Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 59
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
अपश्यन्गच्छतो गच्छेत्पाणान्तं यः स शुद्ध्यति । मरुत्प्रपतनं वापि कुर्यात्पापमुदाहरन् ॥ ५९ ॥
apaśyangacchato gacchetpāṇāntaṃ yaḥ sa śuddhyati | marutprapatanaṃ vāpi kuryātpāpamudāharan || 59 ||
നോക്കാതെ പോകുന്നവൻ പോകുന്നവനെ കൈയറ്റം വരെ സ്പർശിച്ചാൽ അവൻ ശുദ്ധനാകുന്നു. അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പാപം ഏറ്റുപറഞ്ഞ് 'മരുത്പ്രപതനം' എന്ന പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം ചെയ്യണം.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada the prāyaścitta norms)
Vrata: marut-prapatana (as named prāyaścitta)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It teaches that unintended, minor ritual impurities caused during movement can be resolved through awareness, harmless conduct, and—when needed—explicit acknowledgment of the fault followed by a prescribed expiation, preserving inner and outer purity (śauca).
While primarily a dharma/prāyaścitta rule, it supports bhakti indirectly: a devotee maintains cleanliness and humility, promptly admitting mistakes and restoring purity so worship and japa are performed with a clear conscience.
It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Dharma-śāstra style discipline: identifying degrees of fault, the role of confession (udāharaṇa), and applying a named prāyaścitta (marut-prapatana) for purification.