History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c75.508

v5.c75.508

Karmavipāka, (fruition of evil deeds), see under 'sins', 'disease', 'actions', Āpastamba-dharmasūtra says that a dvija who murders a brāhmana is born after undergoing torments of hell as cāṇḍāla, paulkasa and other sinners are born as animals 175; doctrine of, was well-known to Buddhist philosopher Nāgārjuna 176; doctrine of, is not, acc to some writers, to be taken literally but is an arthavāda 177, diseases arising from sinful acts subside by recitation of vedic texts, *homa*, gifts 173; physical marks indicative of sins committed in previous lives disappear on repentance and on undergoing expiation 173, residual consequences of sinful deeds in the form of deformed bodies or bodies with condemned signs or diseases 173, human beings alone are subject to doctrine of 176-177, smṛtis and purānas state into what animals, trees and creepers sinners are born after undergoing hell torments 173-174, some smṛtis say that the murderer of a brāhmana in a later life suffers from leprosy, while others say that he suffers from phthisis 175, Yogasūtra says K. is of three kinds viz. birth (as a worm or animal), life (short), and experiencing torments of hell 176; treatment of K. is the longest in Prāyaścittasāra 176, teaching of works on, comes to this that no man however sinful need despair 177; women guilty of theft and other sins become the wives of men guilty of same offences 177