Shloka 8
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide
शासनाद् वा विमोक्षाद् वा स्तेनः स्तेयाद् विमुच्यते / अशासित्वा तु तं राजास्तेनस्याप्नोति किल्बिषम्
śāsanād vā vimokṣād vā stenaḥ steyād vimucyate / aśāsitvā tu taṃ rājāstenasyāpnoti kilbiṣam
Que ce soit par le châtiment ou par la remise accordée selon l’autorité légitime, le voleur est délivré du péché du vol. Mais si le roi ne le châtie pas, le roi encourt véritablement la faute du voleur.
Narratorial/Didactic voice within the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teaching context (Raja-dharma instruction)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it stresses moral accountability (karma) in social order; purification comes through rightful dharmic action, which supports inner discipline that prepares one for self-knowledge.
No specific technique is named; the verse emphasizes yama-like ethical restraint and dharmic governance (danda) as the societal counterpart to inner self-control—an ethical base supportive of Pashupata-oriented discipline.
It does not mention them explicitly; consistent with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis, it frames dharma (order, justice, restraint) as a shared divine principle upheld across Shaiva-Vaishnava teachings rather than sectarian difference.