Sāntapana
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Sāntapana literally means ‘that which causes great hardship’.
Sāntapana, a Type of Expiation[edit]
Prāyaścittas or expiations for sins is a common feature of religion. One type of such expiation is sāntapana. It is prescribed for the one who commits a sin and makes him lose his caste,[1] knowingly. It consists in subsisting on the pañcagavya mixed with water in which kuśa grass is soaked on the first day and fasting completely on the second day.
Types of Sāntapana[edit]
Two varieties of this expiation are also described:
- Atisāntapana
- Mahāsāntapana
Mahāsāntapana, a Rite[edit]
In the Mahāsāntapana, the sinner has to subsist on the six items individually for each day for six days and fast on the seventh. The six items used in this rite are:
- Cow’s milk
- Curds
- Ghee
- Urine
- Dung
- Kuśa grass
Atisāntapana, a Rite[edit]
In atisāntapana, the duration is trebled which includes milk for three days and so on.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore