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Shloka 40

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide

सप्तरात्रमकृत्वा तु भैक्षचर्याग्निपूजनम् / रेतसश्च समुत्सर्गे प्रायश्चित्तं समाचरेत्

saptarātramakṛtvā tu bhaikṣacaryāgnipūjanam / retasaśca samutsarge prāyaścittaṃ samācaret

Wenn man jedoch sieben Nächte lang die Observanzen des Almosenlebens und der Verehrung des heiligen Feuers nicht vollzieht, dann — falls zudem Samenerguss eintritt — soll man ordnungsgemäß das vorgeschriebene Sühneritual (prāyaścitta) ausführen.

सप्तरात्रम्(for) seven nights
सप्तरात्रम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसप्तरात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (सप्त + रात्र)
अकृत्वाwithout doing
अकृत्वा:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकृ (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), नकार-पूर्वक (negated): ‘not having done’
तुbut
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/अन्वय-निपात
भैक्षचर्या-अग्निपूजनम्begging-practice and fire-worship
भैक्षचर्या-अग्निपूजनम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभैक्षचर्या + अग्निपूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार-द्वन्द्वः: भैक्षचर्या च अग्निपूजनं च)
रेतसःof semen
रेतसः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootरेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
समुत्सर्गेin the emission/discharge
समुत्सर्गे:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसमुत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
प्रायश्चित्तम्expiation
प्रायश्चित्तम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
समाचरेत्should duly perform
समाचरेत्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + आ√चर् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Traditional narrator-to-sage transmission (dharma/prāyaścitta instruction within the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga)

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

A
Agni
P
Prāyaścitta

FAQs

Indirectly: it frames spiritual life through dharma—discipline, restraint, and expiation—implying that inner purity (śuddhi) and self-mastery support realization, even though the verse itself is primarily about conduct and penance.

It highlights preparatory yogic restraints (yama-like foundations): brahmacarya (continence), regulated living (bhikṣācaryā), and ritual steadiness (agni-pūjā). When lapses occur, prāyaścitta restores eligibility and mental clarity for sādhana.

Not explicitly; however, the Kurma Purana’s synthesis is reflected in its shared dharma-grammar—purificatory discipline and expiation—as a common ground for both Śaiva (including Pāśupata) and Vaiṣṇava paths.