Shloka 1
Prāyaścitta for Food-Contact, Social Contact, Aśauca Periods, and Formal Penance Systems
नामैकविंशाधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः ब्रह्मोवाच / प्रायश्चित्तादि वक्ष्ये ऽहं नरकौघविमर्दनम् / मक्षिका विप्रुषो नारी भुवि तोयं हुताशनः / मार्जारो नकुलश्चैव शुचीन्येतानि नित्यशः
nāmaikaviṃśādhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ brahmovāca / prāyaścittādi vakṣye 'haṃ narakaughavimardanam / makṣikā vipruṣo nārī bhuvi toyaṃ hutāśanaḥ / mārjāro nakulaścaiva śucīnyetāni nityaśaḥ
ព្រះព្រហ្មមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ «ខ្ញុំនឹងពន្យល់អំពីព្រាយឆិត្ត និងវិន័យពាក់ព័ន្ធ ដែលបំផ្លាញទុក្ខទណ្ឌនរកជាច្រើន។ មូស (មាក់សិកា) ដំណក់តូច ស្ត្រី ទឹកលើដី ភ្លើង ឆ្មា និងនកុល (mongoose) — ទាំងនេះត្រូវបានរាប់ថាជាអ្វីដែលនាំមកនូវភាពបរិសុទ្ធជានិច្ច (តាមបរិបទត្រឹមត្រូវ)»។
Brahma
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Prāyaścitta and śauca-vicāra: regulated expiation and purity rules mitigate karmic downfall and sustain dharmic life.
Vedantic Theme: Karma’s moral causality: corrective action (prāyaścitta) restores sattva and reduces binding impressions; discipline supports inner clarity.
Application: When ethical/ritual lapses occur, adopt proportionate corrective practices (fasting, confession to teacher, charity, purification rites) rather than denial; maintain cleanliness and context-sensitive purity norms.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: ritual-ethical domain; implied infernal consequence
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: naraka descriptions motivating dharma; subsequent prāyaścitta sections elaborating impurities and remedies
FAQs
This verse frames prāyaścitta as a means to “crush” or dispel accumulated hellish suffering (naraka-ogha), positioning expiation as a corrective discipline for restoring dharmic balance.
By introducing expiations as remedies against naraka-related distress, it links ethical/ritual correction with the Purana’s broader teaching that actions have post-death consequences and can be mitigated through prescribed observances.
Adopt a life of accountability: when mistakes occur, perform appropriate corrective actions (repentance, restitution, disciplined observance) and maintain cleanliness and ritual attentiveness in daily religious practice.