Expiation (prayashchitta)

A quoted verse defines expiation (prayashchitta) as the dharma that wins the mind (chitta) of the people (prayah); because the sins of cutting grass, shrubs, creepers and trees are not equal to those of beheading creatures, cattle or brahmins, different expiations are taught.

The teachers are said to explain prayashchitta thus: prayah is a name for the people, the men of the world, and chitta is their mind; the dharma accepted by the mind of that people is called prayashchitta.

The sins arising from cutting off the heads of grass, shrubs, creepers, trees and all beings, animals, brahmins and others cannot all be equal, the translation says, and so different kinds of expiation are taught for them.

A quoted verse says that repentance and good conduct destroy a quarter, half, three quarters or the whole of a sin, and that eating once a day, eating only at night, eating only what comes unasked and a one-night fast together are called the padakrichchhra; small sins, the doctrine says, are calmed even by saying may my misdeed be undone.

A quoted saying holds that, in expiation, sins committed are destroyed by a quarter, a half, three quarters or wholly, according to the mildness of the different states of the self; the padakrichchhra expiation is said to teach the practice of eating once a day (ekabhukta) and the like.

The doctrine is said to hold that sins are also calmed by words of confession and repentance (alochana, pratikramana) such as may all those misdeeds of mine be void (mithya).