Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, 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
もし過失によりヴァイシャ（庶民）を死なせた場合、二年間の贖罪を行うべきである。また、バラモン殺しに規定された儀礼に従い、子牛を連れた千頭の牛を寄付すべきである。あるいは、クリッチュラおよびアティ・クリッチュラの苦行を行うか、チャンドラーヤナの誓いを行うべきである。
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.