnīṁ mātulānīṁ bhrāturbhāryāṁ svagotrajām yadi gacchati mohena prājāpatyadvayaṁ caret

— his guru's wife, his maternal aunt, his brother's wife, or a woman of his own lineage — if one, out of delusion, approaches such a woman, he should perform two Prajapatya penances —

Verse 10 (padma.4.18.10)

चांद्रायणत्रयं ब्रह्मन्पंचगोमिथुनानि च । विप्रेभ्यो दक्षिणां दद्याच्छुध्यते नात्र संशयः ।

cāṁdrāyaṇatrayaṁ brahmanpaṁcagomithunāni ca viprebhyo dakṣiṇāṁ dadyācchudhyate nātra saṁśayaḥ

— O Brahmin, along with three Chandrayana penances and a gift of five cows; giving a fee to Brahmins, he is purified — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 11 (padma.4.18.11)

गां च गच्छति यो मूढ उपवासत्रयं चरेत् । धेनुं दत्त्वा तथा चान्नं शुद्ध्यत्यत्र न संशयः ।

gāṁ ca gacchati yo mūḍha upavāsatrayaṁ caret dhenuṁ dattvā tathā cānnaṁ śuddhyatyatra na saṁśayaḥ

Whatever fool commits this sin with a cow should observe a three-day fast; by giving a milch-cow and food, he is purified — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 12 (padma.4.18.12)

वेश्यां खरीं शूकरीं च कपिं तुं महिषीं द्विज । आकंठतः समाक्षिप्य गोमयोदककर्द्दमे ।

veśyāṁ kharīṁ śūkarīṁ ca kapiṁ tuṁ mahiṣīṁ dvija ākaṁṭhataḥ samākṣipya gomayodakakarddame

O Brahmin, whoever unites with a courtesan, a she-donkey, a sow, a she-monkey, or a she-buffalo should immerse himself up to the neck in a mire of cow-dung and water —

Verse 13 (padma.4.18.13)

तत्र तिष्ठेन्निराहारो त्रिरात्रेणैव शुद्ध्यति । सशिखं वपनं कृत्वा त्रिरात्रमुपवासयेत् ।

tatra tiṣṭhennirāhāro trirātreṇaiva śuddhyati saśikhaṁ vapanaṁ kṛtvā trirātramupavāsayet

— and remain there without food; in three nights he becomes pure. With his head shaved, the topknot left, he should fast three nights;

Verse 14 (padma.4.18.14)

एकरात्रं जले स्थित्वा शुद्ध्यत्येव न संशयः । ब्राह्मणीं तु यदा गच्छेत्यो नरः काममोहितः ।

ekarātraṁ jale sthitvā śuddhyatyeva na saṁśayaḥ brāhmaṇīṁ tu yadā gacchetyo naraḥ kāmamohitaḥ

— and, standing one night in water, he is indeed purified, without doubt. Whatever man, driven by desire, approaches a Brahmin woman not his own,

Verse 15 (padma.4.18.15)

प्राजापत्यत्रयं कुर्य्याच्चांद्रायणत्रयं तथा । गोत्रयं तु तथा दद्याच्छुद्ध्यत्येव तपोधन ।

prājāpatyatrayaṁ kuryyāccāṁdrāyaṇatrayaṁ tathā gotrayaṁ tu tathā dadyācchuddhyatyeva tapodhana

— should perform three Prajapatya penances and three Chandrayana penances, and give three cows; thus, O ascetic, he is purified.

Verse 16 (padma.4.18.16)

ब्राह्मणी पंचगव्यं तु पंचरात्रं पिबेद्द्विज । गोद्वयं दक्षिणां दद्याच्छुध्यत्यत्र न संशयः ।

brāhmaṇī paṁcagavyaṁ tu paṁcarātraṁ pibeddvija godvayaṁ dakṣiṇāṁ dadyācchudhyatyatra na saṁśayaḥ

A Brahmin woman, in a like transgression, should drink the panchagavya for five nights, O Brahmin, and give two cows as a fee; thus she is purified — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 17 (padma.4.18.17)

परांगनां यदागच्छेत्कृच्छ्रं सांतपनं चरेत् । यथार्गला तथा योषित्तस्मात्तां परिवर्जयेत् ।

parāṁganāṁ yadāgacchetkṛcchraṁ sāṁtapanaṁ caret yathārgalā tathā yoṣittasmāttāṁ parivarjayet

Whoever approaches another man's wife should perform the severe Santapana penance; another's wife is like a barred gate, and therefore one should avoid her altogether.

Verse 18 (padma.4.18.18)

वर्णबाह्यां तथा नीचामनुगच्छेत्सकृन्नरः । प्राजापत्यं चरेत्कृच्छ्रं शुद्ध्यत्येव न संशयः ।

varṇabāhyāṁ tathā nīcāmanugacchetsakṛnnaraḥ prājāpatyaṁ caretkṛcchraṁ śuddhyatyeva na saṁśayaḥ

Whoever, likewise, consorts even once with a woman outside the varna system or of low birth should perform the severe Prajapatya penance; thus he is indeed purified.

Verse 19 (padma.4.18.19)

अंगारसदृशी योषित्सर्पिः कुंभसमः पुमान् । तस्याः परिसरे ब्रह्मन्न स्थातव्यं कदाचन ।

aṁgārasadṛśī yoṣitsarpiḥ kuṁbhasamaḥ pumān tasyāḥ parisare brahmanna sthātavyaṁ kadācana

Such a woman is like a live coal, and the man who approaches her is like a pot filled with ghee; O Brahmin, one should never remain in her vicinity.

Verse 20 (padma.4.18.20)

जारेण जनयेद्गर्भं या च नारी कुलांतका । त्याज्या सा सर्वथा ब्रंह्मस्तत्र दोषो न विद्यते ।

jāreṇa janayedgarbhaṁ yā ca nārī kulāṁtakā tyājyā sā sarvathā braṁhmastatra doṣo na vidyate

Whatever woman conceives through a paramour and thereby ruins her family should be abandoned altogether, O Brahmin; in this there is no fault for him.

Verse 21 (padma.4.18.21)

या च नारी गृहाद्गच्छेत्त्यक्त्वा बंधून्स्वकानपि । नष्टा सा च कुलभ्रष्टा न तस्याः संगमः पुनः ।

yā ca nārī gṛhādgacchettyaktvā baṁdhūnsvakānapi naṣṭā sā ca kulabhraṣṭā na tasyāḥ saṁgamaḥ punaḥ

And whatever woman leaves her home, abandoning even her own kinsfolk, is ruined, fallen from her family; there should be no further union with her.

Verse 22 (padma.4.18.22)

या च नारी यदा गच्छेन्मोहिता परपूरुषम् । प्राजापत्यं चरेत्कृच्छ्रं पंचगव्यं पिबेत्ततः ।

yā ca nārī yadā gacchenmohitā parapūruṣam prājāpatyaṁ caretkṛcchraṁ paṁcagavyaṁ pibettataḥ

And whatever woman, deluded, goes to another man, should perform the severe Prajapatya penance and then drink the panchagavya —

Verse 23 (padma.4.18.23)

गोद्वयं तु ततो दद्याच्छुध्यत्येव न संशयः । ब्राह्मणी बालिशा ब्रह्मन्मोहिता परपूरुषम् ।

godvayaṁ tu tato dadyācchudhyatyeva na saṁśayaḥ brāhmaṇī bāliśā brahmanmohitā parapūruṣam

— and then give two cows; thus she is indeed purified. O Brahmin, whatever simple Brahmin woman, deluded, goes to another man —

Verse 24 (padma.4.18.24)

यदा गच्छेत्तदा त्याज्या जनैर्दोषो न विद्यते । यो गच्छेद्ब्राह्मणीं विप्र भूसुरः काममोहितः । गो तिलांश्च तदा दद्याच्छुद्ध्यत्यत्र न संशयः ।

yadā gacchettadā tyājyā janairdoṣo na vidyate yo gacchedbrāhmaṇīṁ vipra bhūsuraḥ kāmamohitaḥ go tilāṁśca tadā dadyācchuddhyatyatra na saṁśayaḥ

— when she does so, she should be abandoned by her people, and in this there is no fault. O Brahmin, whatever Brahmin man, driven by desire, approaches a Brahmin woman not his own, should give a cow and sesame seeds; thus he is purified — of this there is no doubt.