FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.10

క్‍వచిన్నివర్తతేఽభద్రాత్‍క్‍వచిచ్చరతి తత్పున: । ప్రాయశ్చిత్తమథోఽపార్థం మన్యే కుఞ్జరశౌచవత్ ॥ ౧౦ ॥
kvacin nivartate ’bhadrāt
[kvachin nivartate ’bhadraat]
kvacic carati tat punaḥ
[kvachich charati tat punah]
prāyaścittam atho ’pārthaṁ
[praayashchittam atho ’paartham]
manye kuṣjara-śaucavat
[manye kushjara-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 kuṣjara-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 kuṣjara-śaucavat
manye
I consider
kuṣjara-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.
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Source: vedabase.io

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