Dharmaraja (the God of death) says to king Bhagiratha: “O protector of the earth, the person who acts as an obstacle to others going to take their bath or perform worship, is called a killer of Brahmana. One who is always engaged in censuring others, who is interested in self-conceit and self-aggrandizement and who indulges in falsehood is considered a murderer of a Brahmana.
“A person who consents to adharma incurs, the sin of killing a Brahmana. A person interested in alarming and frightening others, a person who indulges in arrogant behavior is called a murderer of a Brahmana.
“O protector of the earth! I shall narrate to you those sins which cannot be expiated. They are the biggest of all sins and lead to infernal regions. There are means to atone for grave sins like a Brahmanatyā. But there is no means to atone for the sin of a person who hates a Brahmana or Knower of Brahman. So also, o Ruler of men, there is no atonement for those who are ungrateful and those who commit breach of trust. There is no expiation anywhere to those persons who indulge themselves in denouncing the Vedas. There is no expiation. Here or hereafter to those who find fault with saintly people.
“ O protector of the Earth, those who listen to criticism about great souls with interest have to bear lot of sufferings. Hot nails are hammered into their ears. Pores thus formed are filled with boiling oil. They are then thrown into Kumbhipā hell.
“Tale-bearers and back-biters have to eat red hot iron for a period of a thousand yugas. Their tongues are pressed and crushed by means of very terrible tongs and they are compelled to stay in a very terrible hell called Nirucchvāsar for a period of half a kalpa.
“Heretics, those who do not perform righteous acts, slanderers of continent men and scriptures are great sinners. Those who are engaged in slandering .others, those who speak roughly and harshly and those who create obstacles in regard to charitable gifts are said to be great sinners. Such sinners stay in each of the hells for a period of one yuga. At the end of it they come back to the earth. They are born as donkeys for seven consecutive lives. Then for ten lives, they are born as dogs suffering many would. For the period of hundred years they remain as worms in feceal matter, after which they are born as serpents for twelve lives.
“O king, thereafter, in the course of a thousand lives, they are born as deer and other animals. Then for a hundred years they are born as immobile beings (trees and the like). Thereafter, they take up the bodies of alligators. Then for seven lives they are born as chāndālas who commit sinful crimes. Then for sixteen lives they lead a depraved existence and then for two births they remain impoverished and afflicted with sick ness. They are always intent on accepting monetary gifts. Again, they go back to hell.
“O King! Listen to the fruits of sins accruing to a perjurer. He undergoes all these tortures for a period equal to fourteen times the reign of Indra, the king of gods. In this world his sons and grandsons perish. In the other world he falls into Raurava and other hells in succession too.
“A person who consents to adharma incurs, the sin of killing a Brahmana. A person interested in alarming and frightening others, a person who indulges in arrogant behavior is called a murderer of a Brahmana.
“O protector of the earth! I shall narrate to you those sins which cannot be expiated. They are the biggest of all sins and lead to infernal regions. There are means to atone for grave sins like a Brahmanatyā. But there is no means to atone for the sin of a person who hates a Brahmana or Knower of Brahman. So also, o Ruler of men, there is no atonement for those who are ungrateful and those who commit breach of trust. There is no expiation anywhere to those persons who indulge themselves in denouncing the Vedas. There is no expiation. Here or hereafter to those who find fault with saintly people.
“ O protector of the Earth, those who listen to criticism about great souls with interest have to bear lot of sufferings. Hot nails are hammered into their ears. Pores thus formed are filled with boiling oil. They are then thrown into Kumbhipā hell.
“Tale-bearers and back-biters have to eat red hot iron for a period of a thousand yugas. Their tongues are pressed and crushed by means of very terrible tongs and they are compelled to stay in a very terrible hell called Nirucchvāsar for a period of half a kalpa.
“Heretics, those who do not perform righteous acts, slanderers of continent men and scriptures are great sinners. Those who are engaged in slandering .others, those who speak roughly and harshly and those who create obstacles in regard to charitable gifts are said to be great sinners. Such sinners stay in each of the hells for a period of one yuga. At the end of it they come back to the earth. They are born as donkeys for seven consecutive lives. Then for ten lives, they are born as dogs suffering many would. For the period of hundred years they remain as worms in feceal matter, after which they are born as serpents for twelve lives.
“O king, thereafter, in the course of a thousand lives, they are born as deer and other animals. Then for a hundred years they are born as immobile beings (trees and the like). Thereafter, they take up the bodies of alligators. Then for seven lives they are born as chāndālas who commit sinful crimes. Then for sixteen lives they lead a depraved existence and then for two births they remain impoverished and afflicted with sick ness. They are always intent on accepting monetary gifts. Again, they go back to hell.
“O King! Listen to the fruits of sins accruing to a perjurer. He undergoes all these tortures for a period equal to fourteen times the reign of Indra, the king of gods. In this world his sons and grandsons perish. In the other world he falls into Raurava and other hells in succession too.
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