Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 49
Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni
पतिताद् द्रव्यमादाय तदुत्सर्गेण शुद्ध्यति / चरेत् सांतपनं कृच्छ्रमित्याह भगवान् प्रभुः
patitād dravyamādāya tadutsargeṇa śuddhyati / caret sāṃtapanaṃ kṛcchramityāha bhagavān prabhuḥ
Nếu đã nhận lấy tài vật từ kẻ sa ngã (patita), người ấy được thanh tịnh bằng cách từ bỏ (hoàn trả, xả bỏ) tài vật ấy. Lại nên thực hành phép khổ hạnh sám hối Sāntapana Kṛcchra—đó là lời Đức Thế Tôn, bậc Chúa Tể Tối Thượng, đã phán dạy.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing sages on dharma and prāyaścitta
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames purity as alignment with dharma under the Lord’s ordinance; ethical rectification (relinquishing tainted gain and performing penance) supports inner clarity needed for realizing the Self.
Not a meditation technique, but a yogic discipline of tapas and niyama: Sāntapana Kṛcchra is an austerity-based prāyaścitta that purifies conduct and mind, preparing one for higher sādhanā taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
By presenting the Lord (Kurma/Vishnu) as the authoritative teacher of dharma and purification—functions equally affirmed in Śaiva traditions—this supports the Purana’s integrative stance where sectarian boundaries yield to a shared dharma-tapas framework.