“pätaké tärite prabhu kailä avatära

e-mata pätaké kothä päibena ära?

“The Lord has incarnated to deliver the sinful. Where will He find such sinners as
these?”

The word pätaka refers to pätayati adhogamayati duñkriyäkäriëam iti—“sinful activities,

activities that result in degradation, and improper activities.” The householders have
three main enemies—lust, anger, and greed. Being attacked by these enemies, human
beings engage in sinful activities. Sinful activities are called atipätaka, mahäpätaka,
anupätaka, upapätaka, jätibhraàçakara, saìkarékaraëa, apätrékaraëa, malävaha, and
prakérëaka.

Having sex with one's mother, having sex with one's daughter, and having sex with the
wife of one's son—these three sins are called atipätaka.

Killing a brähmaëa, drinking wine, stealing a brähmaëa's gold, and having sex with the
wife of one's guru—to commit these four sins or to intimately associate with such
sinners is called mahäpätaka.

There are thirty-five forms of anupätaka: (1) for a low caste person to identify himself as
belonging to a high caste; (2) to falsely accuse someone of committing an offense, for
which the punishment is death; (3) to spread false accusations against respectable
persons—these three are equal to the killing of a brähmaëa. (1) To either reject the
Vedas or forget the Vedas after reading them; (2) to blaspheme the Vedas; (3) to give
false testimony by speaking deceptive words (this is of two kinds—to hide something
that one knows about and to hide the truth by speaking lies); (4) to spoil the life of a
friend; (5) to eat food that grows in stool or filthy places; (6) to eat uneatable foods--
these six anupätakas are equal to drinking wine. (1) To take another's accumulated
wealth through cheating; (2) to kidnap someone; (3) to steal a horse; (4) to steal silver;
(5) to steal land; (6) to steal diamonds; (7) to steal jewels—these seven forms of
anupätaka are equal to stealing gold. (1) Having sex with a sister born from the same
mother; (2) having sex with an unmarried girl; (3) having sex with a low-caste woman;
(4) having sex with the wife of one's friend; (5) having sex with the wife of a stepson; (6)
having sex with one's son's wife who belongs to a different caste than the son; (7) having
sex with one's maternal aunt; (8) having sex with one's paternal aunt; (9) having sex
with one's mother-in-law; (10) having sex with the wife of one's maternal uncle; (11)
having sex with the wife of a priest; (12) having sex with one's sister; (13) having sex
with the äcärya's wife; (14) having sex with a woman who is under one's shelter; (15)
having sex with the queen; (16) having sex with a woman who has given up household
life; (17) having sex with the wife of a learned brähmaëa; (18) having sex with a chaste
woman; and (19) having sex with a woman of a higher caste—these nineteen forms of
anupätaka are equal to having sex with the wife of the spiritual master.
Killing cows; becoming the priest of unqualified people; having sex with another's wife;
selling oneself; giving up one's father, mother, or guru; giving up the study of scriptures;
giving up cooking due to laziness; giving up one's son, or to neglect the performance of
the son's purificatory rites; arranging the marriage of a younger son before that of the
elder; arranging the marriage of a younger daughter before that of the elder; acting as
the priest in such a marriage; spoiling a girl who has not reached puberty; earning one's
livelihood by loaning money on interest; falling from the vow of brahmacarya by
engaging in illicit activities such as having sex with a woman; selling one's pond, garden,
wife, or children; neglecting to undergo the sacred thread ceremony even up to the age
of sixteen; rejecting relatives such as one's uncle; teaching the Vedas on payment;
learning the Vedas from a professional teacher; selling objects that are not meant to be
sold; working in a gold mine or another kind of mine on the order of the king; working
on a bridge or other huge enterprise; destroying medicine; earning one's livelihood by
engaging one's wife in prostitution; harming an innocent person through mantra or the
employment of creatures such as eagles; cutting green trees for fuel; cooking or
performing sacrifice for oneself rather than the Lord or one's father; eating prohibited
foods like garlic; neglecting to preserve a perpetual sacred fire; stealing valuables other
than gold; neglecting the repayment of debts to the demigods, sages, and forefathers;
discussing unauthorized scriptures; becoming attached to songs and music; stealing
paddy, metals like copper and iron, or animals; having sex with a drunk woman; killing a
woman, kñatriya, vaiçya, or çüdra; and becoming an atheist—these are all known as
upapatakas.

Using a stick or other instrument to injure a brähmaëa; smelling objects like garlic,
stool, or wine; becoming crooked; having sex with an animal; and engaging in
homosexual relations—all these sins are jätibhraàçakara. The sin of killing domestic or
wild animals is called saìkarékaraëa.

Accepting wealth from a condemned person, earning one's livelihood through trade or
lending money on interest, speaking lies, and serving a çüdra—all these sins are called
apätrékaraëa.

Killing a bird, killing animals that move in water, killing fish or other animals that are
born in water, killing worms or insects, eating foods that have been touched by wine—
all these sins are called malävaha.

Those sinful activities that have not been described above are called prakérëaka (see
Viñëu-saàhitä, Präyaçcitta-viveka, and Manu-saàhitä). In Däna-dharma of
Mahäbhärata, ten kinds of sinful activities have been mentioned—the three sins of
killing, stealing, and having sex with another's wife are called käyika, or those caused by
the body; the four sins of useless talk, arrogance, cruelty, and telling lies are called
väcika, or those caused by the speech; and the three sins of coveting other's wealth,
being devoid of compassion for all living entities, and thinking “let my activities bear
fruit” are called mänasika, or those caused by the mind.
CB Madhya-khaëòa 13.055