Shloka 45
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide
प्रमाप्याकामतो वैश्यं कुर्यात् संवत्सरद्वयम् / गोसहस्रं सपादं च दद्याद् ब्रह्महणो व्रतम् / कृच्छ्रातिकृच्छ्रौ वा कुर्याच्चान्द्रायणमथावि वा
pramāpyākāmato vaiśyaṃ kuryāt saṃvatsaradvayam / gosahasraṃ sapādaṃ ca dadyād brahmahaṇo vratam / kṛcchrātikṛcchrau vā kuryāccāndrāyaṇamathāvi vā
Si l'on cause involontairement la mort d'un Vaiśya, on doit observer une pénitence de deux ans. On doit aussi donner mille vaches avec leurs veaux, conformément à l'observance prescrite pour le meurtrier d'un brāhmaṇa ; ou bien accomplir les austérités Kṛcchra et Ati-kṛcchra, ou encore entreprendre le vœu Cāndrāyaṇa.
Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teachings to the sages)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
This verse does not directly teach Ātman-metaphysics; it frames dharma in practical terms—restoring moral order through prāyaścitta, restraint, and dāna—supporting the broader Purāṇic view that inner purity and right action prepare one for higher knowledge.
The verse emphasizes tapas-oriented disciplines—Kṛcchra, Ati-kṛcchra, and Cāndrāyaṇa—structured austerities that cultivate self-control (saṃyama) and purification, functioning as preparatory practices aligned with dharmic and yogic restraint.
It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, its dharma framework is consistent with the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis where ethical purification (prāyaścitta, dāna, tapas) supports devotion and realization across both traditions.