Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
मंडूकं नकुलं काकं वराहं मूषकं तथा । मार्जाराजाविकं श्वानं हत्वा कुक्कुटकं तथा ॥ ७६ ॥
maṃḍūkaṃ nakulaṃ kākaṃ varāhaṃ mūṣakaṃ tathā | mārjārājāvikaṃ śvānaṃ hatvā kukkuṭakaṃ tathā || 76 ||
مینڈک، نیولا، کوا، ورَاہ اور چوہا؛ نیز بلی، بکری، کتا اور مرغ—ان کو قتل کرنے سے (گناہ لازم آتا ہے اور) پرायَشچت درکار ہوتا ہے॥۷۶॥
Narada (in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition; verse lists objects of prayashchitta)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
It underscores the karmic gravity of himsā (violence) even toward common animals, teaching that dharma requires accountability and prescribed expiation (prāyaścitta) to purify the doer.
By emphasizing non-violence and moral restraint, it supports bhakti’s ethical foundation: devotion to the Lord is strengthened when one avoids harm and rectifies faults through dharmic atonement.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied—this verse belongs to a prāyaścitta framework where specific acts (like killing certain creatures) correspond to specific expiatory rites described in dharma-ritual manuals.