Shloka 69
Nīti on Friendship (Mitra), Discretion, Restraint, Health-Regimens, Prosperity (Śrī), and Family Dharma
ब्रह्मघ्ने च सुरापे च चोरे भग्नव्रते तथा / निष्कृतिर्विहिता सद्भिः कृतघ्ने नास्ति निष्कृतिः
brahmaghne ca surāpe ca core bhagnavrate tathā / niṣkṛtirvihitā sadbhiḥ kṛtaghne nāsti niṣkṛtiḥ
బ్రాహ్మణహంతకుడు, సురాపానికుడు, దొంగ, వ్రతభంగుడు—వారికి సద్భక్తులు ప్రాయశ్చిత్తాన్ని విధించారు; కాని కృతఘ్నునికి ప్రాయశ్చిత్తం లేదు।
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinatā-putra)
Concept: Prāyaścitta can remediate even mahāpātakas, but kṛtaghnatā (ingratitude/treachery toward benefactors) is treated as beyond expiation.
Vedantic Theme: Ethics as purification of antaḥkaraṇa: gratitude and fidelity as foundational sattva; some dispositions are portrayed as obstructing inner purification.
Application: Cultivate gratitude and loyalty; treat benefactors, teachers, parents, and helpers with reverence; when wrong is done, seek timely atonement—yet recognize that betrayal corrodes trust beyond easy repair.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (dharma/prāyaścitta sections): recurring mahāpātaka lists (brahmahatyā, surāpāna, steya, gurutalpagamana) and expiation discussions
FAQs
This verse frames niṣkṛti as a dharmic remedy prescribed for many grave transgressions, emphasizing moral repair—yet it also marks a boundary: some inner vices (like deep ingratitude) are treated as beyond formal atonement.
By distinguishing sins that can be ritually and ethically corrected from a character-level fault deemed ‘without expiation,’ it implies that karmic outcomes depend not only on acts but also on enduring dispositions such as betrayal of benefactors.
Treat gratitude and loyalty to benefactors as non-negotiable dharma; where wrongdoing occurs, seek sincere reform and restitution—but avoid the mindset that every breach of trust can be ‘canceled’ through mere formalities.