Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25
Dharmopadeśa-Śānti: Rules of Impurity, Expiations, and Ancestor Rites
अज्ञानाद्वा तु यो भुक्त्वा चाण्डालान्नं कथंचन । गोमूत्रयावकाहारो मासार्द्धेन विशुद्ध्यति ॥ २५ ॥
ajñānādvā tu yo bhuktvā cāṇḍālānnaṃ kathaṃcana | gomūtrayāvakāhāro māsārddhena viśuddhyati || 25 ||
But if someone, out of ignorance, somehow eats the food of a caṇḍāla, he becomes purified in half a month by living on a diet of cow’s urine and yāvaka (barley food or barley gruel).
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a prāyaścitta context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It distinguishes accidental impurity from deliberate transgression and prescribes a time-bound prāyaścitta (expiatory regimen) to restore ritual purity (śauca) and eligibility for dharmic practices.
Indirectly, it supports bhakti by emphasizing purification and discipline: maintaining śauca through prāyaścitta is presented as a supportive foundation for worship, japa, and other devotional observances.
It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure) in practice—specifically prāyaścitta-vidhi—by giving a concrete purification protocol (dietary rule and duration) for a defined impurity.