History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.168

v5.c71.s1.168

Many smṛtis such as Manu XI 249-257 (which are almost the same as Viṣṇudharmottara II. 74. 4-13), Vas 26. 5-7 and 28 10-15 (the former of which are the same as Manu XI 249-251), Viṣṇu Dh. S 56 3-27, Atri VI. 1-5 (which are almost the same as Vas¹¹² 28 10-15), Śaṅkha, chap. 11 (=Vas 28 10-15), Saṁvarta 227-228, Baud Dh. S IV 2 4-5, IV. 3 8, IV 4. 2-5, Yāj. III. 302-305, prescribe several Vedic hymns or single Vedic verses or prose passages as specially efficacious for removing all sins It is not possible nor necessary to set down all of them, but by way of sample the verses of Manu (XI 249-257) are translated here. 'Even a drinker of *surā* becomes pure if he mutters the hymn (seen) by Kutsa¹¹³, the three verses beginning with '*prati*' (Rg VII. 80 1-3) seen by Vasiṣṭha, the Māhitra hymn (Rg X 185), the verses called Śuddhavatīs (Rg VIII 95 7-9 where the word 'śuddha' occurs 13 times in different connections). Even he who has stolen gold (of a brāhmaṇa) instantly becomes free from guilt if he once mutters (the hymn) beginning with 'asya vāmasya' i e. Rg I. 164 1-52), and the Śivasaṅkalpa (Vāj S XXXIV. 1-6). The violater of a guru's bed is freed from sin if he repeatedly recites the hymn beginning with 'haviṣpāntam' (Rg. X 88 1-19) and the hymn beginning with 'na tam-aṁho' (i e. Rg X 126 1-8), the hymn beginning with 'iti' (i e. Rg X 119) and the hymn addressed to *Puruṣa* (Rg X 90) He who desires to do away with sins, great and small, should mutter during a year the verse beginning with 'ava' (i e 'ava te heḷo varuṇa namobhiḥ' Rg I. 24. 14, Tai S I. 5 11 3), or the verse 'yat kiṁ ca' (Rg VII 89 5) or the verse 'iti vā' (Rg X 119 1) That man who, having accepted a gift that ought not to be accepted, or having eaten forbidden food, mutters the hymn beginning with 'tarat sa mandi' (Rg IX 58 1-4)¹¹⁴ becomes pure after three days He who has committed many sins becomes pure if he recites for a month the hymn beginning with 'Somā rudrā' (Rg VI. 74 1-4) and the three verses beginning with 'Aryamaṇam' (Rg. IV 2 4-6) while he bathes in a river (and not in a pond or other reservoir of water). One guilty of a grievous offence should mutter the seven verses beginning with 'Indram' (Rg I. 106 1-7) A twice-born man removes even very great guilt by offering clarified butter for a year (in fire) with the mantras for the Śākalahomas (Vāj S VIII 13) or by muttering the mantra 'nama id-ugram' (Ṛg. VI. 51. 8) One who is stained by mortal sin becomes pure if with a concentrated mind he attends cows for a year, reciting the Pāvamānī hymns (the whole of Ṛg. IX) and subsisting on alms 114a