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384
LAWS OF MANU.
LX, 238.
238. Excluded from all fellowship at meals, excluded from all sacrifices, excluded from instruction and from matrimonial alliances, abject and excluded from all religious duties, let them wander over (this) earth.
239. Such (persons) who have been branded with (indelible) marks must be cast off by their paternal and maternal relations, and receive neither compassion nor a salutation ; that is the teaching of Manu.
240. But (men of) all castes who perform the prescribed penances, must not be branded on the forehead by the king, but shall be made to pay the highest amercement.
241. For (such) offences the middlemost amercement shall be inflicted on a Brâhmana, or he may be banished from the realm, keeping his money and his chattels.
242. But (men of) other (castes), who have unintentionally committed such crimes, ought to be deprived of their whole property; if (they committed them) intentionally, they shall be banished.
238. Medb. reads asamyogyâh,'excluded from all intercourse,' instead of asamyâgyâh, 'excluded from all sacrifices.'
240. 'All castes,' i.e. the three Aryan castes.' Når. and Nand. read pūrve,' the before-mentioned castes.' The highest amercement,' see above, VIII, 138.
241. According to Medh., the meaning of the verse is that a Brahmana, endowed with good qualities, who unintentionally (verse 242) committed a mortal sin, shall either be fined in the middlemost amercement and be made to perform the prescribed penance, or, if he refuses to do that, be banished without the infliction of a fine. Kull, and Nand. partly agree, but think that the offender is to be banished, if he committed the crime intentionally.
242. The translation follows Nar. and Nand., who think that persons, performing no penance, shall be deprived of their whole
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