[Advaita-l] Prayascitta question

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Wed, 4 Aug 2010, bagirathi ma ramanathan wrote:

>
> dear sir, one collegue family of my late father made a deleberate attack 
> on the innocent persons by house breaking and removing all the hosuehols 
> materials for want of the premises to be occupaid by them earlier, ( it 
> is all government quarters which should be vacated on transfer of the 
> officials) , and created a panic and threat to us. This had happend some 
> 25 years back but the pain is still remains in our mind. The entire 
> family stood on the gate without any food for threedays and no one could 
> help us at this juncture. We did not suspect anybody or this act as the 
> successors deleberate attitude.
>
> Any prayachitham to this act of the perpetrators on the innocent persons 
> will reduce their sin? please enlighten me in this area. Sincerely 
> Mrs.Bagirathi Ramanathan

Not only must the perpetrators perform prayaschitta but they must submit 
to the "Danda" (civil justice.)  Then only will their papa karma be 
reduced.  But advaita vedanta tells us that as long as they keep notions 
like "this property is mine not yours" they will continue suffering from 
the ups and downs of karma.  Vairagya is the only solution.  As the 
Ishopanishad tells us, "do not covet for whose is wealth?"

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>