Chapter 9

Having fed the Brāhmaṇas, the cow-killer becomes pure; there is no doubt. // Par_8.41/1 //

For the sake of protecting cows, one is not tainted by sin in restraining or tethering them. One should not consider that an intentional or unintentional killing. (II,1, p. 255) // Par_9.1 //

If one strikes a cow with anything other than a staff and causes it to fall, the penance prescribed then is to perform double the penance for killing a cow. (II,1, p. 256) // Par_9.2 //

Confinement, tethering, yoking, and striking—these are the four kinds. For confinement, one should perform one quarter of the penance; for tethering, one should perform two quarters of the penance. (II,1, p. 257) // Par_9.3 //

For yoking, it should be three-quarters of the penance, and for striking the cow down, one should perform the full penance. This applies whether it occurs in a cow-pen, a house, a difficult passage, or on uneven ground, (II,1, p. 258) // Par_9.4 //

or in rivers and seas, but not at the mouth of a river. If cows die in a burnt place because they were held back, this is called confinement (rodha). (p. 259) (II,1, p. 259) // Par_9.5 //

If a cow should die, having been tied by a yoke-rope, a cord, or even by neck ornaments, whether in a house or in a forest, // Par_9.6 //

this is to be known as tethering (bandhana), whether done intentionally or unintentionally. If tormented by men while yoked to a plow, a cart, in a row, or while bearing a load on its back, (II,1, p. 260) // Par_9.7 //

and the cow's owner dies, that death is considered a killing by yoking. Whether a person is intoxicated, careless, or insane, conscious or unconscious, (II,1, p. 261) // Par_9.8 //

and, acting out of anger—whether intentional or not—strikes a cow with a staff or with stones, and it is injured or dies, this is the cause for the penance for striking it down (nipātana). // Par_9.9 //

A staff (daṇḍa दण्ड) is defined as being as thick as a thumb, an arm's length in measure, of green wood, and with its leaves still on it. (II,1, p. 262) // Par_9.10 //

If a cow, having been struck with such a staff, faints or falls, but then gets up and walks five, seven, or even ten steps, // Par_9.11 //

or if it takes a mouthful of grass or drinks water, and if it was previously afflicted by a disease, no prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is required. (II,1, p. 263) // Par_9.12 //

For killing a fetus, one quarter of the penance is prescribed for an embryo (piṇḍa), two quarters for a formed fetus (garbhasaṃmita), and three-quarters of the vow is ordained for killing an unconscious fetus (acetanam garbham). // Par_9.13 //

For one quarter of the penance, the shaving of the body hair is required; for two quarters, the beard as well. For three quarters, all hair except the top-knot (śikhā शिखा) is to be shaved; but for the full penance of striking down, the shaving includes the top-knot. (II,1, p. 264) // Par_9.14 //

For one quarter of the penance, a pair of garments should be given; for two quarters, a bronze vessel. For three quarters, one should give a bull; for the full penance, a gift of two cows is remembered. // Par_9.15 //

If the fetus has all its limbs fully formed, is seen to be conscious, and is complete with all major and minor limbs, one must perform double the cow-vow (govrata). (II,1, p. 265) // Par_9.16 //

For a cow that has been struck with a stone or a staff: for breaking a horn, one should perform one quarter of the penance; for destroying an eye, two quarters of the penance. (II,1, p. 266) // Par_9.17 //

For an injury to the tail, a quarter kṛcchra (कृच्छ्र) is prescribed; for breaking a bone, two quarters of the penance. For an injury to the ear, three quarters; and for killing it, one should perform the full penance. (II,1, p. 267) // Par_9.18 //

For a broken horn, a broken bone, and likewise for a broken hip, if the cow survives for six months, no prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is required. (II,1, p. 268) // Par_9.19 //

If a wound is inflicted, an ointment of oil should be applied with the hand, and fodder should be provided until the cow becomes strong and healthy. // Par_9.20 //

A man should nourish it until it is fully recovered in all its limbs. Then, bowing before a Brāhmaṇa in the presence of a representation of a cow, he should release it. (II,1, p. 269) // Par_9.21 //

If the cow does not recover its full health and remains maimed in body, then a prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) should be prescribed for the cow-killer on its account. // Par_9.22 //

For one who violently kills a cow with a piece of wood, a clod of earth, a stone, or a weapon, one should prescribe the following purification: (II,1, p. 270) // Par_9.23 //

He should perform the Sāṃtapana (सांतपन) penance for a killing with wood, the Prājāpatya (प्राजापत्य) for a clod of earth, the Taptakṛcchra (तप्तकृच्छ्र) for a stone, and the Atikṛcchra (अतिकृच्छ्र) for a weapon. // Par_9.24 //

The sacrificial fee is five cows for the Sāṃtapana (सांतपन), three for the Prājāpatya (प्राजापत्य), eight for the Taptakṛcchra (तप्तकृच्छ्र), and thirteen for the Atikṛcchra (अतिकृच्छ्र). // Par_9.25 //

For causing the death of living beings, one should give a substitute of the same kind, or give its equivalent value; thus has Manu declared. // Par_9.26 //

Apart from branding or marking, or for the purpose of riding or releasing them, and for confining them in the evening for their protection, one is not defiled by the acts of confinement and tethering. (II,1, p. 271) // Par_9.27 //

For excessive branding, for excessive driving, and for piercing the nose, as well as for forcing a cow to cross rivers and mountains, a prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) should be prescribed. (II,1, p. 272) // Par_9.28 //

For excessive branding, one should perform one quarter of the penance; for excessive driving, two quarters. For piercing the nose, three-quarters of the penance; and for causing its death, one should perform the full penance. // Par_9.29 //

If a bull, constrained by a yoke, dies from being branded, it has been said by Parāśara himself that one quarter of the penance is to be performed according to the rule. (II,1, p. 273) // Par_9.30 //

Confinement, tethering, overloading, striking, forcing through difficult terrain, and yoking—these are the six causes of a cow's death. // Par_9.31 //

If a cow dies in a person's house, its limbs having been well-secured by a tethering rope, the owner of that house would be the sinner and deserves half of the prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त). (II,1, p. 274) // Par_9.32 //

Cows should not be tied with ropes of coconut fiber, nor with those of hemp, nor with ropes of Muñja grass, nor with chains of bark. If one must tie them with these, one should stand by holding an axe. (II,1, p. 275) // Par_9.33 //

One should tie a cow with ropes of Kuśa grass or Kāśa grass, facing south. If cows die from being burned by fire while entangled in their tethers, no prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is required. (II,1, p. 276) // Par_9.34 //

If wood is involved in such a death, what should the penance be? By reciting the purifying goddess (the Gāyatrī), one is freed from that sin. // Par_9.35 //

By driving a cow into wells or pits, by causing it to fall where trees are being cut, or by selling it to those who eat cows, one incurs the sin of cow-killing (govadham गौवधम्). (II,1, p. 277) // Par_9.36 //

If a cow that is being tended to has its flank pierced, or its ear or heart pierced, or is submerged in a narrow well, // Par_9.37 //

and if, while trying to get out of the well, its neck or feet are broken, and it dies right there, one should perform three quarters of the penance. // Par_9.38 //

For cows that die in wells, at embankments, at river dams, or at watering stations, no prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is required. // Par_9.39 //

For cows that die in a dug well, a dug pond, a long trench, and likewise in other excavations made for a religious purpose, no prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is required. (II,1, p. 279) // Par_9.40 //

But if a man desires to dig a pit at the door of a house or in a dwelling place, for excavations related to his own house and purposes, a prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) should be prescribed. // Par_9.41 //

If cows, confined by tethers at night, are killed by snakes or tigers, or if they perish by fire or lightning, no prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is required. (II,1, p. 280) // Par_9.42 //

If cows are killed during a village raid by a shower of arrows, or by falling when a house collapses, or are killed by excessive rain, no prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is required. (II,1, p. 281) // Par_9.43 //

For those struck down in battle, and for those burned in their houses, and for those killed in forest fires or village raids, no prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is required. (II,1, p. 282) // Par_9.44 //

If a cow is restrained for medical treatment, for the purpose of delivering an obstructed fetus, and it dies despite the effort made, no prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) is required. // Par_9.45 //

If many cows die due to being tethered or confined, or due to a physician's incorrect treatment, a prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) should be prescribed. (II,1, p. 284) // Par_9.46 //

When cows or bulls are in peril, all the people who are onlookers and do not intervene—all of them incur the sin. (II,1, p. 285) // Par_9.47 //

If one cow is killed by many persons acting together, and it is not known by whose blow it was killed, the killer among them should be identified by means of a divine ordeal and be punished by those appointed by the king. (II,1, p. 286) // Par_9.48 //

If one cow is accidentally killed by several people, they should each separately perform one quarter of the penance for that killing. // Par_9.49 //

If it is struck, blood is seen; if it is afflicted by disease, it becomes emaciated; if it is bitten, it salivates. This is how the investigation should be conducted. // Par_9.50 //

If, when urged to get fodder, it does not go along the path... By Manu alone, who knows all the scriptures, (II,1, p. 288) // Par_9.51 //

the prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) has been declared: a cow-killer should perform the Cāndrāyaṇa (चान्द्रायण) penance. For the sake of preserving one's hair (from being shaved), one should perform double the vow. (II,1, p. 290) // Par_9.52 //

When a double vow is prescribed, the sacrificial fee (dakṣiṇā दक्षिणा) should also be double. A king, a king's son, or a very learned Brāhmaṇa // Par_9.53 //

may prescribe a prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) for such a person without the shaving of the head. One should lift up all the hair and cut off a length of two finger-widths. (II,1, p. 291) // Par_9.54 //

Thus, the tonsure of the head is remembered for women and unmarried girls. For a woman, there is no shaving of the hair, no sleeping and eating in a distant place, (II,1, p. 292) // Par_9.55 //

nor should she dwell in a cow-pen at night, nor follow the cows by day. This applies especially at the confluences of rivers and in forests. // Par_9.56 //

For women, there is no wearing of an antelope skin; they should simply perform the vow. Bathing at the three twilights is prescribed, as is the worship of the gods. (II,1, p. 293) // Par_9.57 //

Their vow, such as the Kṛcchra (कृच्छ्र) or Cāndrāyaṇa (चान्द्रायण), should be performed in the midst of their relatives. She should remain constantly at home, pure, and observe the prescribed rule. // Par_9.58 //

He who, having committed cow-killing in this world, wishes to conceal it, goes to the terrible hell called Kālasūtra, without a doubt. (II,1, p. 294) // Par_9.59 //

Freed from that hell, he is born in the world of mortals. For seven births, that man is born as a eunuch, miserable, and afflicted with leprosy. // Par_9.60 //

Therefore, one should make one's sin public and always practice one's own dharma (धर्म). One should avoid excessive anger towards women, children, servants, cows, and Brāhmaṇas. // Par_9.61 //