तस्मादशुभकर्मापि कर्मणा येन पातकम् । स्वल्पेनापि निहन्त्याशु याति स्वर्गं नरस्ततः
tasmādaśubhakarmāpi karmaṇā yena pātakam | svalpenāpi nihantyāśu yāti svargaṃ narastataḥ
Portanto, mesmo quem esteja manchado por atos inauspiciosos—se por alguma ação destrói depressa o pecado, ainda que com pequeno esforço—então essa pessoa vai ao céu.
Brāhmaṇa (continuing, as part of the dialogue)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A remorseful pilgrim performs a simple yet potent act—offering water, japa, or a small dāna—while a dark cloud of sin disperses, revealing a bright path upward.
Purāṇic dharma emphasizes transformation: sincere corrective action can rapidly neutralize sin and redirect one toward svarga.
Not specified in this verse; it prepares the ground for naming a particular vrata/niyama/tīrtha in the next request.
A general notion of pāpa-nāśa (sin-destruction) through a dharmic act; the specific practice is asked for subsequently.