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This is the Sutra:

If they have begot sons, let them. say to them: 'Go out from amongst us, for thus the Āryas, (throwing the guilt) upon us, will receive you (amongst their number). 1.10.29.9

Does this mean that a person who has done a terrible crime and who has sons. They thus (the sons) become Aryas? Is this really true? Please clear this doubt of mine.

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Quoting from this page:

  1. But Abhiśastas shall live together in dwellings (outside the village); considering this their lawful (mode of life), they shall sacrifice for each other, teach each other, and marry amongst each other.

9. If they have begot sons, let them. say to them: 'Go out from amongst us, for thus the Āryas, (throwing the guilt) upon us, will receive you (amongst their number).'2

  1. For the organs do not become impure together with the man.

  2. (The truth of) that may be learned from this (parallel case); a man deficient in limbs begets a son who possesses the full number of limbs.[3]

  3. Hārita declares that this is wrong.

  4. A wife is similar to the vessel which contains the curds (for the sacrifice).[4]

  5. For if one makes impure milk curdle (by mixing it with whey and water) in a milk-vessel and stirs it, no sacrificial rite can be performed with (the curds produced from) that. Just so no intercourse can be allowed with the impure seed which comes (from an Abhiśasta).

First of all these verses are talking about how Abhisastas must live. Abhisastas are the ones who have committed the sin of killing other humans.

Quoting from here:

  1. According to Hārita, this (last-mentioned penance must) not (be performed).

  2. For he who takes his own or another's life becomes an Abhiśasta.

  3. He (the violator of a Guru's bed) shall perform to his last breath (the penance) prescribed by that rule (Sūtra 11). He cannot be purified in this world. But (after death) his sin is taken away.

Now, on 1.10.29.9, the commentator (Georg Bühler) does not agree with Haradutta's translation. He comments the following:


It is impossible to agree with Haradatta's explanation of the words to be addressed by Abhiśastas to their children. No Vedic license can excuse the use of the second person plural instead of the third. I propose the following: 'Go out from among us; for thus (leaving the guilt) to us, you will be received (as) Āryas.' it is, however, not improbable that our text is disfigured by several very old corruptions, compare Baudhāyana II, 1, 2, 18.

Anyway, what that verse is saying is that children of Abhisastas may leave their parents and start living among Aryas where they will be accepted because the children did not inherit the sin and they are pure. This is the view of Apasthambha. But in one of the next verses it is said that Harita (another Smriti Karta) does not agree with this view point and his arguments are also given.

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  • Does the Manusmriti argee with this?
    – Rajam
    Jul 9 at 9:54
  • I need to check that but if Manu Smriti had similar verses it would have been cited by the commentator there in footnotes @Rajam
    – Rickross
    Jul 9 at 9:57

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