Mokshadharma Parva — Parasara's discourse on acts and expiation of sin

Parashara said That man, who, having got this car, viz., his body endued with mind, goes on, restraining with the reins of knowledge the horses of the objects of the senses, should certainly be considered as an intelligent one.

The homage by a person whose mind depends on itself and who has renounced the means of livelihood, is worthy of high praise, that homage, namely, O twice born one, from one who has succeeded in getting over acts, but not acquired from the mutual discussion of men in the same state of progress.

Having got the allotted period of life, O king, with such difficulty, one should not diminish it. On other hand, man should always try, by righteous deeds, for his gradual advancement.

Among the six different colours that individual Soul attains at different periods of his existence, he who falls away from a superior colour deserves blame and censure. Hence, one who has acquired the result of good decds should act in such a way as to avoid all acts sullied by the quality of Darkness.

Man attains to a superior colour by pious deeds. Unable to acquire a superior colour for such acquisition is highly difficult, a person, by doing sinful deeds only kills himself.

All sinful deeds that are perpetrated unconsciously or in ignorance are destroyed by penances. A sinful deed, however, that is committed knowingly, yields much sorrow.

Hence, one should never commit sinful deeds which have for their fruit only sorrow.

The intelligent man would never do a sinful act even if it produce the greatest advantage, just as a person who is pure would never touch a Chandala.

How miserable is the fruit I behold of sinful deeds. Through sin the very vision of the sinner become perverse, and he mistakes his body and its unstable accompaniments for the soul.

That foolish man who does not succeed in following Renunciation in this world becomes stricken with great grief when he goes to the next world.

An uncoloured cloth, when dirty, can be purified, but not a piece of cloth which is dyed with black; so, O king, listen to me with care, is it the case with sin.

That man who, having knowingly perpetrated a sin, acts righteously for expiating that sin, has to enjoy and endure the fruits of his good and bad deeds separately.

The Brahmavadins hold, under the authority of what has been sanctioned in the Vedas, that all acts of injury committed in ignorance are made good by virtuous acts.

A sin, however, however, that is committed knowingly is never repaired by righteousness. Thus the twice-born Brahmavadins who are conversant with the scriptures of Brahman.

But I hold that whatever acts are done, be they righteous or sinful, be they done knowingly or otherwise, they remain till their fruits are enjoyed or endured.

Whatever acts are done by the mind with full deliberation, yield, according to their grossness or subtility, fruits which are gross or subtile.

Those acts, however, O you of righteous soul, which are fraught with great injury, if done in ignorance do, forsooth, produce consequences which lead to hell, with this difference that are disproportionate in point of gravity to the acts that produce them.

As to those acts of the gods or repeated ascctics, a pious man should never do their like or, informed to them, should never censure them.

That man, who, reflecting with his mind, O king, and ascertaining his own ability, performs pious deeds, forsooth, acquires what is for his well-being.

Water poured into an unbaked pitchers gradually becomes less and less and finally disappears altogether. If kept, however, in a baked vessel, it remains without its quantity being decreased. Similarly, acts done without thought with the help of the understanding do not become wholesome; while acts done with judgement remain with unmitigated excellence and produce happiness as their result. If into a vessel containing water other water be poured, the original water increases in quantity; so all acts done with judgement, be they just or otherwise, only increase one's stock of virtue.

A king should subjugate his enemies and all who seek to assert their superiority, and he should properly rule and protect his subjects. One should ignite his sacred fires and pour libations on them in various sacrifices, and retiring into the woods in either his middle or old age, should live there.

Gifted with self-control, and possessed of righteous conduct, one should regard all creatures as his ownself. One should again respect his superiors. By the practice of truth and of good conduct, O king one is sure to acquire happiness.