Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
माषषोडषमानं स्यात्सुवर्णमिति नारद । हत्वा ब्रह्मस्वमज्ञानाद्द्वादशांब्दं तु पूर्ववत् ॥ ३८ ॥
māṣaṣoḍaṣamānaṃ syātsuvarṇamiti nārada | hatvā brahmasvamajñānāddvādaśāṃbdaṃ tu pūrvavat || 38 ||
O Nārada, a suvarṇa, the standard unit of gold, is said to equal sixteen māṣas. If, out of ignorance, one kills a person connected with Brahmin property, or brings about the destruction of Brahmin-owned property, one should undertake the same expiatory discipline as before—for twelve years.
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It links ethical responsibility with precise traditional standards: the verse defines a recognized measure of value (suvarṇa = sixteen māṣas) and underscores that even unintentional harm involving Brahmin-associated wealth demands serious long-term purification through prāyaścitta.
Indirectly: Bhakti in the Purāṇic framework includes living dharmically. The verse teaches that sincere devotion must be accompanied by accountability and corrective discipline when one’s actions violate sacred social and religious trusts.
It reflects practical dharma-śāstra style calibration of ritual/legal penalties using traditional measures of weight/value (māṣa, suvarṇa), a technical detail often used in prescribing dāna and prāyaścitta.