Chapter V. Names of All Prāyashchittas

Volume IV pp. 130–152

Chapter V. Names of All Prāyashchittas

Now all the prāyaścittas mentioned in the smṛtis and digests will be arranged in alphabetical order (Sanskrit, transliterated into English), excepting mere hymns, fasts, &c. and brief explanations and references will be added to each.

AGHAMARSAṆA—(The hymn Ṛg. X 190 1-3) This is prescribed as a penance for all sins by even the most ancient Dharmaśāstra works such as Gaut 24,11, Bauḍ Dh S IV. 2 19-20, Vas 26 8, Manu XI.259-260, Yāj III 301, Viṣṇu Dh S. 55 7, Śankha 18 1-2 and otherṣ They prescribe that if a man recites (for three days, according to Haradatta) the Aghamarṣaṇa hymn thrice in the day while immersed in water for a bath, he is freed from all sins and that this penance is equal in sanctification to the bath at the end of the Aśvamedha sacrifice The Pr. Sāra p 199 speaks of the Aghamarṣaṇa-vrata He has to fast for three days and stand up by day and sit up by night and donate a milch cow at the enḍ Śaṅkha 18 1-2 and Viṣṇu Dh. S.46,1-9 prescribe the detailṣ

ATIKṚCCHRA—Vide under Kṛcchra Manu XI. 213 prescribes that this penance is constituted by eating only one morsel of food for three days in the morning only, for three days in the evening only, for three days eating one morsel not without asking for it and observing a complete fast for the next three days Yāj III 319, on the other hand, prescribes the eating of just as much food as would fill the hand (and not merely one morsel) The Mit, Pr Sāra (p 176) and others state that the rule of Manu applies to those who are able to undergo it, while that of Yāj is meant for those who are unable (aśakta) The Samavidhāna Br. I.2 6-7, Gaut 26,18-19, Viṣṇu Dh S 54 30, Laugāksigṛhya V.12-13, Parāśara XI,54-55, Vas 24 1-2, Baud Dh S IV 5 8 also speak of this Manu XI.208 (= Viṣṇu 54 30) prescribes this penance for striking a brāhmaṇa with a weapon or a cudgel Gaut 26 22 states that this penance purifies a man of all sins except the mahāpātakas

ATISĀNTAPANA—See under Mahā-sāntapana This is variously defined According to the Agnipurāṇa 171 10 and Viṣṇu Dh S. 46 21 it lasts for 18 days (3 times of the Mahā-sāntapana in which for six days one has to subsist on cow's urine and five other things). The Mit on Yaj. III 315 quotes a verse of Yama according to which this penance lasts for 12 dayṣ ¹ The Pr. M. (p. 23) speaks of it as lasting for 15 dayṣ

ARDHAKṚCCHRA—See under Kṛcchra. According to the Āpastamba-smṛti 9 43-44, this is constituted by taking food only once in the day for one day, only once in the evening for one day, taking food for two days without asking for it and completely fasting for two days ² (in all six days). The Mit. quotes another variety of it, viz. subsisting for three days on food obtained without asking for it and thereafter observing a complete fast for three dayṣ

AŚVAMEDHAVABHRTHASNĀNA—the ceremonial bath in the sea or a holy river at the end of an Aśvamedha sacrifice. Viṣṇu Dh. S. 36 (last verse) prescribes for those guilty of mahāpātakas and anupātakas the Aśvamedha sacrifice. It is only an emperor or a crowned king who is entitled to perform an Aśvamedha, at the end of which comes a ceremonial bath. Vide H of Dh. vol. II. pp. 1228-1236 for a description of the Aśvamedha. According to Pr. V. p. 65 only a kṣatriya could perform Aśvamedha and so this bath was a penance for him alone. But according to Kullūka (on Manu XI. 92) and Pr. T. (both quoting a verse from Bhaviṣya-purāṇa) even a brāhmaṇa could participate in the bath at the end of the Aśvamedha and become free from the sin of brāhmaṇa murder if committed unintentionally. ³

ĀGNEYAKṚCCHRA—According to the Agnipurāṇa and Visnudharmottara if a man subsists for twelve days on sesame alone that is Āgneya Kṛcchra. ⁴ Vide also Pr Pr. (folio 48 b.) RSICANDRĀYAṆA—According to Bṛhad-Viṣṇu quoted by Pr. Prakaraṇa p. 132 this penance requires that one should take only three mouthfuls of sacrificial food every day for a month ⁵ EKABHAKTA—According to Pr Pr. (folio 48a) if one takes for a month only one meal a day it is ekabhaktaka.⁶ KṚCCHRA—This is the general word for several penanceṣ The Sāma. Br (I 2 1) starts ⁷ by saying ‘we shall now expound three kṛcchras’ and adds that one should eat sacrificial food for three days only by day and eat nothing at night, then for three days more one should eat at night only, then for three more days one should not beg or ask for food from others and should then observe a complete fast for three days If he is in a hurry to purify himself he should pass the day standing and the night in a sitting posture. Gaut. (26,2–16) describes the procedure of the first Kṛcchra (called Prājāpatya by later writers), then Atikṛcchra (26 18–19), and then Kṛcchrātikṛcchra (26 20). Bauḍ Dh. S (II.1,91) speaks of Parāka as Kṛcchra. Āp. Dh S (19.27.7) describes the Kṛcchra penance of twelve dayṣ The Kṛcchra penance described by Gaut. 26 2–16 is one for twelve days and is called Prājāpatya by Manu (XI 211), Saṅkha (18 3), Yāj III 319 and otherṣ Laugākṣi Gr. (5 3-11) describes Kṛcchra According to the Par ⁸ M. (II part 1 p. 30) and Pr. Pr. (folio 64a) the word Kṛcchra without any qualifying epithet (upapada) means Prājāpatya. The Pr. T. (p 481) states that the Kṛcchra described by Gaut. (26 1-5) is given the name of Prājāpatya by Manu (XI. 211). Besides the rules about the intake of food, Gaut. prescribes certain other observances viz speaking the truth, not holding conversation with men and women that are anāyās (not of the three higher castes), always singing the sāmans called ‘Raurava’ and ‘Yaudhājapa’, bathing thrice in the day in the morning, the noon and the night, then performing mārjana⁹ (sprinkling of water) with the three verses beginning with ‘Āpo hi sthā’ (Rg X.9.1-3), with the mantras called ‘pavitravatī’ viz. those beginning with ‘pavamānah suvarjanah’ (Tai. Br. I 4 8 1) and the eight verses beginning with ‘Hiranyavarnāh’ (in Tai. S V. 6.1), he should perform tarpana with water with 13 mantras (Gaut 26.12); he performs the worship of Āditya (the sun) with the same mantra (i. e. after tarpana with the thirteen mantras) and offers oblations of clarified butter with the same 13 mantras and then on the 13th day he cooks boiled rice and offers oblations into ordinary Agni (‘svāhā’ added at the end of each, such as ‘agnaye svāhā), Soma, Agni and Soma, Indra and Agni, Indra, Viśve devāh, Brahman, Prajāpati and Agni Sviṣṭakṛt and then feeds the brāhmaṇaṣ

Kṛcchra-saṁvatsara—Āp. Dh. S. I. 9.27.8 speaks of this as a penance in which Kṛcchras are undergone continuously in a cycle for one year.

Kṛcchrātiktkṛcchra—Gaut. 26.20 and Sāma. Br. I. 2. 8, Vaṣ 24 3 define it as a kṛcchra where only water is drunk on those days on which food is allowed and Gaut. 26.23 and Sāma. Br. I 2 9 state that this penance frees a man from all sinṣ¹⁰ Yāj. III. 320 (= Devala 86, first half) and Brahmapurāṇa q. by Pr. Pr. (folio 40 a) prescribe that in this one has to subsist on water alone for 21 dayṣ This difference between the views of Yāj on the one hand and of Gaut. on the other is reconciled by the digests by saying that the period depends on the capacity of the sinner. According to Pr. Pr (folio 46b) and Aparārka p. 1238, Yama prescribed a kṛcchrātiktkṛcchra for 24 dayṣ¹¹ Vide Par. M. II part 1 p. 179 and Madanapārijāta p. 716. According to Manu XI 208 (= Viṣṇu Dh. S. 54.30) when a person strikes a brāhmaṇa with a weapon and draws blood, he has to undergo this penance. The Pr. Prakaraṇa (p 15) states that for those unable to undergo Kṛcchra, one milch cow is a substitute, for Atikṛcchra two milch cows and for Kṛcchrātīkṛcchra four.

GOMŪTRA-KṚCCHRA—The Pr. Sāra p. 187 quotes a verse about this: one should make a cow eat to satiety grains of wheat mixed with barley and then may collect the yava grains that are to be found in her dung and then drink the gruel of those yavas cooked in cow's urine.¹²

GOVRATA— Pr. Prakaraṇa (p. 132) quoting the Mārkaṇḍeya describes this as follows: One should bathe with cow's urine, should subsist on cow-dung, should always stand among cows, should sit down on cowdung, should drink water only when cows have drunk water; one should not eat when they have not eaten, should stand up when they stand, should sit down when they sit dowṇ This should be continued for a month.

CĀNDRĀYAṆA—The word is derived in this way That rite, where there is action by means of increase and decrease (in the intake of food) in imitation of the course of the phases of the moon, is cāndrāyaṇa.¹³ The word occurs in Pāṇ V.1. 72 (pārāyaṇa-turāyaṇa-cāndrāyaṇam vartayati) From very ancient times Cāndrāyaṇa has been divided into two varieties, called Yavamadhya¹⁴ (lit. being large in the middle like a grain of yava, and therefore tapering or thin at the ends) and Pipīlikāmadhya (lit. having a middle like that of an ant, that is, slender in the middle and large at the ends). Baud Dh S. III. 8. 33 names these two varietieṣ According to Jabāli¹⁵ there are five varietieṣ varieties of Cāndrāyana viz. Yavamadhya, Pipilīkāmadhya, Yatcāndrāyana, Sarvatomukha and Śiśucāndrāyana. These will be described later oṇ Yājñavalkya says (III, 326) that where no specific penance is prescribed in the smṛti texts, cāndrāyana effects purification and cāndrāyana may be undergone not as a penance but for the purpose of accumu- lating merit and that in the latter case (when performed for a year) the performer enjoys the happiness of going to the world of the moon after death.¹⁶ Manu XI, 221 and Gaut. 27.18 state the same view about cāndrāyana for accumulating merit. When the vrata of cāndrāyana is performed for the sake of merit, there is no tonsure (vide Gaut. 27.3 ' vapanam vratam caret ' and Haradatta thereon). Gaut. 19.20 (= Vaṣ 22. 20) prescribes that Kṛcchra, Atikṛcchra and Cāndrāyana are the same penance for all sins (collectively for grave sins, for lesser ones separately, according to Haradatta and others). Compare Manu V 21 and XI, 215 (=Bauḍ Dh S. IV. 5. 16). Manu XI, 27, Yāj. III 323, Vaṣ 27 21, Bauḍ Dh. S. IV. 5.18 and others define Cāndrāyana (of the Yavamadhya type) as follows: On the first day of the bright half of a month only one morsel of food (grāsa or piṇḍa) is taken, on the second tithi two and so on; on the full moon (Paurnamāsī) 15 morsels are taken; then on the first of the dark half 14 morsels, one being reduced on each succeeding day. So on the 14th of the dark half only one morsel is eaten and on the amāvasyā there is a complete fast. Here in the middle of the month of thirty days the largest number of morsels is taken (and so this is Yavamadhya) just as on the Paurnamāsī day the moon becomes full and begins to wane from the next day. Here Paurnamāsī is in the middle of the period of the observance as Viṣṇu Dh. S. 47.6 sayṣ If one begins the vrata on the first tithi of the dark half, he reduces one morsel on the 1st i. e. takes 14 morsels on that day, 13 on the 2nd tithi of the dark half and so on On the 14th of the dark half he eats one morsel and on the amāvasyā he eats nothing. Then on the 1st of the bright half he takes one morsel and goes on increasing the intake till on the Paurnamāsī he takes 15 morsels The month is taken in this latter case to be Pūrṇimānta. Here in the middle of the observance there is no food taken and a large number of morsels is taken at the beginning and at the end So this is called Pipilīkāmadhya. This latter is described by Vas 23.45 and Manu XI. 216. Viṣṇu Dh. S. 47.5-6 say: Yasyāmāmāvasyā madhye bhavati sa piplīkā-madhyah yasya paurṇamāsī sa yavamadhyah. If there are 14 or 16 tithis in any particular pakṣa (half of a month) then the number of grāsas must be regulated accordingly There are other descriptions of cāndrāyaṇa Vide Haradatta on Gaut. 27.12-15. The Kalpataru appears to have held (explaining two verses of Jābāla) that on the first of the dark half of a month 15 morsels were taken, then one morsel less was taken on each succeeding tithi; so that on amāvāsyā one morsel was eaten, then on the first of the bright half two morsels were eaten and one morsel was added every day so that on the 14th of the bright half fifteen morsels were taken and there was a complete fast on Paurṇamāsī. But this seems to be opposed to the very idea of increase and decrease of the intake of food on the analogy of the waxing and waning of the Moon and to several smṛti texts such as Vas 23.45 and Parāśara X 2 Therefore the Pr. Prakāśa (folio 58b) finds fault with it ¹⁷ Cāndrāyaṇa may be divided from another point of view into two varieties : (1) MUKHYA (in the primary sense, viz. following exactly the waxing and waning of the moon) and GAUNA (having a secondary or metaphorical sense). The former is either yavamadhya or piplīkā-tanu- madhya), while the latter is of four kinds, viz. sāmanyā, ṛṣi- cāndrāyaṇa, śiśucāndrāyaṇa and yaticāndrāyaṇa The last two will be described later. The Sāmānya (or sarvatomukha) consists in eating only 240 morsels of sacrificial food in a month of 30 days, distributing them according to one's choice (not necessarily in imitation of the phases of the moon) as stated by Manu XI 220, Bauḍ IV. 5.21, Yaj. III. 324 and the Mit (on Yaj. III. 324), the Madana-pārijāta and other workṣ Here the penance, though it is not regulated by the phases of the moon, is called Cāndrāyaṇa for the purpose of prescribing the same procedure and observances in it as in the Cāndrāyaṇa which follows the phases of the mooṇ Here the Mīmāṁsā rule of Kundapiyinām-ayana applieṣ ¹⁸ From the words of Gautama 27.12–15 it appears that he envisaged a Cāndrāyaṇa of 32 days (pipīlikāmadhya) or 31 days, when he says that the performer must fast on the 14th of the bright half, eat fifteen morsels on the Full Moon day, then reduce it by one morsel, so that there is a total fast on the amāvāsyā and then on the first of the bright half one morsel is taken until on the full moon 15 morsels are takeṇ Thus from the 14th of the bright half (when there is a complete fast) to the full moon of the succeeding month there are in all 32 days and the penance is of the pipīlikā-madhya type.

As regards the size of the morsels, different views are expresseḍ Gaut. 27.10 and Viṣṇu Dh. S. 47.2 prescribe that the size of a morsel shall be such as not to cause a distortion of the mouth (while swallowing it) Yaj. III. 323 allows that the morsels may be as large as the egg of a peahen, and Parāśara X.3²⁰ prescribes the size of a hen's egg and Sankha that of an undried āmalaka fruit (myrobalan). The Mit explains that Gautama’s words apply to boys and young people and that the other sizes confer an option according to the capacity (sakti) of the man undergoing penance. The procedure of Cāndrāyaṇa is described in Gaut. 27.2–11, BauḍIII.8, Manu XI.221–225, Vṛddha-gautama chap.16 and other workṣ The one given by Gautama, being probably the oldest among dharmaśāstra works, is here set out.

The general rules prescribed for the Kṛcchra penance in Gaut. 26.6–11 are applicable to Cāndrāyaṇa also. If it is performed as a penance the performer must tonsure his hair and observe a fast on the day preceding the Full Mooṇ He offers libations of water, oblations of clarified butter, consecrates the sacrificial food and worships the moon, reciting ‘āpyāyasva’ (Rg. I. 91. 17), ‘san te payāṁsi’ (Rg. I. 91. 18). He shall offer clarified butter, reciting the four (rks) beginning with ‘yad devā devaheḍanam’ (Vaj. S. 20.14 or Tai. Br. II. 6. 6.1). These four together with the preceding are seven oblations of clarified butter that have to be offereḍ At the end of the offering of clarified butter he shall offer pieces of sacred fuel while reciting the (eight) texts beginning with ‘ devakṛtasya’ (Vāj S VIII. 13). Each mouthful must be consecrated by (mentally) reciting one of the ²¹ following words ‘om bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ, tapaḥ truth. fame, prosperity, vigour, refreshment, strength, lustre, brightness, soul, dharma and śiva’ ²²; or he may consecrate all of them at once saying ‘adoration¹ svāhā’. The sacrificial food must be one of the following. boiled rice, food obtained by begging, ground barley, grain separated from the husk, barley gruel, vegetables, milk, sour milk, clarified butter, roots, fruits and water. Among these each succeeding one is preferable to that enumerated earlier.

JALA KRCCHRA—See under Toyakṛcchra

TAPTĀKṚCCHRA—There is great divergence of views about this penance Manu XI 214, Vas 21 21, Viṣṇu Dh. S 46 11, Baud Dh. S. IV 5.10, Saṅkha-smṛti 18.4, Agripurāna 171 6-7, Atri verses 122-123, Parāśara IV. 7 speak of it as of 12 days' duration comprising four periods of three days each In this one drinks hot water, hot milk, hot ghee for three days each and then for three days there is a complete fast when he inhales hot vapour or atmosphere (acc to Manu XL 214) Manu adds that the performer has to bathe only once (and not thrice as in some other penances) and that he should practise self-control Yāj III 317 (= Devala 84) speaks of this as of four days' duration, viz he takes hot milk, hot ghee and hot water for one day each and observes a total fast on the 4th day. The Mit on Yāj. III 317 calls this mahātāpta-kṛcchra and also mentions a taptākṛcchra of two days, viz on the first day the sinner takes ... s three, viz hot water, hot milk and hot ghee and observes a total fast on the 2nd day. The Pr. Prakāśa (folio 50a) remarks that the authority for the two days' taptakṛcchra spoken of by the Mit has to be found out. The Pr. Prakāśa refers to a tapta-kṛcchra for 21 dayṣ It may be said, as done by the Pr. Prakāśa, that the penance of tapta-kṛcchra for twelve days is meant for great sins and that the one for four days is meant for lesser sinṣ The quantity of water, milk and ghee, that was to be taken is laid down by Parāśara ²³ IV. 8, Atri 123-124 and Brahmapurāṇa (q. by Pr V. p. 511) viz. that hot water, hot milk and hot ghee should be six palas, three palas and one pala respectively. The Brahmapurāṇa adds that water, milk and ghee are to be taken respectively in the evening, morning and nooṇ

TULAPURUSA KRCCHRA—Jābali speaks ²⁴ of the duration of this penance as eight days; Śankha (18,9-10) and Viṣṇu Dh. S. 46 22 describe one of ten days where oil-cake, the foamy scum of cooked rice, butter-milk, water and barley meal are to be eaten, each respectively on one day, followed by a fast on the next day. Yaj. III. 322 (= Atri verses 129-130) describes one of 15 days where the above five ingredients are eaten for three days each. Yama on the other hand speaks of Tulāpuruṣa for 21 days, when the five things are separately eaten for three days (vide Mit. on Yaj III. 322). Aparārka pp. 1239-1241, Par. M II, part 2 pp 184-189, Madanapārijāta pp. 718-727, Pr. Sāra pp 179-181 set out at length the mode of the performance of Tulāpuruṣa as a penance. In this penance two images of the performer made of fragrant uśīra grass were to be prepared and placed in the pan of a balance a span high made either of gold or silver or sandalwood and were to be weighed against pebbles placed in another pan and worship was to be offered to Mahādeva and Umā and many other subordinate deities such as Agni, Vāyu, the suṇ TOYA-KṚCCHRA— This is also called Varuna-kṛcchra by Yama (q in Pr. Prakāśa, folio 48 a) and by Śankha (q in Pr. Sāra p. 182). Viṣṇu Dh S. (46. 14) states ²⁵ that subsisting on nothing but ground barley mixed with water for one month is called Udakakṛcchra. Since Varuna was regarded as the lord of waters even from the times of the Ṛgveda (e. g. in Ṛg. VII, 49. 3) and to mark the truth and falsehood among men, this Toyakṛcchra was called Vāruna. The Pr. Prakāśa (folio 47 b)²⁶ quotes Jābāla to the effect ‘If a sinner remains immersed in water for a whole day and night without taking food and recites mantras (addressed to Varuna) he removes by the jalakṛcchra the sins which he may have committed for a year’. According to Yājñavalkya (q in Pr. Sāra p 187) this penance consists in observing a fast for a day and night standing up the whole day and passing the night without sleep in water and reciting the next day the sacred Gāyatri mantra 1008 timeṣ According to Śankha (q. by Madana-pārijāta p 737) this penance is constituted either by subsisting on lotus stalks grown in water or on saktus boiled in water.

DADHIKṚCCHRA— This is spoken of by the Pr Prakāśa quoting from the Visnudharmottarapurāna as a penance in which the sinner subsists on curds alone for a month.²⁷

DEVAKṚCCHRA— Yama quoted by Par. M. (II. part 2 pp. 191-192) describes this as follows ²⁸ : One should partake of only rice gruel, barley gruel, vegetables, milk, curds, ghee each for a period of three days in succession and then should observe a complete fast for three days; this is called Devakṛta (performed by the gods) penance and destroys all sinṣ It was practised by the Maruts, the Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityaṣ By the power of this penance they became free from rajas (impurity). Thus this penance lasts for 21 dayṣ The Pr. Prakāśa (folio 48 b) refers to another variety of it and quotes a long prose passage on it, which is passed over here for want of space.

DHANADAKṚCCHRA—See under Vāyavya-kṛcchra. According to the Visnudharmottara ²⁹ (q. by Pr. Prakāśa) this penance consists in subsisting for a month on food just sufficient to fill the extended but hollowed palm, mixed with gold (i. e. in which gold is rubbed or boiled).

NITYOPAVĀSA KṚCCHRA—The Pr. Prakāśa (p. 48 a) states that this is constituted by a man eating only twice in the day (in the morning and evening) for six years and not drink- ing even water between the two mealṣ ³⁰

PĀÑCAGAVYA—For the various details connected with pañcagavya prepared from cow's urine, dung, milk, curds and ghee, vide H. of Dh. vol. II. pp. 773-774. Pañcagavya is to be offered into fire with the mantras ‘Irāvati’ (Rg. VII. 99,3), ‘idam Viṣṇur’ (Rg I. 22. 17), ‘mā nastoke’ (Rg. I. 114. 8), ‘Sam no devir’ (Rg. X. 9. 4) and then the remainder is to be drunk. It is to be drunk with the middle of a sprig of three Palāśa leaves or with a lotus leaf. Manu, XI. 165 (= Agnipurāṇa 169. 30) prescribes this drinking of pañcagavya as the penance for petty thefts Similarly, Yaj. III. 263 prescribes that one guilty of killing a cow should drink pañcagavya for a month. The Mit. on Yaj. III. 263 quotes Viṣṇu to the effect that one who kills a cow should perform one of three penances, viz. drinking three palas of pañcagavya every day for one month or undergoing the penance of Parāka or Cāndrāyaṇa. ³¹ Though Viṣṇu 54. 7 and Ātri (verse 300) state that a brāhmaṇa drinking suā and a śūdra drinking pañcagavya both went to hell (Mahāraurava, according to Viṣṇu), yet Devala (verse 61) and Parāśara XI 3 and 27 and medieval works like the Pr M. (p 13) and Śūdrakamalākara (p. 42) allowed śūdras to take pañcagavya without Vedic mantras. And women of all varnas, being treated like śūdras for certain purposes, were also allowed optionally to do the same.

PATRAKṚCCHRA—Vide Parna-kūrca below.

PARĀKA—Manu XI 215 (= Bauḍ Dh S IV. 5,16), Yāj. III. 320 (= Śankha 18 5 = Atri 128), Agnipurāṇa 171, 10, Viṣṇu Dh. S, 46, 18 and Br. ³² prescribe that this penance is constituted by not taking any food for twelve days, while the performer controls his senses and remains vigilant, and that this penance removes all sinṣ

PARNAKŪRCA—This is a more severe type of patra-kṛcchra Yāj III 316 (= Devala 83) and Śankha-Likhita ³³ define Parnakṛcchra as one where the leaves of palāśa, udumbara, lotus, and bilva are boiled separately on each day in succession and the decoction of each is drunk on each day separately and then water in which kuśas have been dipped is drunk. Thus parnakṛcchra is a penance of five dayṣ The Mit. on Yāj. III 316 quotes a verse of Yama to the effect that when a sinner fasts for three days and nights and thereafter he drinks together the decoctions of all the four and kuśa water on the same day then the penance is called parnakūrca. The Par M (II part 2 p 181)³⁴ regards Parnakūrca as a variety of Parna-kṛcchra Vasiṣṭha, Jābāli and Atri (116-117) make Parna-kṛcchra a penance of six days by adding the leaves of Asvattha to the five mentioned above. Viṣṇu Dh S 46 23 mentions another variety of Parnakṛcchra for seven days ³⁵. PARNAKRCCHRA—Vide Parnakūrca above. PADAKṚCCHRA—According to Yaj. III. 318 (=Devala 85) this is defined as a penance where a sinner takes food one day only once by day, only once by night, then once only (by day or night) but without asking for it from any one (a stranger, a servant or even his own wife) and observes a total fast for one day. Thus this penance lasts for four dayṣ There was differ-ence of view as to the number of mouthfuls to be eateṇ Āpastamba (q by Mit, on Yaj. III 318) saying that the mouthfuls are respectively 22, 26 and 24 when food is taken only once in the evening or morning or without asking for it, while Parāśara states the number of mouthfuls to be 12, 15 or 24 respectively when food is taken only at night or in the morning or without asking for it The Caturvimśatīmata (q. by Par. M. II part 2 p. 172) puts them as 12, 15 and 10 respectively

PĀDONAKṚCCHRA—This lasts for nine days ³⁶ only instead of the 12 days of the Prajāpatya and in it one eats by day only for three days, eats food once only for three days with-out asking for it from any one and observes a complete fast for three days (i. e. three days when food is eaten by night only are omitted here).

PUSPAKṚCCHRA—According to the Agnipurāṇa 171. 12 and the Mit. on Yaj III. 316 (quoting Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa) this penance is constituted by drinking for a month the decoction of flowers boiled in water. ³⁷

PRASṚTA-YĀVAKA or PRASṚTIYAVAKA— Viṣṇu Dh S chap. 48 and Baud, Dh. S, III, 6 contain elaborate descrip-tions (which agree with each other in many respects almost ver batim) and so does Harita (q. by Par. M. II. part 2 pp. 192–194) who has many sūtras and verses in common with Viṣṇu and Bauḍ Prasṛti means the hand with all fingers stretc :ed out, the palm being holloweḍ The yavas taken out were as many as could be placed on the palm of the hand thus stretched out and holloweḍ Some passages from Baud who is probably the oldest of the three authors may be set out here.³³¹ "Now if a man feels his conscience heavy with bad actions committed by himself, let him boil for himself, when the stars have risen, a handful of barley and prepare gruel with that. Let him not perform (the Vaiśvadeva) offering with (a part of) that nor a Bali³³² offering. Let him consecrate the barley before it has been placed on fire, when it is being boiled and after it has been boiled with the following mantras ‘thou art barley, the king of grains, thou art sacred to Varuna and mixed with honey, the sages have declared thee to be an expeller of all sins and a means of purification’ Then there are five verses more invoking the barley grains to purify the performer from all sins whether due to deeds, words, or thoughts, to destroy distress and evil fortune, to free him from the food of gaṇas (guilds or multitudes of men), harlots, śūdras, or food offered at śrāddhas by persons in impurity due to birth or death, food of a thief, food at navasrāddha (i e on 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th days after death) or from dreadful mortal sins or from guilt against children and guilt due to serving in a royal court, from sin of stealing gold, sin of the violation of a vrata or sacrificing for an unworthy person and sin of speaking ill of brāhmaṇas Then Baud proceeds “while the barley is being boiled he should guard it and recite ‘Adoration to Rudra, lord of created beings; pacified is the sky'. He should recite the text beginning with 'Krnusva pājāh' (Tai. S. I, 2, 14, 1), the five sentences beginning with 'Ye deva' (Tai. S. I, 8, 7, 1), the two texts 'ma nastoke' (Rg I. 114 8 and Tai S. III. 4. 11. 2) and 'Brahmā devānām' (Rg. IX. 96.6, Tai. S III. 4 11, 2) "Then having sipped water he should eat a little of the boiled food after pouring it into Let him offer it as a sacrifice to the soul reciting 'ye deva' (Tai. S. I. 2. 3. 1)."

Then Bauḍ prescribes: "one desirous of wisdom must perform this rite for three days and nights A sinner who drinks it during six days becomes pure, he who drinks this during seven days becomes purified from the mahāpātakas, he who drinks during eleven days removes even the sins committed by his ancestorṣ But he who during 21 days drinks gruel of barley grains which have passed through a cow (i. e. cowdung) sees the Ganas, the lord of the Ganas, the goddess of learning and the lord of learning."

PRĀJĀPATYA—Vide under Krocchra above where it is shown that the word Krocchra without any qualifying epithet means Prājāpatya. Manu XI. 211, Yaj III. 319, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 46. 10, Atri 119-120, Śankha 18. 3, Baud Dh. S. IV 5.6 mention the word Prajapatya and define it. This Prājāpatya has several varietieṣ The first is that described by Manu XI. 211 and Vaṣ 21. 20 viz. four periods of three days each following one another in which there is respectively eating once only by day, once only by night, eating once only without asking for it and complete fast. The second is that described by Vaṣ 23. 43, where on the first day food is taken only by day, on the 2nd only at night, on the 3rd day food got without asking for it is taken and on the 4th a complete fast is observed and where the same process is repeated for two periods of four days each. The first ⁴⁰ is called Prājāpatya by 'sthānavivṛddhi' and the 2nd is called 'Dandakalita'. Further, both these are said to be made 'anulomyena' (by the proper and straightforward order). If the sequence described above is reversed i. e if for three days there is first a total fast, then subsisting for 3 days on food got without asking for it, then for three days eating at night only and for three days eating by day only, it is Prājāpatya by ‘pratilomya’. Further it may be performed with recitation of Vedic texts or without (for women and śūdras)⁴¹

PHALAKṚCCHRA—Subsisting on fruits alone for a month. Vide the passage from Mārkaṇḍeya quoted above (n 330). Śrīkṛcchra mentioned below will be also phalakṛcchra. The fruits of Bilva and of Āmalaka and lotus seeds were the only fruits to be employed and they were to be eaten only for bare subsistence.

BĀLAKṚCCHRA—See Śiśukṛcchra

BṚHAD-YĀVAKA—The Pr. Pr. (folio 49 a) quoting Brahmapurāṇa describes it as follows—One should feed cows on plenty of yavas anointed with clarified butter. Then he should mix water with the dung of those cows and take out the grains of barley which are voided by them after eating theṃ He should then dry them in the sun, should grind them on a clean stone and cook them mixed with sesame and anointed with ghee in cow’s urine on a fire brought on an altar. He should place the boiled holy grains in a vessel of gold or in a cup made of palāśa leaves and present them to the gods and manes and he may eat theṃ He should carry this on for twelve, twenty-four or thirty-six years for the removal of all sinṣ This is prescribed as a penance for killing one’s guru, brother, friend’ or a near relative &c.

BRAHMAKŪRCA—The Mit ⁴² on Yājñavalkya III 314 states that when a man fasts on one day and on the next day mixes up the ingredients of pañcagavya with Vedic mantras and drinks it with mantras it is called Brahmakūrca. According to Śaṅkha cow’s urine is taken with the Gāyatrī (Rg. III. 62 10), cowdung with the mantra ‘Gandhadvārām’ (Tai. Ā. X. 1), milk with ‘ā pyāyasva’ (Rg I 91.16), curds with ‘dadhikrāvaṇo’ (Rg. IV. 39. 6), ghee with ‘Tejosi’ (Vāj. S. 22. 1) and Kuśa water with ‘devasya tvā’ (Vāj S. 22 1, Ait. Br. 37. 3 &c.). Jābāla ⁴³ prescribes that when a man observes a fast for the whole day and night on a day and particularly on a Full Moon day and then drinks pañcagavya the next morning this is called the rite of Brahmakūrca. Parāśara (XI. 27–28) appears to hold that Pañcagavya and Brahmakūrca are synonymṣ The Madana-pārijāta p. 729 and Pr. Sāra. p. 189 state that the Santapana described by Yāj. (III. 314) is styled Brahmakūrca.⁴⁴

BRAHMAKRŪCCHRA— Vide Hemādri's work on Prāyaścitta p. 964 quoting Devala and Mārkaṇḍeya. It is a penance for 12 days on each of which one has to drink in the noon Pañcagavya in a temple or cowpen after offering it with mantras in fire; one has to contemplate on Viṣṇu till the evening and should sleep near an idol and give up tāmbūla and unguentṣ

MAHĀTĀPTAKṚCCHRA— Vide Taptakṛcchra,

MAHĀŚĀNTAPANA— Śāntapana, according to Yāj. III. 314, Manu XI 212 (=Bauḍ Dh. S.IV. 5.11=Śaṅkha 18.8=Bṛhad-Yama I. 13), Atri 117–118, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 46.20, lasts for two days; on the first the sinner drinks together cow's urine, dung, milk, curds, ghee and kuśa water and on the second day he fasts altogether. Mahāśāntapana penance consists, according to Lau-gākṣigṛhya VII. 3, Yāj. III. 315 (=Devala 82=Atri. 118–119), in drinking separately for six days in succession the six ingredients mentioned above and fasting on the next day (i.e. it lasts for 7 days) According to Śaṅkha 18.9, Baud Dh. S.IV.5.17 and Jābāla⁴⁵ the Mahāśāntapana lasts for 21 days, each of the six ingredients referred to above being taken for three days and a fast being observed for three dayṣ Yama speaks ⁴⁶ of a mahāśāntapana for 15 days viz when each of cow's urine, dung, milk, curds and ghee is taken as subsistence for three days consecutively. MAHEŚVARA KṚCCHRA— Vide Hemādri (on Prāyaścitta) p. 961, which sets out a passage from Devala, that states that Brahmā prescribed it for Maheśvara on the burning of Madana In this penance in the after-noon one should carry a broken jar (kapāla) and beg at three houses of learned brāhmaṇas for vegetables, offer them to God and eat them and should sleep in the evening near an idol After getting up the next day he should donate a cow and drink pañcagavya

MŪLAKṚCCHRA—Viṣṇu Dh. S 46 15 ⁴⁷ states that it is so called when one subsists on lotus stalks alone and the Mit. on Yaj III 316 quotes Mārkaṇḍeya to the effect that one must subsist on mūlas (edible roots) alone

MAITRAKṚCCHRA—The Pr. Prakāśa (folio ⁴⁸ 53 a) mentions it Its peculiarity is that in the Sāntapana on the third day milk of a kapilā (tawny) cow is to be partaken of The same work notes that the Kalpataru states that this is a sāntapana in which on the first day all the six ingredients (cow's urine &c) are taken followed by two days of fasting

YAJÑAKṚCCHRA—This is a penance for one day laid down by Angiras (q by Pr. Sāra p. 183, Smṛti-muktāphala p 939) as follows: The sinner should bathe thrice, should be self-controlled and silent: and after the morning bath he should recite the sacred Gāyatrī 1008 times together with om and the Vyāhṛtis at the beginning When reciting he should be in the Virāsana ⁴⁹ posture He should drink cow's milk only once either sitting down or standing or curds of cow's milk (if he cannot secure cow's milk) or butter-milk or barley gruel mixed with cow's urine (in the absence of milk, curds or butter milk). This one-day penance called Yajña-kṛcchra removes all sins YATICĀNDRĀYANA—Manu XI 218 (= Baud Dh. S. IV. 5.20), Agnipurāṇa 171. 4, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 47. 7 define ⁵⁰ it as a penance where the sinner eats only eight mouthfuls of sacrificial food only once in the noon for a month and exercises control over himself. YATISĀNTAPANA—When the ingredients ⁵¹ of Pañcagavya are mixed together (with kuśa water) and drunk for three consecutive days it is Yati-sāntapana according to the Mit. on Yāj. III. 314. The Pr Prakarana p. 128 adds that the three days must be followed by a fast for one day. YAMYA.—According to Visnudharmottara-purāṇa quoted by Pr. Prakāśa (folio 48 b) this consists in subsisting for a month on saktu grains found in cowdung. YĀVAKA—Śaṅkha ⁵² (18. 10–11) states that partaking of boiled yavas obtained from cowdung for a month is the Yāvaka penance for destroying all sinṣ The Par. M. and Pr. Prakāśa quote a prose passage from Devala, ⁵³ according to which the penance may last for seven days, a fortnight or a month and which states that the procedure of Prājāpatya will apply to this penance. VAJRA—Atri 164 defines ⁵⁴ it as a penance, where barley grains fried in clarified butter and mixed with cow’s urine are partaken of. VAYAVYA-KṚCCHRA—According to the Agnipurāṇa⁵⁵ and Visnudharmottara this penance consists in subsisting for a month every day on food that will just fill the extended palṃ

VṚDDHAKṚCCHRA—VṚDDHI-KṚCCHRA—This is a penance for eight days, according to Śaṅkha-Likhita⁵⁶ and Yama, in which one takes food only by day for two days, only by night for two days, without asking for food for two days and fasts for two days

VYASAKṚCCHRA—This is the same as Maitra-kṛcchra, ⁵⁷ for which see above p 148.

ŚIŚUKṚCCHRA—also called Balakṛcchra by Śaṅkha-Likhita and Pādakṛcchra by Devala and Prāyaścittamuktāvalī (folio 10 a) and is the same as Laghu-kṛcchra ⁵⁸ It lasts for four days, eating once only in the day, eating once only by night, eating food got without asking for it only once on one day and fast on one day. Vide Vas 23.43 (q by Haradatta on Gaut. 26.5), Baud Dh. S II 1. 92, Yāj. III 318

ŚIŚU-CĀNDRĀYANA—Manu XI. 219, Baud Dh. S IV. 5 19, Agnipurāṇa 171.5 state that when a brāhmaṇa eats (for a month) four mouthfuls in the morning and four after sun-set, that is Śiśu-cāndrāyana (cāndrāyana for boys, old men &c).

ŚĪTAKṚCCHRA—This is the reverse of Taptakṛcchra, as here all the articles are to be taken when they are cold ⁵⁹ and not hot (as in Tapta-kṛcchra ). Vide Viṣṇu Dh S 46 12, Agni-purāṇa 171 7 and Mit on Yāj. III, 317 According to Viṣṇu quoted by Pr Sāra (p. 185) and Madana-pārijāta (p. 736) this is a penance for 10 days (and not for twelve days as the Mit. states), viz cold water, cold milk and cold ghee are drunk three days each and there is a total fast for one day ŚRĪKṚCCHRA—According to Viṣṇu Dh. S. 46.16, Agni-purāṇa ⁶⁰ 171.12 and Mit. on Yāj. III, 316 (quoting Mārkaṇḍeya) this is constituted by subsisting on Bilva fruit or lotus seeds or āmalaka fruit for a month. The Madanapārijāta (p. 737) quotes a verse of Śaṅkha to the same effect. SĀNTAPANA—Vide Mahāsāntapana and Atisāntapana above. It is of five kinds, viz. the first for two days, the 2nd for seven days, the third for twelve (Atisāntapana), the 4th for 15 days and the fifth for 21 dayṣ SURACĀNDRĀYANA—The Agnipurāṇa defines it as one where somehow or other (and not in a rising or falling scale) a man partakes of 240 morsels of food in a month. Yāj. III, 324 speaks of it as a variety of Cāndrāyaṇa. Viṣṇu. Dh. S. (47. 9) calls it ‘sāmānyacāndrāyaṇa’ ⁶¹ SUVARNA-KRCCRA—Vide Hemādri on Prāyaścitta pp. 969-972 quoting Devala and Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, in which a varāha or a half of it or quarter of it had to be donateḍ A Varāha was equal to nine rūpakas and a rūpara was one māsa of five guñjas (of silver it seems). For killing a brāhmaṇa secretly or for the guilt of incest one had to perform ten thousand or 40 thousand suvarna-kṛcchras and a lesser number for various other lapseṣ SOMĀYANA—According to the Madanapārijāta pp. 744-746 (quoting Haritadharmasūtra and Mārkaṇḍeya) and Pr. Prakāśa (folio 60b) the penance lasts for thirty days divided into five periods of 7, 7, 7, 6, 3 days, in which the milk of all the four udders of a cow, of three udders, of two udders and of one udder is respectively drunk and for the last three days there is a complete fast. There is another variety which lasts for 24 days from the 4th tithi of the dark half of a month to the 12th of the bright half of the next fort-night, the 24 days are divided into eight periods of three days each; in the first four periods of three days each the milk of a cow's four udders, three udders, two udders and one udder is respectively drunk and then in the next four periods of three days each the milk of one udder, two, three and four udders is respectively drunk. Vide also Prāyaścittendu-śekhara p 12

SAUMYĀKROCCRA—According to Yaj III. 321 this penance lasts for six days, in the first five of which one subsists in succession upon oilcake alone, foamy scum of boiled rice alone, butter-milk alone, water alone and saktus (barley) alone and on the last day a total fast is observeḍ The Mit, Madanapārijāta p 717, Pr Sāra p 178 and other digests state that one has to partake of the five ingredients in quantities just sufficient to keep body and soul together. Jābāla (quoted by the Mit., Par M. II part 2 p 183 and others) makes it a penance of four days' duration, in the first three of which one partakes successively of oilcake, saktus and butter-milk and observes a fast on the 4th day. Atri (128–129) also mentions it. The Pr. Prakāśa (quoting Brahmapurāṇa) speaks⁶² of another variety of six days' duration, on the first of which there is a complete fast and on the last of which the sinner subsists on saktus alone and in the intervening four days he subsists on the thick gruel of barley cooked in cow's urine.