Shloka 16
Prāyaścitta for Food-Contact, Social Contact, Aśauca Periods, and Formal Penance Systems
अकामतः स्त्रियो गत्वा पराकस्तत्र साधकः / अन्त्यजातिप्रसूतस्य प्रायश्चित्तं न विद्यते
akāmataḥ striyo gatvā parākastatra sādhakaḥ / antyajātiprasūtasya prāyaścittaṃ na vidyate
หากชายคนหนึ่งเข้าไปหาสตรีโดยปราศจากความใคร่หรือเจตนา (อะกามตะห์) ในบริบทแห่งการชดใช้ เขาถูกกล่าวว่าเป็นผู้ปฏิบัติพรต ‘ปรากะ’; แต่สำหรับผู้ที่เกิดในสายอันตฺยชาติ มิได้บัญญัติการชดใช้ไว้.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue, instructing Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Intention and agency matter in sexual transgression; yet the text also asserts a rigid social doctrine denying prāyaścitta to those born in antyajāti.
Vedantic Theme: Tension between universal ātman doctrine and socially stratified ritual eligibility; illustrates Purāṇic-smṛti dharma operating at vyavahāra level rather than paramārtha.
Application: Assess culpability by intention and consent; adopt corrective discipline for boundary violations. (The exclusionary clause reflects historical social ideology and should be critically contextualized rather than imitated.)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.222 (parāka as severe expiation; discussion of eligibility/adhikāra)
FAQs
This verse frames expiation as a dharmic remedy tied to intention and eligibility, indicating that specific acts map to specific penances (such as parāka) within the text’s moral-ritual system.
By stating “akāmataḥ” (without desire/intent), the verse highlights that inner motive is relevant when assigning an expiation, not merely the outward act.
Treat intention and consent as central in ethical life, and when one errs, seek sincere correction and disciplined self-restraint rather than denial—aligning conduct with dharma.