Prāyaścitta

Prāyaścitta (Sanskrit: प्रायश्चित्त) is the Hindu term for atonement and, along with vyavahāra (legal procedure) and ācāra (customary law) makes up the dharmaśāstra. It is the word used for the portion of Hindu law and the dharmaśāstra that has to do with the expiation of sins. It "denotes an act or rite...intended for the destruction of sin." Though the sins it pertains to is often punishable by the king as well as through legal proceedings, it is considered a different sphere of the law.

Effectiveness

Goals

Prāyaścittas are not necessary only for the cleansing of one's own soul, but also for the satisfaction of the rest of society, as they are not permitted to have social contact with one who has sinned and not completed their penance.

Intentional sins

It is disagreed upon within the smṛtis whether prāyaścittas are applicable and capable purifying if the sins were done intentionally. Manu says that some believe that passages from the Vedas indicate that all sins, whether intentional or otherwise are demolished by prāyaścitta, while his own belief is that unintentional sins are expiated through Vedic recitation and intentional sins can be obliterated by performing various prāyaścittas. At the same time, Yājñavalkya suggests that the results of sins committed intentionally cannot be undone through prāyaścittas. However, he continues with the thought that this will cause social contact with the sinner to be permitted. Alternative interpretations of this verse suggest the opposite, and that the purposeful perpetrator will be saved from Hell upon performing penance, but will not be allowed contact with upstanding citizens. There is also distinction made between a single occurrence of a sin and repeated infractions.