FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.9

శ్రీరాజోవాచ ద‍ృష్టశ్రుతాభ్యాం యత్పాపం జానన్నప్యాత్మనోఽహితమ్ । కరోతి భూయో వివశ: ప్రాయశ్చిత్తమథో కథమ్ ॥ ౯ ॥
śrī-rājovāca
[shree-raajovaacha]
dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpaṁ
[drishta-shrutaabhyaam yat paapam]
jānann apy ātmano ’hitam
[jaanann apy aatmano ’hitam]
karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ
[karoti bhooyo vivashah]
prāyaścittam atho katham
[praayashchittam atho katham]
śrī-rājā uvāca — Parīkṣit Mahārāja replied dṛṣṭa — by seeing śrutābhyām — also by hearing (from the scriptures or lawbooks) yat — since pāpam — sinful, criminal action jānan — knowing api — although ātmanaḥ — of his self ahitam — injurious karoti — he acts bhūyaḥ — again and again vivaśaḥ — unable to control himself prāyaścittam — atonement atho — therefore katham — what is the value of.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-rājovāca
śrī-rājā uvāca
Parīkṣit Mahārāja replied
dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpaṁ
dṛṣṭa
by seeing
śrutābhyām
also by hearing (from the scriptures or lawbooks)
yat
since
pāpam
sinful, criminal action
jānann apy ātmano ’hitam
jānan
knowing
api
although
ātmanaḥ
of his self
karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ
ahitam
injurious
prāyaścittam atho katham
karoti
he acts
bhūyaḥ
again and again
vivaśaḥ
unable to control himself
prāyaścittam
atonement
atho
therefore
katham
what is the value of.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: One may know that sinful activity is injurious for him because he actually sees that a criminal is punished by the government and rebuked by people in general and because he hears from scriptures and learned scholars that one is thrown into hellish conditions in the next life for committing sinful acts. Nevertheless, in spite of such knowledge, one is forced to commit sins again and again, even after performing acts of atonement. Therefore, what is the value of such atonement?

In some religious sects a sinful man goes to a priest to confess his sinful acts and pay a fine, but then he again commits the same sins and returns to confess them again. This is the practice of a professional sinner. Parīkṣit Mahārāja’s observations indicate that even five thousand years ago it was the practice of criminals to atone for their crimes but then commit the same crimes again, as if forced to do so. Therefore, owing to his practical experience, Parīkṣit Mahārāja saw that the process of repeatedly sinning and atoning is pointless. Regardless of how many times he is punished, one who is attached to sense enjoyment will commit sinful acts again and again until he is trained to refrain from enjoying his senses. The word vivaśa is used herein, indicating that even one who does not want to commit sinful acts will be forced to do so by habit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja therefore considered the process of atonement to have little value for saving one from sinful acts. In the following verse he further explains his rejection of this process.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The King said: Though the jīva knows that sinful acts are detrimental by seeing and hearing, he helplessly commits sin again. What is the use of atonement? Parīkṣit criticizes atonement, saying it is unacceptable, in two verses. One sees a king punishing a criminal and hears about the punishment in hell and understands that sin is not beneficial. It is seen that a person commits that same sin again even after doing the atonement. How does atonement destroy sin? If the sin has been destroyed he will not commit sin again.
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