These are many "offences" (aparādha) which must be avoided by a ritual practitioner.
They fall into three categories:
These all relate to misconduct in a temple or shrine or inattention during ceremonial worship of an Icon.
They are as follows:
1. Approaching the Deity without brushing the teeth.
2. Entering the temple or shrine after touching a menstruating woman.
3. Approaching a sacred precinct after visiting the cemetery.
4. Entering a temple or shrine wrapped in a blanket.
5. Weeping or lamenting in the temple.
6. Combing the hair, or clipping nails or spitting in the vicinity of the temple.
7. Carrying an umbrella while circumambulating the temple.
8. Sleeping or eating in the temple or shrine.
9. Seeing a corpse and thereafter touching the Icon without having washed the hands.
10. Touching the loon after having touched a corpse without having bathed,
11. Touching a sacred icon after having sex (without bathing).
12. Sitting upon an elevated seat in front of the Deity.
13. Eating meat prior to worship.
14. Drinking alcohol prior to worship.
15. Worshipping the Deity wearing unwashed garments.
16. Worshipping the Deity wearing a garment belonging to another.
17. Wearing an upper garment while prostrating.
18. Wearing shoes during worship.
19. Stretching the feet towards the Icon or turning the back towards it.
20. Interrupting the liturgical proceedings to answer calls of nature.
21. Lying, gossiping, praising or deprecating another deity or person in the presence of the Deity.
22. Using forbidden flowers in the worship.
23. Tasting the food or smelling the flowers before they are offered.
24. Refraining from prostrating or saluting with one hand.
25. Stealing or using the temple vessels or paraphernalia for oneself.
1. Confiscating or appropriating the property of a sādhaka.
2. Wrongfully accusing a sādhaka of a crime or inventing accusations.
3. Abusing a sādhaka.
4. Assaulting a sādhaka.
5. Neglecting to show another sādhaka respect.
6. Inquiring into the caste or social status of a sādhaka or in anyway discriminating against another on these grounds.
Any offence against the spiritual Preceptor is considered the worst of all offences. They are known
as offences which is unbearable to the Lord. They are the hardest of all to forgive because the
Guru has abandoned everything for alleviating the sufferings of others. These offences which are
given in the Dharma-Sūtras are:
1. Addressing the Guru by his/her personal name, issuing instructions to him/her, requesting
service of, or treating the Guru as an equal.
2. Saluting the Guru from a seat or carriage without having descended, or greeting the Guru while
holding implements in one's hands.
3. Wearing an upper garment in the Guru's presence.
4. Speaking to the Guru while reclining on a bed, eating or with the face turned away.
5. Sitting on a seat higher than the Guru's
6. Stretching out the feet towards the Guru, holding one's knees, or clasping the hands behind the
back in his/her presence.
7. Breathing on the Guru or spraying spittle while talking to him/her in close proximity. (The
hand or hem of the garment should be held over the mouth when talking to the Guru from close
quarters)
8. Laughing in the presence of the Guru without puttine the hand over the mouth.
9. Using the Guru 's seat, bed, books or other implements without permission.
10. Mimicking the Guru's walk, speech or deportment.
11. Rendering service to the children or the spouse of the Guru by massaging them, assisting them
in their bath, washing or anointing their feet or arranging their hair.
