Hindu philosophy revolves around the doctrine of karma. That is a living being's happiness and misery in life , here and there after is the result of deeds --good and bad performed in this life as well as in earlier lives.
Sage Vyasa in the Mahabharata gives the list of deeds a person should avoid doing , through the oath Arjuna takes in the battle field.
When Arjuna returns from a successful battle, to the Pandava encampment a deathly silence greets him. He intuitively grasps the dreadful truth of his young son Abhimanyu's death.He is angry at himself and at all others around him for not preventing such a tragedy.He resembled the destroyer himself in wrath . None of his friends or kinsmen could venture to look or to speak to him, save Yudhishtra and Vasudeva , who were under all circumstances acceptable to him , since he greatly respected them and dearly loved them.
Yudhishtra explains that it was Jayadhartha who had prevented the Pandava army to go to Abhimanyu's rescue, when the lad was inextricably caught in the Chakravyuha ---battle formation and was surrounded and gruesomely murdered by 6 warriors of Kauravas that included Drona and his son . On hearing this,Arjuna cried ''Oh son"! and fell down in pain and arose with eyes bathed in tears, his body trembling feverishly and cast roving glances like a mad man and clenched his fists and took a oath that he would slay Jayadharth the very next day if Jeyadharth did not surrender on his own accord and seek his protection.
He then says " Let me not attain the region reserved for the righteous if I donot fulfill my vow but go to those regions that are for them that do the following---
Who slay their mother or father or violate their preceptors bed,
or
Who are vile and wicked ,
or
Who cherish envy against the righteous,
or
who speak ill of others ,
or
who appropriate the wealth confidingly deposited with them by others
or
who ,betray others trust reposed in them,
or
Who speak ill of wives enjoyed by them before,
or
who have slain scholars
or
who have killed their kine
or
have eaten sugared milk and rice, or food prepared of barley or dishes prepared of milk, sesame and rice or thin cakes of powdered barley fried in ghee or other kinds of cakes or meat , without having first dedicated the same to the gods,
or
have insulted men devotedto the studies of Vedas or other wise worthy of respect or is a preceptor.
And adds "Let my end be as despicable as that of the following persons"
Of those who touch, worthy men and fire with feet,
Of those who eject phlegm, excreta and urine into water,
Of those who do not entertain their guests hospitably,
Of those who receive bribes, speak falsehood, deceive and cheat others,
Of those who offend their own sons and falsely praise others,
Of those who eat sweetmeats in sight of servants, sons and wives and dependants without sharing the same with them,
Of those who posses a ruthless nature and cast off a righteous and obedient protege without supporting them,
Of those who give Shraddha to undeserving neighbours overlooking the deserving ones,
Of those who drink wine, insult the worthy of respect ,is ungrateful and speaks ill of his brothers!
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References are from section lxx111 Drona parva of Mahabharat.
