How grave a crime is it to do ritual without perfect purification and observance?

Question

In Kaliyuga and now it is impossible to as perfect ly ritually pure as in the past. Does this mean that sitting with or entering places where non- vegetarian food is served makes them impure? How does one remedy this if the workplace involves such? Is there a term for regaining it?

Answer 1

Here are few examples from the Atharva Veda:

1. What happens if improper chanting of mantra

अस्त्रा नीलशिखण्डेन सहस्राक्षेण वाजिना । रुद्रेणार्धकघातिना तेन मा सम् अरामहि ॥11.2.7 Oh Rudra (रुद्र), with powerful/swift/impetuous (वाजिना ) mighty weapons (अस्त्र), with dark hair and chest (शिखण्ड) (or) Bluish-Black turf ((नील +शिख) , thousand eyes (सहस्राक्ष ) (or) dwelling in thousand places (सहस्र + क्षेण ), and inflictor/slayer (घातिन्) of Ardhaka (अर्धक), in this way (तेन ) one who alters (altering) and is improper (अराम ) chants the mantras (अर्धक) Please note: Ardhaka (अर्धक) means improper utterance of Vedic mantras. शिखण्ड = Chest and शिख = Turf at the crown of the head. सहस्र + क्षेण = thousand places. सहस्राक्ष = thousand eyes. क्षयण = destruction and annihilation

2. What happens if Divinities are insulted

यो अन्तरिक्षे तिष्ठति विष्टभितो ऽयज्वनः प्रमृणन् देवपीयून् । तस्मै नमो दशभिः शक्वरीभिः ॥11.2.23 The one who (यो ) dwells and establishes oneself firmly (तिष्ठति + विष्टभित) among the sky (अन्तरिक्षे ) destroys (प्रमृण) those who do not-sacrifice/insulting Divinities (अ-यज्वन् – देवपीयून् ) salutation and homage (नमो ) to the anger/fierce one (तस्मै ) we sign thy with ten (दशभिः ) hymns of Śākvara-Sāman (शक्वरीभिः )

3. Who to reach out to for forgiveness?

Oh Bhava (भव ) you are the ruler/king (राजन् ) be gracious/favorable, Pardon/spare (मृड ) towards the one hosting the Yagna (यजमानाय ) especially which donating cattle as a sacrifice (पशूनां ) especially you are the one to reach (बभूथ )

4. What happens if the priest/htor intentionally makes a mistake?

A priest (brahmana) who wants to spoil his own yajamāna for one reason or the other just has to alter one syllable…. Even the smallest mistake in ritual might lead to disaster: if certain mantras would be said loudly, Rudra would kill the yajamāna’s cattle Caraka-Katha Aranyaka (II 128A, cf. III 229).

5. Another example of improper chant or misuse of speech:

अहं रुद्राय धनुरा तनोमि ब्रह्मद्विषे शरवे हन्तवा RV 10.125.6 I (अहं) (Vac the divine speech) (अहं) Rudra’s (रुद्राय) Bow (धनुरा) bend/stretch the bow string (तनोति) towards those who hostile to the sacred knowledge (ब्रह्म – द्विष्) swiftly (शर – वेग) to eliminate/kill (हन्तव्य)

There are many details listed in the Garuda Purana and Manusmriti about improper antiquities towards rituals. Since this is KaliYuga most of the Vedic rituals are gone from regular usage. Mostly, the current era moved towards the principles of Yoga, Vedanta, and Bhakti methods.

Here is the source for those who want to read in detail.