Upaniṣads · Bhasmajābāla 1.21
॥
Devanāgarī
अकृत्वा प्रमादेनैतदष्टोत्तरशतं जलमध्ये स्थित्वा गायत्रीं जप्त्वोपोषणेनैकेन शुद्धो भवति
Transliteración (IAST)
akṛtvā pramādenaitadaṣṭottaraśataṃ jalamadhye sthitvā gāyatrīṃ japtvopoṣaṇenaikena śuddho bhavati
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
अ-कृत्वा प्रमादेन एतत्a-kṛtvā pramādena etatnot having done this by negligence
अष्ट-उत्तर-शतंaṣṭa-uttara-śataṃa hundred and eight [times]
जल-मध्ये स्थित्वा गायत्रीं जप्त्वाjala-madhye sthitvā gāyatrīṃ japtvāstanding in water, having repeated gāyatrī
उपोषणेन एकेन शुद्धः भवतिupoṣaṇena ekena śuddhaḥ bhavatiby a single fast alone he becomes pure
Traducción
«Not having done this by negligence — standing in water, having repeated gāyatrī a hundred and eight times, by a single fast alone he becomes pure».
Versión
e744668b2a8e · publicado 12 ago 2026, 5:00:00 UTC
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The atonement is named: gāyatrī a hundred and eight times, standing in water, and a single fast. Worth noting the structure, for it is reasonable: it states not only what befalls the one who has failed, but also how to set it right. This detail distinguishes a workable rule from a mere threat. A code that only threatens leaves the one who has failed without a way out; and a person who has failed once will wave his hand and abandon everything.
Hence in every developed ritual tradition there is prāyaścitta, «atonement», set out in detail: for such a lapse, this; for such another, that. The Vaishnava side has this same structure too, and it is worth saying how it supplements it. Atonement is recognized and prescribed there; but the Bhāgavatam says directly that atonement, which removes the sin, does not remove the inclination to it — like the bathing of an elephant, who at once wallows in dust again (6.1.9–10).
Hence the conclusion it reaches: atonement is not enough, and true purification is a change of attachment, not a discharge of debt. One who has discharged the debt is pure until the next time; one who has changed does not return. Separately worth mentioning is that the atonement is performed standing in water. This physical detail already occurred when reading Rudra-hṛdaya (25): purification is conceived as a task one must go and do, and at an inconvenient time, in cold water.