16 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 1

PURPORT

When Pariksit Maharaja inquired how a human being could free him-
self from sinful activities so as not to be forced to go to hellish planetary
systems after death, Sukadeva Gosvami answered that the process of
counteracting sinful life is atonement. In this way Sukadeva Gosvami
tested the intelligence of Maharaja Pariksit, who passed the examination
by refusing to accept this process as genuine. Now Pariksit Maharaja is
expecting another answer from his spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami.

TEXT 11
PATRTAPATY
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$ri-bédarayanir uvaca
karmana karma-nirharo
na hy atyantika isyate
avidvad-adhikaritvat

prayascittam vimarsanam

$ri-bddaradyanih uvdica—Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vyasadeva,
replied; karmand—by fruitive activities; karma-nirhérah—counterac-
tion of fruitive activities; na—not; hi—indeed; atyantikah—final;
isyate—becomes possible; avidvat-adhikdritvat—from being without
knowledge; pradyascittam—real atonement; vimarsanam—full knowl-
edge of Vedanta.
TRANSLATION

Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vedavyasa, answered: My dear
King, since acts meant to neutralize impious actions are also
fruitive, they will not release one from the tendency to act
fruitively. Persons who subject themselves to the rules and regula-
tions of atonement are not at all intelligent. Indeed, they are in the
mode of darkness. Unless one is freed from the mode of ig-
norance, trying to counteract one action through another is use-
less because this will not uproot one’s desires. Thus even though
