Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
दीक्षितं क्षत्रियं हत्वा चरेद्धि ब्रह्महव्रतम् । अग्निप्रवेशनं वापि मरुत्प्रपतनं तथा ॥ १५ ॥
dīkṣitaṃ kṣatriyaṃ hatvā careddhi brahmahavratam | agnipraveśanaṃ vāpi marutprapatanaṃ tathā || 15 ||
Ayant tué un Kṣatriya consacré, qu’il entreprenne vraiment le vœu expiatoire prescrit pour la brahmahatyā (meurtre d’un brāhmaṇa). Ou bien, qu’il accomplisse l’entrée dans le feu, ou la chute d’une hauteur, comme actes de pénitence.
Narada (teaching/pronouncing dharma and prāyaścitta rules)
Vrata: brahmahavrata
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It frames certain acts of violence—especially against a ritually consecrated person—as spiritually catastrophic and therefore requiring extreme prāyaścitta, emphasizing accountability and purification through vrata.
Indirectly: by insisting on purification through vows and expiation, it prepares the practitioner for sattva and inner fitness, which the Purāṇas treat as supportive ground for stable Vishnu-bhakti.
Ritual-practice knowledge connected to Kalpa (rules of rites and expiations) is implied—how specific transgressions map to specific prāyaścittas and vratas.