Major Sins

Vyasa said

Illustrious son of Brahma, I bow to you. Living beings commit sins and as a result suffer in great hells. Please tell me about this.

Sanatkumara replied

Beings commit sins and suffer in great hells as a result. I will tell it briefly; listen carefully. There are four kinds of mental sins: coveting others' wives, coveting others' possessions, thinking of harming them, and turning the mind to tasks that should not be done. There are four sins of speech: incoherent talk, lying, harsh words and slander behind a person's back. There are four bodily sins: eating what should not be eaten, violence, false undertakings and seizing another's property. In pursuit of the three aims these are the twelve activities. I will speak again of the differences among them and the endless results that follow. Mahadeva is the one who carries a person across the ocean of samsara. One who hates him commits a very great sin and goes to the ocean that is hell. Those who criticise knowledge of Shiva, ascetics, gurus and parents are mad and go to that ocean.

There are six great sins with endless consequences: criticising Shiva, criticising the guru, reviling knowledge of Shiva, stealing what belongs to the gods, destroying what belongs to brahmanas, and foolishly stealing texts that hold knowledge of Shiva. There are other extremely great sins: not honouring Shiva's worship when one sees it being planned; not bowing to, worshipping and praising Shiva's lingam when one sees it; not making these efforts without any suspicion; not staying there gladly; in a guru's presence not making offerings before Shiva; on a parva day not cleaning the place where worship is to be done; not helping gurus properly when they are doing rites; giving up conduct fitting for a devotee of Shiva; hating Shiva's devotees; writing or studying knowledge about Shiva without due worship; not following the rules when giving; listening to wrong pronunciation; amusing oneself in greed; following rules that express wicked knowledge; wilfully sleeping in an unclean spot; ignoring accounts of knowledge about Shiva and talking of other things; having made a truthful pledge, not keeping it and giving; behaving impurely; speaking or hearing of Shiva's story in an impure place; wanting to hear the sacred texts without first worshipping the guru; not serving him with faithful feelings even when told to; not honouring his words and answering back; ignoring and not undertaking the guru's tasks when hard to do; abandoning the guru when he is disabled, suffering, abroad or overcome by enemies; disrespecting his wife, sons and friends; and not following the guru's excellent instructions about dharma. All these deeds are said to equal in effect the act of criticising Shiva.

There are five great sins: killing a brahmana, addiction to liquor, theft, violating the guru's bed, and associating with those who commit such acts. If out of anger, greed, fear or hatred a person kills a brahmana or wounds him with words that pierce his vitals, he is said to kill a brahmana and is a great sinner. A man who invites a brahmana, gives him something and takes it back, or abuses him though innocent, becomes a brahmana's slayer. One who, proud of his learning, robs a brahmana of his energy or ignores him in an assembly is described as a brahmana-killer, and likewise one who by claiming false qualities for himself forcibly abuses and restricts a brahmana's qualities. One who, like a bull overwhelming a cow, does not honour brahmanas and gurus first and obstructs this is called a brahmana-killer. One who, having given cattle or land to a god or brahmana, takes it back is a brahmana-killer and is destroyed in time. One who unlawfully takes the property of gods and brahmanas commits a sin equal to killing a brahmana, without doubt. A brahmana who, having studied the Vedas and knowledge of brahman and Shiva, abandons it is foolish and commits a sin equal to a drunkard's. Abandoning vows, the rules of the household sutras, worship and the five daily sacrifices are sins equal to drinking liquor. Terrible sins equal to killing a brahmana include abandoning father and mother; bearing false witness; lying to brahmanas; a devotee of Shiva eating flesh; eating forbidden food; killing innocent creatures in the forest; not using wealth given by the virtuous for brahmanas and dharma; and setting fire to cattle paths, forests and villages. Sins equal to stealing gold include taking the possessions of the poor; a brahmana knowingly selling a man or woman, an elephant, horse, cow, land, silver, garments, herbs, juices, sandalwood, aloe, camphor, musk or silk, except in calamity; and stealing something left in trust. Sins regarded as equal to lying with a guru's wife include not giving a marriageable daughter to a groom who is her equal; lying with the wife of a son or friend, or with a sister; using force on a maiden; lying with a terrible, intoxicated woman; and lying with a woman of one's own varna. Sanatkumara said he had told of the major sins and would now tell of the minor ones.