Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 35
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
वक्ष्ये श्रृणुष्व विप्रेंद्र प्रायश्चजितोक्तिसाधनम् । गवाक्षागतमार्तण्डरश्मिमध्ये प्रदृश्यते ॥ ३५ ॥
vakṣye śrṛṇuṣva vipreṃdra prāyaścajitoktisādhanam | gavākṣāgatamārtaṇḍaraśmimadhye pradṛśyate || 35 ||
ഹേ വിപ്രേന്ദ്രാ, ശ്രവിക്കൂ—പ്രായശ്ചിത്തോപദേശത്തെ സിദ്ധമാക്കുന്ന ഉപായം ഞാൻ പറയുന്നു. ജാലകത്തിലൂടെ വന്ന സൂര്യകിരണങ്ങളുടെ നടുവിൽ പ്രകാശം തെളിഞ്ഞു കാണുന്നതുപോലെ.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in dialogue)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It frames prāyaścitta not as mere external ritual, but as a principle whose truth becomes evident when properly understood—like the sun recognized through its rays—pointing to clarity of conscience and dharmic restoration.
While bhakti is not named here, the verse supports a bhakti-aligned view: purification and atonement remove inner obscurations so devotion can shine unobstructed, just as sunlight becomes visible through the window’s opening.
It primarily highlights nyāya-like reasoning through analogy (dṛṣṭānta): understanding a doctrine by a clear illustrative example, useful for teaching dharma and ritual principles such as prāyaścitta.