FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.10

क्‍वचिन्निवर्ततेऽभद्रात्‍क्‍वचिच्चरति तत्पुन: । प्रायश्चित्तमथोऽपार्थं मन्ये कुञ्जरशौचवत् ॥ १० ॥
kvacin nivartate ’bhadrāt
[kvachin nivartate ’bhadraat]
kvacic carati tat punaḥ
[kvachich charati tat punah]
prāyaścittam atho ’pārthaṁ
[praayashchittam atho ’paartham]
manye kuñjara-śaucavat
[manye kunjara-shauchavat]
Word-for-word
kvacit — sometimes nivartate — ceases abhadrāt — from sinful activity kvacit — sometimes carati — commits tat — that (sinful activity) punaḥ — again prāyaścittam — the process of atonement atho — therefore apārtham — useless manye — I consider kuñjara-śaucavat — exactly like the bathing of an elephant.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kvacin nivartate ’bhadrāt
kvacit
sometimes
nivartate
ceases
abhadrāt
from sinful activity
kvacic carati tat punaḥ
kvacit
sometimes
carati
commits
tat
that (sinful activity)
punaḥ
again
prāyaścittam atho ’pārthaṁ
prāyaścittam
the process of atonement
atho
therefore
apārtham
useless
manye kuñjara-śaucavat
manye
I consider
kuñjara-śaucavat
exactly like the bathing of an elephant.
Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant cleanses itself by taking a full bath, but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land.
Purport

When Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired how a human being could free himself from sinful activities so as not to be forced to go to hellish planetary systems after death, Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered that the process of counteracting sinful life is atonement. In this way Śukadeva Gosvāmī tested the intelligence of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who passed the examination by refusing to accept this process as genuine. Now Parīkṣit Mahārāja is expecting another answer from his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
After withdrawing from sin one commits the sin again. I think atonement is useless, like an elephant bathing. Sometimes in youth one refrains from sin, but again one commits the sin in old age. Therefore atonement is useless. The elephant after bathing dirties himself with dust.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Parīkṣit compares ritual atonement to an elephant's bath: cleansed in the river, then dust thrown on the back the moment it leaves. Outward cleansings cannot help when the inner desire to sin is not uprooted.
Reflection Questions
  • What is my 'dust' — the habit I throw back over myself right after every cleansing?
  • Where would I rather perform a ritual than face the inner desire driving my fall?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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