Shloka 16
अकामतः स्त्रियो गत्वा पराकस्तत्र साधकः / अन्त्यजातिप्रसूतस्य प्रायश्चित्तं न विद्यते
akāmataḥ striyo gatvā parākastatra sādhakaḥ / antyajātiprasūtasya prāyaścittaṃ na vidyate
Nếu một người đàn ông đến gần phụ nữ trong trạng thái “không dục” (akāmataḥ), không chủ ý hay ham muốn, thì trong phép sám hối ấy, người ấy được kể là kẻ hành hạnh parāka. Nhưng đối với người sinh từ dòng antyajāti (huyết thống ngoài giai cấp), thì không có phép sám hối nào được quy định.
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.