Let us first understand different SINS . Vishnudharmottar purana gives a exhaustive list of sins . Why should we have info on sins , because If we need to atone the sins then we must have remorse[ pashchattap] , the paschattap primarily consists of acceptance of having done the sin and then a strong resolution that such sins will not be repeated . and then when prayaschitta is done one gets relief from the karma .
BUT if we do not know at all what we are doing is sin then how can we feel remorse and atone for it ! Thus it is necessary to know that” these are sins which we must not do ” .
Such papa parichaya is known only through the shastras .
Sins are MAHANMAHATTARPATAKA ,SUMAHATTARPATAKA ,SUMAHAPATAKA, MAHAPATAKA , PATAKAs , UPAPATAKAS and Papa and Kshudra papa ,
each lesser in the order THAN THE PREVIOUS SINS .
- Bramhahatya [ killing of bramhin ]
- surapaana [ dinking alcohol or drugs]
- Suvarnasteya [stealing gold ]
- Gurupatni gaman [ abusing wife of preceptors]
- Mahapataki sanyog [ association with these sinners ]
These are panchamahapataka ie grave sins [ usually unpardonable by the LORD and at the same time gives instantaneous downfall]
- Inviting poor bramhin and not giving him alms ,
- bringing obstructions to the living of bramhins ,
- disrupting their livelihood .
- burning or destroying ashram , houses ,villages or towns [ blasts]
- stopping thirsty cows from going towards the pond or water bodies
- Without knowing the actual purport of vedas and shastras , demeaning them or insulting them
- making fun of deaf dumb blind etc and stealing their articles
- Calling teachers and preceptors by their first name or ekavachan ie tu etc
- Disobedience towards elders and teachers and making a sound of HUM in resentment towards their words .
- If anything is most precious to a weak person [ deen vyakti] just disturbing his possession .
All these sins are equivalent to BRAMHAHATYA .
Leaving asides vedas , foulmouthing vedas , giving false witness ,killing a friend , eating inedible foods All these are equivalent to SURAAPAAN [ alcohol and drug abuse]
Usurping mortagaged article , illegal human trafficking , horse silver diamonds and land grabbing come under the pretext of SUVARNASTEYA [ stealing GOLD ]
SEX with
- brothers and sisters [ sayoni stree ]
- unmarried girls [ kumari ]
- outcaste woman [ antyaj stree ]
- Friends wife [ sakhyu]
- daughter in law [ putra vadhu]
All these are equivalent to GuRUPATNI SANGAM .
These are unpardonable sins .
Dharma viveka says
- killing ants are Kshudra papa
- killing animals having bones ,and stealing fruits grains etc are known as papa
- misbehaving with women is known as upapataka
- killing / atrocities on shudras is known as pataka
- Bramhahatya etc is known as mahapataka
- stealing Anything belonging to devatas ie temple properties are known as sumahapataka
- insulting devatas [deities ] and sajjanas [ devotees] is known as sumahhatar pataka
- Sins towards LORD KEshava is known as MAHANMAHATTAR PATAKA .
What are sins done towards LORD ? Following contemplations are sins :
- There is someone equivalent to KESHAVA
- I am GOD
- Bramha shiva shakti etc are all equivalent to VISHNU
- There is no qualities in Keshava [ nirgunabramha]
- ALL those who have attained MOKSHA become KESHAVA [ GOD]
- There is no form to the GOD
- Keshava has body just like us souls . [ trigunatmak deha]
- Just like souls God too has birth death and old age .
- Sometimes GOD undergoes misery and ignorance[ dukha agyana ]
- Keshava is subservient to another GOD
- Somebody is superior to KESHAVA .
All these form disobedience towards LORD KRISHNA .
Usually God’s qualities are known as SUR . Thinking about these qualities in one’s own self is known as SURAAPAAN . This is mahapataka.
We always keep saying , ” I DID ‘ I ATE ‘ MY HOUSE ” etc . all these statement shows our ignorance towards the fact that we are dependent on LORD and HE alone is independent and everything belongs to HIM . But saying it to be ours is akin to attributing his independent quality to ourselves ,thus it is suraapaan .
Vishnu is known as BRAMHANA . Saying there is no GOD VISHNU is akin to BRAMHA HATYA .Lord is everywhere and HE sees us everywhere , yet we forget this and sin so we think HE[ BRAMHAN VISHNU ] is not there and we commit Bramhahatya on a daily basis .
Thus we are all sinners . Thus we say
aparaadh sahasraani kriyanteaharnisham maya|taani sarvani me dev kshamasva purushottam ||
Hey Purushottam , ! day and night I have been doing thousands of sins kindly forgive them all !!
WHen we ask with remorse we must remember HOW LORD has saved others from hienous crimes and its sins .
BRAMHAHATYA :
Bramhins are the carriers of Bramha vidya they are the custodians of the DHARMA. Killing such a bramhin or insulting him is known as Bramha hatya . This sin has been done on a largest scale BY SHIVA .
BRAMHA is the presiding diety and chief among the BRAMHINS . SHIVA cuts down his fifth head . Ambhrani sukta says that even after such a grave crime SHIVA was exonerated by VISHNU and he did not suffer much on account of it and was forgiven .
Bhrigu rishi kicked VISHNU who is all pervading bramha . Such a sin was also forgiven by the LORD and Bhrigu got the grace of LORD .
Tvastra had the bramhin sons by name VISHWAROOPA and Vrutrasura , Indra killed them and BRAHAHATYA engulfed was mitigated by the LORD and DEVENDRA regained his place in the heavens .
Sagar and his sons insulted LORD KAPIL the BRAMHIN , yet LORD brought the GANGA to earth to mitigate their sins and gave then MOKSHA .
Parikshit insulted SHaMIK rishi in samadhi by enroping a snake . FOR This BRAMHAHATYA of PARIKSHIT LORD graced him with BHAGAVAT through SHUKACHARYA and Parikshit attained MOKSHA .
SUVARNASTEYA :
Goddess LAXMI is ever present in GOLD , so stealing GOLD is sin towards GODDESS . THis sin was committed for the first time by BALI . BALI once stole the KIRIT [ crown ] of LORD NARAYANA sleeping in the KSHEERASAGAR [ AMUKTA STHANA ] . GARUDA chased BALI and grabbed it . BUT GARUDA placed it on the HEAD of KRISHNA in DWAPARA YUGA while HE was in GOMANTAKA PARVAT . THIS CROWN fitted exactly the head of KRISHNA establishing that there is no differenece between LORD NARAYANA and KRISHNA .
BALI INDIRECTLY BECAME THE INSTRUMENT FOR SUCH A EXHIBITION OF QUALITY OF NARAYANA . BALI infact got punya rather than sin for his acts , such is the magnanimity of LORD towards his devotees .
Shatdahnva and Kritavarma alongwith these two Akrur participated in the filching of SYAMANTAK MANI . Akrur hid the mani in his clothes from Krishna . LORD forgave him and also allowed him to keep the ruby .
SURAAPAAN :
Sons of KUBERA , Nalkubar and Manigreeva , after consuming alcohol , nakedly were sporting in ganga with many women .NARADA cursed them to be ARJUNa trees . Krishna mitigated their sins and curse by his touch .
All yadavas drank mayreyak alcohol and in ensuing brawl killed themselves but their act resulted in the Krishna leaving for paramdham thus giving them more punya .
GURUPATNIGAMAN:
Moon chandra indulged with wife of his preceptor BRAHASPATI and had to suffer kushta [ leprosy] . BUT LORD saved him from hell BY TAKING BIRTH IN HIS LINEAGE OF CHANDRAVANSHA as KRISHNA . KRISHNA brought enormous fame to the Lineage of CHANDRA and therby as his forefather [ mane ] moon was exonerated .
PATAKI SANYOG :
When we befriend pataki sinner we share his sins . RAVAN KUMBAKARNA ,SHISHUPALA DANTAVAKTRA , HIRANYAKSHA HIRANYAKASHIPU , NALKUBAR manigreeva all these were residing in the same body alongwith the demons , JAY VIJAY , DHUNI CHAMU ,
SIMILARLY PUTANA had both URVASHI and TATAKI . Karna had SURYA and DAMBODHBHAV LORD KRISHNA SAVED ALL THESE good souls even when they were in pataki sanyog ,
KAnsa minister AKRUR or his sairandhri TRIVAKRA everyone were freed from sins by LORD KRISHNA .
THUS when MAHAPATAKAS can be forgiven by LORD KRISHNA by bringing pashchattap among the devotees and through Prayashchitta , then small PATAKAS or UPAPATAKAS wil also be destroyed by LORD . HE forgave
- SHringi for giving curse to a sane KING PARIKSHIT
- KALIYA snake for biting him in YAMUNA
- AJAMILA BRAMHIN for veshya gaman
- GANDHARI for cursing KRISHNA to exterminate yadava lineage
- KING SATRAJIT for false allegation of SYAMANTAKMANI apahaar .
Thus LORD forgives when devotee does prayaschitta through his samsmaranam by meditating all these events of HARI and paschattap and homa japa dana etc .
. Krichcha is the best form of PRAYASCHITTA . ALL such prayaschitta should start from dwadashi tithi.
