Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 59
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
अपश्यन्गच्छतो गच्छेत्पाणान्तं यः स शुद्ध्यति । मरुत्प्रपतनं वापि कुर्यात्पापमुदाहरन् ॥ ५९ ॥
apaśyangacchato gacchetpāṇāntaṃ yaḥ sa śuddhyati | marutprapatanaṃ vāpi kuryātpāpamudāharan || 59 ||
Wer, ohne zu schauen, an einem anderen vorbeigeht und ihn streift, wird gereinigt. Oder er soll, den Fehler erklärend, die Sühne namens „Marut-prapatana“ vollziehen.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada the prāyaścitta norms)
Vrata: marut-prapatana (as named prāyaścitta)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It teaches that unintended, minor ritual impurities caused during movement can be resolved through awareness, harmless conduct, and—when needed—explicit acknowledgment of the fault followed by a prescribed expiation, preserving inner and outer purity (śauca).
While primarily a dharma/prāyaścitta rule, it supports bhakti indirectly: a devotee maintains cleanliness and humility, promptly admitting mistakes and restoring purity so worship and japa are performed with a clear conscience.
It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Dharma-śāstra style discipline: identifying degrees of fault, the role of confession (udāharaṇa), and applying a named prāyaścitta (marut-prapatana) for purification.