Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide
जलार्द्रवासाः प्रयतो ध्यात्वा नारायणं हरिम् / ब्रह्महत्याव्रतं चाथ चरेत् तत्पापशान्तये
jalārdravāsāḥ prayato dhyātvā nārāyaṇaṃ harim / brahmahatyāvrataṃ cātha caret tatpāpaśāntaye
水に湿らせた衣をまとい、慎みて身を制し、ナーラーヤナ・ハリを観想せよ。しかる後、その罪を鎮めるため、ブラフマハティヤー(バラモン殺し)の贖罪として定められた誓戒(ヴラタ)を修すべし。
Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teachings to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
It presents the Supreme as Nārāyaṇa/Hari—the inner refuge whose remembrance and meditation purify the practitioner, implying that sin is ultimately calmed by turning consciousness toward the indwelling Lord.
The verse emphasizes dhyāna (focused meditation) coupled with bodily discipline (austerity such as water-moistened clothing) and vrata (regulated vow), aligning outer restraint with inner recollection as a prāyaścitta method.
Though naming Nārāyaṇa/Hari explicitly, the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis treats expiation as effective when grounded in devotion and yogic discipline toward the Supreme—often articulated across the text through complementary Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava idioms rather than sectarian opposition.