Shloka 21
Determination of Expiations: Purification after Forbidden Food, Impurity, and Transgression
स्वर्णस्तेयी भवेत्कृच्छ्रं प्राजापत्यत्रयं चरेत् । सशिखं वपनं कृत्वा पंचगव्यं तथा पिबेत्
svarṇasteyī bhavetkṛcchraṃ prājāpatyatrayaṃ caret | saśikhaṃ vapanaṃ kṛtvā paṃcagavyaṃ tathā pibet
Pencuri emas hendaklah menjalani penebusan Kṛcchra dan melaksanakan amalan Prājāpatya tiga kali. Setelah mencukur kepala namun mengekalkan śikhā (jambul suci), dia juga hendaklah meminum pañcagavya.
Unspecified (contextual narrator within Brahma-khaṇḍa discourse)
Concept: Even grave wrongdoing (suvarṇa-steya) has a remedial path through regulated penance, bodily humility, and purificatory substances—restoring eligibility for sacred life.
Application: When one errs, adopt structured restitution: confess, accept discipline, seek guidance, and perform concrete corrective actions rather than denial.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A repentant man stands beside a sacred fire, head freshly shaven yet with a single śikhā preserved, hands folded in humility. A brāhmaṇa officiant prepares pañcagavya in a small bronze vessel, while the fire glows steadily—symbolizing the possibility of purification and return.","primary_figures":["repentant householder/offender","brāhmaṇa officiant","Agni (sacrificial fire, personified subtly)"],"setting":"Simple yajña space with vedi, ladles, kusa grass, bronze pot for pañcagavya, minimal household backdrop","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["fire amber","copper bronze","ivory white","ruddy brown","saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: penance scene with sacred fire central, repentant figure with shaved head and retained śikhā, brāhmaṇa holding a bronze vessel of pañcagavya; gold leaf on fire aura and ritual implements, rich reds/greens in cloth, intricate border with tiny kalasha and conch motifs, devotional solemnity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage ritual, delicate linework on shaved scalp and śikhā, soft smoke curling upward, cool neutral background with warm fire glow, refined facial expressions of remorse and compassion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized Agni with radiant eyes within the flame, repentant figure and priest in profile, natural pigment palette dominated by reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall symmetry and ritual clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ritual vignette framed by floral borders; central fire-altar with decorative flames, attendants and vessels arranged symmetrically, deep blue background with gold highlights, small cow motifs subtly referencing pañcagavya’s source."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["crackling fire","soft mantra undertone","single bell at offering","quiet breathing"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भवेत्कृच्छ्रं = भवेत् + कृच्छ्रम्
FAQs
The verse prescribes the Kṛcchra penance along with performing the threefold Prājāpatya observance, plus ritual acts like shaving while keeping the śikhā and drinking pañcagavya.
Pañcagavya is a traditional purificatory mixture of five cow-derived substances used in ritual contexts; here it is prescribed as part of expiation (prāyaścitta).
It underscores that grave misconduct like theft requires acknowledgement and disciplined atonement through prescribed austerities and purification rites, reflecting a dharma-based framework of moral repair.