History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.380

v5.c71.s1.380

It is now necessary to turn to the penance for association with those that are guilty of grave sins (mahāpātakas). Manu XI. 181, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 54 1, Yāj. III 261 provide that whoever associates with (for a year, acc. to Yāj.) a person guilty of one of the four mahāpātakas has to undergo the *vrata* (the observances) prescribed for that grave sinner in order to free himself from the sin of association Kullūka, the Pr sāra (p. 61) and others state that the penance here referred to is the one for twelve years and not death since it is the word *vrata* that is employed by Manu and vrata does not ordinarily convey the idea of death.²⁴⁰ If the association was due to ignorance the penance was half. Vyāsa prescribed ²⁴¹ for the knowing associator ¾ths of the penance provided for the sinner himself. According to the Pr. V (p 171) there was no difference in the extent of the penance for association with a sinner in the case of a brāhmaṇa ²⁴² and a śūdra, though in other cases penance was reduced by one quarter for each varṇa. If the association was for less than one year, then the penance was proportionately reduced. Not only was the *patita* condemned but even his son born after he became *patita* and he was excluded from inheritance. But the daughter of a *patita* was treated differently and she could be married without any stigma being attached to the husband. Vide Vas. 13 51–53, Yāj. III. 261, Baud. Dh. S II 1. 73–74, Hārīta q by Pr V. p 174 and Pr prakaraṇa p 110 and H of Dh vol III. pp. 614–616.