Shloka 21
Determination of Expiations: Purification after Forbidden Food, Impurity, and Transgression
स्वर्णस्तेयी भवेत्कृच्छ्रं प्राजापत्यत्रयं चरेत् । सशिखं वपनं कृत्वा पंचगव्यं तथा पिबेत्
svarṇasteyī bhavetkṛcchraṃ prājāpatyatrayaṃ caret | saśikhaṃ vapanaṃ kṛtvā paṃcagavyaṃ tathā pibet
Ein Dieb von Gold soll die Kṛcchra-Buße auf sich nehmen und die dreifache Prājāpatya-Observanz vollziehen. Nachdem er den Kopf geschoren und die śikhā belassen hat, soll er auch pañcagavya trinken.
Unspecified (contextual narrator within Brahma-khaṇḍa discourse)
Concept: Even grave wrongdoing (suvarṇa-steya) has a remedial path through regulated penance, bodily humility, and purificatory substances—restoring eligibility for sacred life.
Application: When one errs, adopt structured restitution: confess, accept discipline, seek guidance, and perform concrete corrective actions rather than denial.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A repentant man stands beside a sacred fire, head freshly shaven yet with a single śikhā preserved, hands folded in humility. A brāhmaṇa officiant prepares pañcagavya in a small bronze vessel, while the fire glows steadily—symbolizing the possibility of purification and return.","primary_figures":["repentant householder/offender","brāhmaṇa officiant","Agni (sacrificial fire, personified subtly)"],"setting":"Simple yajña space with vedi, ladles, kusa grass, bronze pot for pañcagavya, minimal household backdrop","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["fire amber","copper bronze","ivory white","ruddy brown","saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: penance scene with sacred fire central, repentant figure with shaved head and retained śikhā, brāhmaṇa holding a bronze vessel of pañcagavya; gold leaf on fire aura and ritual implements, rich reds/greens in cloth, intricate border with tiny kalasha and conch motifs, devotional solemnity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage ritual, delicate linework on shaved scalp and śikhā, soft smoke curling upward, cool neutral background with warm fire glow, refined facial expressions of remorse and compassion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized Agni with radiant eyes within the flame, repentant figure and priest in profile, natural pigment palette dominated by reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall symmetry and ritual clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ritual vignette framed by floral borders; central fire-altar with decorative flames, attendants and vessels arranged symmetrically, deep blue background with gold highlights, small cow motifs subtly referencing pañcagavya’s source."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["crackling fire","soft mantra undertone","single bell at offering","quiet breathing"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भवेत्कृच्छ्रं = भवेत् + कृच्छ्रम्
FAQs
The verse prescribes the Kṛcchra penance along with performing the threefold Prājāpatya observance, plus ritual acts like shaving while keeping the śikhā and drinking pañcagavya.
Pañcagavya is a traditional purificatory mixture of five cow-derived substances used in ritual contexts; here it is prescribed as part of expiation (prāyaścitta).
It underscores that grave misconduct like theft requires acknowledgement and disciplined atonement through prescribed austerities and purification rites, reflecting a dharma-based framework of moral repair.