Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 51
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
सुवर्णमानान्न्यूने तु रजतस्तेयकर्मणि । कुर्यात्सांतपनं सम्यगन्यथा पतितो भवेत् ॥ ५१ ॥
suvarṇamānānnyūne tu rajatasteyakarmaṇi | kuryātsāṃtapanaṃ samyaganyathā patito bhavet || 51 ||
Но если кража касается серебра в количестве меньшем, чем установленная мера для золота, следует должным образом совершить искупление Сāṃтапана; иначе человек становится падшим.
Narada (in a dharma/prāyaścitta instruction context)
Vrata: Sāṃtapana (prāyaścitta)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It teaches that ethical breaches like theft require deliberate purification (prāyaścitta); neglecting prescribed atonement hardens impurity and leads to spiritual and social fall (patitatva).
Though primarily a dharma-verse, it supports bhakti indirectly: devotion is sustained by purity of conduct, and expiation restores the inner fitness needed for sincere worship and remembrance of the divine.
It highlights Kalpa/Smārta procedure—rule-based ritual expiation (Sāṃtapana) and proportionality of penance to the offense, a practical application of dharma-śāstric discipline.