Rajadharmanushasana Parva — The necessary rites of expiation of sin are describe.

Vyasa said ‘By penances, religious rites, and gifts, O Bharata, a man purify his sins if he does not commit them again.

By living upon only one meal a day, procured by begging, by doing all his acts himself, by going about begging with a human skull in one hand and a staff with a skull on it in another, by becoming a Brahmacharin and always ready for work, by renouncing all malice, by sleeping on the naked earth, by declaring his offence publicly, by doing all this for full twelve years, a person can cleanse himself from the sin of a Brahmanicide.

By perishing by the weapons of a person living by the use of arms, of one's own accords and upon the advice of persons read in the scriptures, or by throwing one's self down, for three times, with head downwards, upon a burning fire, or by walking a hundred Yojanas reciting the Vedas, or by presenting one's all to a Brahmana well read in the Vedas, or at least so much by which he would live comfortably for life, or a house properly furnished, and by protecting kine and Brahmanas, one may be purged of the sin of Brahmanicide.

By living upon poor diet every day for six years. a person may be purged off that sin. By observing a more difficult vow about food one may be cleansed in three years.

By living upon one meal a month, one may be cleansed in a year. By an absolute fast, one may be cleansed within a very short time, one is again purified by a Horse-sacrifice. Men that have been guilty of Brahmanicide and who have succeeded in taking the final bath at the completion of the Horse-sacrifice, become washed off all their sins. This is highly authoritative injunction of the Shrutis. One again, by renouncing his life in a battle undertaking for a Brahmana, becomes cleansed of the sin of Brahmanicide.

By giving away a hundred thousand kine to deserving persons, one becomes cleansed of the sin of Brahmanicide as also of all other sins.

One that gives away twenty-five thousand kine of the Kapila breed all of them having calves becomes cleansed of all his sins.

One who, at the time of death, presents a thousand kine with calves to poor but deserving persons, becomes freed for sin.

That man, o king, who gives away a hundred horse of the Kamvoja breed to Brahmanas of regulated conduct, becomes freed from sin.

That man, O Bharata, who gives to even one man all that he asks for, and who, having given it, does not advertise his act, becomes freed from sin,

If a person who has once taken wine, drinks hot water, he purifies himself both here and hereafter.

By falling from the summit of a mountain or entering a burning fire, or by going on journey for ever after renouncing the world, one is freed from all sins.

By celebrating the sacrifice laid down by Brihaspati, a Brahmana who drinks wine may obtain the region of Brahmana this has been said by Brahma himself.

If a person, after having drunk wine, becomes humble and makes a gift of land, and abstains himself from it ever afterwards he becomes purified and cleansed.

The person that has violated his preceptor's bed, should lie down on a sheet of heated iron, and having cut off the male organ, should leave the world and live in the woods, with eyes always turned upwards.

By renouncing one's body, one become cleansed of all his sins. Women, by leading a regular life for one year, becomes freed off of all their sins.

The person who practises a very rigid vow, or gives away the whole of his wealth, or dies in a battle fought for the sake of his preceptor, becomes freed off of all his sins.

One who utters untruth before one's preceptor or acts against his wishes, becomes freed of that sin by doing something agreeable to one's preceptor.

One who has deviated from the vow of celibacy may become freed of that sin by being clad in a hide of a cow for six months and observing the penances laid down for Brahmanicide.

One who has been guilty of adultery or of theft, is purified by practising rigid vows for a year.

When one steals another's property, one should, by all means in his power, return to the said party another property of the value of what has been stolen. One may then be freed of the sin.

The younger brother who has married before his elder brother is married, as also the elder brother whose younger brother has married before him, becomes freed by observing a rigid vow, with controlled mind for twelve nights.

The younger brother, however, should marry again for rescuing his departed manes. Upon such second marriage the first wife becomes purified and her husband himself would not commit sin by taking her.

Men well read in the scriptures say that women may be freed of even the greatest sins by practising the vow of Chaturmasya living all the while upon restricted and pure diet.

Persons well read in the scriptures take no notice of the sins that women may commit at heart. Whatever their sins may be they are cleaned by their menstrual course like a metallic plate that is cleansed with ashes.

Plates desercated by a Shudra eating off it, or a vessel of the same metal that has been smelt by a cow, or stained by a Brahmana's Gandusha, may be cleansed by the ten purifying substances.

It has been ordained that a Brahmana should acquire and practise all the virtues. For a Kshatriya it has been ordained that he should acquire and practise one fourth of all virtues.

So, a Vaishya should practise less (than a Kshatriya's) by a fourth, and a Shudra less (than a Vaishya's) for a fourth. The gravity or lightness of sins of each of the four orders, should thus be ascertained.

Having killed a bird or an animal, or cut down living trees, a person should declare his sin publicly and fast for three nights.

By having intercourse with one whom intercourse is forbidden, the expiation consists in wandering in wet clothes and sleeping on a bed of ashes.

These, O king, are the expiations for sins, as laid down in scriptures and by Brahmana himself.

A Brahmana may be freed off all sins by reciting the Gayatri in a sacred place, living all the while upon restricted fare, casting off malice, abandoning anger and hate, unaffected by praise and blame, and observing the vow of silence.

He should during the day be under shelter of the sky and should sleep in the same way at night, thrice during the day, and thrice during the night, he should also plunge with the clothes into a river or lake for performing his ablutions.

Practising rigid vows, he should abstain from speaking with women, Shudras, and degraded persons. A Brahmana by observing such rules may be freed off of all sins unconsciously committed by him.

A person reaps in the next world the fruits, good or bad, of his acts here which are all seen by the elements. Proportionate to virtue or vice, one enjoys or suffers the consequences.

By knowledge, by penances, and by pious acts, therefore, one multiplies his happiness. One, therefore, may likewise increase his misery by committing sinful acts.

One should, therefore, perform righteous deeds and avoid altogether sinful ones.

I have now described what the expiations of the sins are. There is expiation for every sin except those that are (highly heinous.)

As regards sins regarding unclean food and the like, and improper speeches, etc., they are of two classes, viz., those committed knowingly and those that committed unconsciously.

All sins that are committed knowingly are serious, while those that are committed unwittingly are light. there is expiation for both.

Forsooth, sin is capable of being washed away by following the ordinances. Those ordinances, however, have been laid down only for them who have faith in God.

They are not for atheists or those that have no faith, or those who are full of pride and malice.

A person, O foremost of men, who seeks well-being both here and hereafter should, O foremost of virtuous men, always follow virtue, hear the righteous, and satisfy the duties that have been ordained for him.

Therefore, for the reasons already pointed out by me, you, O king, shall be freed off of all your sins, for you have slain your enemies in the discharge of your duties as a king and for the protection of your life and inheritance,

Or, if despite it, you still consider yourself sinful, perform expiation. Do not cast away your life for such grief that does not become a wise man.'

Vaishampayana said This accosted by the holy Rishi, king Yudhishthira the just, having thought for a short time, said these words to the sage.