Talk:Jalakrcchra
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
jalakrcchra (‘penance in or with water’)
Expiation for sins committed, knowingly or unknowingly, by performing the prescribed penances is an ancient practice in Hinduism. ‘Kṛcchra’ is a general term applied to many of these expiations. Jalakrcchra—also called toyakṛcchra, udakakṛcchra or varuṇakṛcchra—is one of them.
It has been described in several ways. According to one version, it consists in subsisting only on water mixed with ground barley, for one month.
Another version is that the sinner should spend a whole day and night fasting, and immersing himself in water. This should be followed by the repetition of the Gāyatrīmantra 1008 times the next day.
See also KRCCHRA.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore