Shloka 16
Tīrtha-vidhi (Procedure for Holy Places) — Prayāgarāja-māhātmya
कृतपापो विशुध्येत्तु किं पुनः शुद्धकर्मकृत् । अश्रद्दधानः पापार्तो नास्तिकोऽच्छिन्नसंशयः ॥ १६ ॥
kṛtapāpo viśudhyettu kiṃ punaḥ śuddhakarmakṛt | aśraddadhānaḥ pāpārto nāstiko'cchinnasaṃśayaḥ || 16 ||
گناہ کرنے والا بھی پاک ہو سکتا ہے—تو پھر پاکیزہ عمل کرنے والا کتنا بڑھ کر۔ مگر جو بے ایمان، گناہ سے ستایا ہوا، دہریہ اور جس کے شکوک نہ کٹے ہوں، وہ پاکی نہیں پاتا۔
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in an instructive dialogue style)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"karuna","emotional_journey":"Hopeful assurance that sin can be purified, contrasted with a sobering warning: faithlessness and entrenched doubt block purification."}
FAQs
The verse asserts that purification is possible even for sinners, and even more so for the virtuous; however, spiritual results depend on inner qualification—faith (śraddhā) and the removal of doubt—without which external acts do not mature into true purification.
Bhakti requires śraddhā and a heart free from corrosive doubt; the verse implies that faithless denial (nāstikya) blocks the transformative power of devotional or dharmic practice, whereas sincere trust and steadiness allow grace and purification to manifest.
The emphasis is not on a specific Vedāṅga technique but on adhikāra (eligibility): correct inner disposition—śraddhā and doubt-resolution—must accompany karma (ritual/ethical action), aligning practice with dharmic intent for effective results.