History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.673.2

v5.c71.s1.673.2

Coveting another's wealth by unfair means, desiring that evil should befall another and persistence in false ideas (such as the one that there is no soul, but that the body is the soul)—these three are mental sins (Manu XII. 5). Harshness of speech, falsehood, backbiting and irrelevant prattling—these four are vocal sins (*ibid* XII. 6). Appropriating to oneself another's wealth without his consent, injury to sentient beings against the injunctions of *śāstra*, sexual intercourse with another's wife—these three are bodily sins (*ibid* XII. 7). Manu provides that bodily sins reduce a man to the state of a fixed object (tree &c.), vocal sins reduce him to the state of birds and beasts and mental sins to the lowest castes (Cāṇḍāla and the like). Hārīta (q. by Par. M )⁴¹² speaks of 18 evil actions that lead to hell, of which six are mental, four vocal and the rest are bodily sins. Manu XII. 54-59 and 62-68, Yāj. III. 131, 135-136, 207-208 and 213-215, Viṣṇu Dh. S. Chap. 44, Atri Chap. 4 5-14, 17-44 (in prose) state into what animals, trees and creepers sinners are born after undergoing hell torments. The statements of Yāj being concise are set out here. 'This soul enters into hundreds of bodies in this *saṁsāra*, viz. as one of the lowest castes, bird or fixed object (tree &c ) on account of his lapses springing from the mind, speech and body (Yāj. III 131);