30 - The Mode of Expiation

Sanaka said: 

1. O Narada, I shall now explain the rules regarding the expiatory rites.1 Listen. One who has purified his soul by means of expiatory rites shall attain the benefit of all holy observances. 

1. The term Prayashchitta is variously derived but most digest-writers and commentators of Dharma-Shastra regard it a combination of prayas (Penance) + chitta (Resolve). Plainly it means "A resolve to undergo penance" (in the belief that it will absolve one of sins). Hemådri thinks that the term cannotes a special act in atonement of sin (prayashchittatshabdah papakshayarthe naimittike karmavisheshe vartate / CC-Prayashchitta, p. 989). Bålambhatti on Yajn. Smr. III. 206 regards Prayaḥ (a sin) +chitta (purification) and quotes an authority to support the view that prayashchitta is purification from sins: 

prayaḥ papam vinirdishtam chittam tasya vishodhanan |

The NP. regards faith in Narayana as the condition precedent, without which all expiatory acts will be futile (see V. 4). 

2. Osage, all the rites performed by those who are devoid of (i.e., do not perform) expiatory rites are said to be futile. They are resorted to by Rakshasas. 

3. Brahmanas must be consulted about Dharma by those who are desirous of the benefits of all dharmas, are devoid of lust and fury and are experts in the scriptures on Dharma.

4. O leading Brahmana, the expiatory rites performed by those who are averse to Narayana do not sanctify the people even as the rivers cannot purify the pot of wine.

Prayashchittas for Maha-Patakas 

5. These are the five great sinners2 -- the slayer of a Brahmana, the wine addict, the thief, the defiler of the preceptor's bed and those who associate with any or all of these sinners. 

2. Sins are classified in three categories (1) Maha-patakas (Great sins), (2) Ati patakas (Super-sins) and (3) Upa-patakas (minor sins). This verse enumerates the maha-patakas. It is worth noting that wine drinking is a 'great sin' and association with the sinners is also a great sin.

The general expiation for these maha-patakas requires the following penance: (1) Three baths per day; (2) stay in a thatched cottage alone in a forest; (3) sleep on bare ground; (4) subsistence on roots, fruits and leaves (5) eating only once a day; (6) if the sinner enters a village for begging, he should proclaim his sin.

This penance is to be practised for twelve years.

-Shankha Smr. 17-1-3; cf. NP. vv 7-12 below.

6. If anyone associates oneself with them by sharing their beds, seats or foodstuffs for a year, he shall be known as Patita (a fallen man) in regard to all holy rites. 

7. If anyone slays a Brahmana unknowingly,3 he should wear bark garments and matted hair. He should also hold the skull of the Brahmana killed by him. 

3. VV. 7-17 deal mainly with the homicide of a Brahmana. The act can be expiated if done unknowingly. VV 7-12 refer to slaying a Brahmana whose death affects the continuity of the Vedic lore. For killing an ordinary Brahmana, the expiation is for one year only, i.e., 1/12 of the expiation of killing a knower of a Veda. This is the precaution taken by the society, to preserve our Literary and cultural tradition by prescribing a deterrent punishment. Dharma Sūtras of Gautama, Apastamba, Vishnu and Smrutis of Manu (XI.72-82), Yajnavalkya (III.243-50) and AP. 169.1.4, 173. 7-8 prescribe practically the same type of penances for slaying a Brahmana and cover the penances given in the NP., though he (Manu) gives some other penances as well.

8. If that skull, or any other article belonging to this man is not available, he should roam the forest holding up that material on a staff like a banner displaying his crime. 

9. He should take to things available in the forest for his diet. He should stay there on limited diet for one time per day. He should take bath thrice a day and perform Sandhya rite duly. 

10. He should give up study and teaching of the Vedas, but should all the time remember Hari. He should observe the vow of continuous celibacy and avoid wearing scented garlands, etc. 

11. He should visit and stay at holy places and sacred hermitages. If he cannot maintain himself by means of the articles available in forests, he should beg for alms in the villages. 

12. He should perform the expiatory rite thus for twelve years and be devoted to Hari. The slayer of a Brahmana then attains purity and becomes worthy of and eligible to perform holy rites. 

13-14. The slayer of a Brahmana should perform any of the following rites and attain purity: viz. should he be killed by animals or die due to ailments while observing the expiatory penance, he attains purity. Or he should sacrifice his life to save a cow or a Brahmana or make a gift of ten thousand excellent cows to leading Brahmanas. 

15. On killing a kshatriya who has been consecrated (for the performance of sacrifices, etc.4), the sinner should perform the expiatory rite of a Brahmana-slayer, or enter the funeral pyre or jump off a lofty cliff. 

4. It is noteworthy that a Kshattriya who has been consecrated for performance of a sacrifice is equated with a Brahmana.

16. On killing a Brahmana who has been so consecreted, the sinner should perform twice the expiatory rites. In the event of killing a preceptor and others, the expiatory rites cited are four times the former. 

17. On killing an ordinary Brahmana (by birth only who has not studied the Vedas, etc.), he should perform the expiatory rite for one year. O Brahmana, thus the mode of expiation for killing a Brahmana has been stated. 

18. The expiation for a Kshatriya is twice this and that for a Vaishya is thrice: Learned men know that the Shudra who kills a Brahmana is to be pounded to death with a club. 

19. The decision in the scriptural texts is this that this punishment is to be meted out by the king himself. If Brahmana women are killed, half the expiation is to be performed and one fourth in the case of the slaying of a girl. 

20-23a. By killing a Brahmana boy not invested with the sacred thread, one should perform one-fourth of the expiatory rite. A Brahmana who kills a Kshatriya should perform the Krucchra5 penance for six years, for three years if it is a Vaishya who is killed and for one year if a Shudra is killed. On killing the wife of a consecrated one, a Brahmana woman, he should perform the expiatory rite for Brahmana-slaughter for eight years. He should certainly become pure. O excellent sage, the expiatory penance enjoined on old men, sick men, women and children in all cases is said to be half as related by learned men. 

5. Krucchra 

A kind of penance, for details vide Yajnavalkya Smruti, Prayashchitta Adhyaya.

Expiatory rites for wine-drinking6

6. VV. 23b--33a deal with the expiations for the second Mahapapa-wine-drinking. The varieties of wines are detailed in Verses 23b-24a and 30b-31. It appears that wine-drinking was regarded worse than Brahmana-slaughter, and death-penalty in a painful way is prescribed for it. For drinking spirituous liquor inadvertently, the penance of a Brahmana-slaughter is laid down in VV. 2-28 

Here NP. is repeating this way of death penalty for wine-drinking which has been already prescribed in Dh.Ss of Apastamba (I.9.25.3), Gautama (23,1) Baudhayana (II.1.21) and the Smrutis of Manu (XI.90-91) and Yajnavalkya (III.253).

23b-24a. Wine (spirituous liquor) is of three kinds, Gaudi (that which is prepared from molasses), Paishti (that which is prepared from grain meal) and Madhvi (that which is prepared from honey). O Narada, this should not be drunk by any of the four castes as well as by women, O Narada. 

24b-26. Osage, he should take bath and remain pure wearing the wet clothes. Remembering Narayana, he should make one of these, viz., milk, ghee or cow's urine resemble red hot iron and drink the liquid then. Then he should pour it into any metallic vessel, iron or copper, and drink it like water and meet death. 

27a. It is by this that a wine-addict gets purified. There is no other way of purification. 

27b-28a. A Brahmana who drinks wine due to inadvertence or deliberately due to the belief that it is for his own good) should perform penance enjoined for Brahmana-murder with the difference that the exhibition of a skull on a staff and such symbols of Brahmahatya should be absent. 

28b-29a. If a Brahmana drinks liquor as an antidote for some ailment, he should undergo the rite of investiture with the sacred thread7 once again. Moreover, he should perform two Chandrayana penances. 

7. The second upanayana (investiture of sacred thread) seems to be symbolic. Ashvalayana Gr. S. (I.22.22-26) prescribes cutting of hair and medhajanana as optional; there is no mention of rules regarding time of this upanayana and the verse to be recited as Savitri is RV.V.82.1 and not the regular Gayatri Mantra (RV.III.62.10.)

29b-30a. They say that any vessel which comes into contact with the spirituous liquor (is also defiled). Even if water is taken from the liquor pot it is on a par with drinking of liquor. So is the eating of camphor. 

30b-31. Spirituous liquor is of eleven varieties, viz. Tala, (extracted from palmyra), Panasa (taken from the jack fruit), (Drāksha (prepared from grapes), Khārjúra-sambhava (prepared from date fruits), Arishta (fermented liquor), Madhuka (prepared from honey). Maireya (specially concocted from Arishta and Sură), Nälikeraja (prepared from coconut palm), Gaudi prepared from molasses), Madhvi (prepared from honey) and Sură (prepared from grain meal). 

32-33a. No Brahmana should at any time drink any of these spirituous liquors. If any Brahmana drinks any of these due to ignorance, he is to be invested with the sacred thread once again. He should perform the expiatory penance called Tapta-Krucchra.8

8. Vide Supra fn.

(Theft): 

33b-34a. Whether directly or indirectly whether forcibly or clandestinely, the illegal) taking of other people's wealth is called Steya (theft) by learned men. 

34b-35a The magnitude or (the scale of the weight) of gold has been specified by Manu and others. O leading Brahmana listen. I shall detail it which is the means of relating it to the mode of expiation. 

35b-36. The dust particle that is seen in the middle of the beam of the sun coming through the window is called the magnitude of Trasareņu by learned men.9 Eight Trasarenus make one Nishka. Three such Nishkas make one Rajasarshapa. 

9. VV 35b-38a give the weights used for weighing gold. It is the same as in Manu VIII. 132-135.

Trasarenu                  =A particle of dust seen in the Sun-beam coming through a window

8 Trasarenus             =1 nishka (called liksha by Manu)

3 Nishkas                   = 1 Räja sarshapa

3 Raja sarshapas       =1 Gaura sarshapa (A white mustard-seed)

6 Gaura sarshapas    =1 Yava

3 Yavas                       =1 Krishnala

5 Krishnalas              = 1 Måsha

16 Maşhas                  =1 Suvarna

Some of these terms are found in some other Smrutis and the Kautaliya Artha-Shastra, the difference in terms and their equation (if any) is due to difference of Time and region.

37-38a. Three Rajasarshapa make one Gaurasarshapa. Six Gaurasarshapas make what is called Yava. Three Yavas make one Krişhņala and five Krişhņalas make one Måsha. О Narada, sixteen Mashas shall make the mass of one Suvarna. 

38b-39a. If out of ignorance one steals the wealth of a Brahmana, one should perform Brahma-hatya expiatory penance without the skull on the staff as the banner (symbol of Brahmahatya). 

39b-40a. On stealing the gold of preceptors, performers of Yajnas and pious Brahmanas well-versed in the Vedas, the expiatory rite is as follows: 

40b-41a. He should repent and apply ghee all over his body. He should then cover himself with dried cowdung (and get himself scorched by fire). If he is thus burned he is liberated from the sin of theft. 

41b-42a. If a Kshatriya steals the wealth of a Brahmana, he should repent for it and return it to the owner. Listen to its procedure from me. 

42b-43a. He should perform the expiatory penance called Santapana and observe fast for twelve days. O celestial sage, he shall then attain purity, otherwise he will become fallen. 

43b-44a. Half the expiation is enjoined in the case of thefts of articles resembling gold, viz: jewels, seats, men (servants), womenfolk, cows, plots of lands, etc. 

44b-45. A man who steals gold equal to a Trasareņu should perform two Pranayamas duly.10 He thereby becomes pure. On stealing gold of the size of a Nishka he should perform three Pranayamas. 

10. The NP. (VV. 44b-50) has decided the punishment or Prayashchitta for stealing gold according to its weight.

weight of the stolen gold           Prayashchitta

1 Trasarenu                        1 Pranayama

1 nishka                               3 Pranayamas.

1 Rajasarshapa                   4 Pranayamas

1 Gaurasarshapa                Bath and Japa of Gayatri 1008 times.

1 yava                                  Japa of Gayatri from morning (Sun-rise) to evening (Sun-set).

1 Krishnala                         A Santapana

1 Masha                      Subsistence on barley cooked in a cow's urine, for one year

1 Suvarna                   Expiation meant for Brahmahatyå (for 12 years).

46-47a. For stealing gold of the size of a Rajasarshapa, he should perform four Pranayamas. On stealing gold of the size of Gaurasarshapa the shrewd man should take bath and duly perform the Japa of a thousand and eight Gayatris. 

47b-48a. On stealing gold of the size of a Yava, the sinner should begin to perform the Japa of Vedic mother (i.e., Gayatri) in the morning and continue it till the evening. The Brahmana sinner should then be purified. 

48b. On stealing gold of the size of Krişhņala, he should perform the expiatory rite of Santapana. 

49. The expiation for the theft of gold of the size of a Māsha is now enjoined. He should regularly eat barley cooked in cow's urine. He will be purified of his sin in a year. 

50. O leading sage, on stealing gold of the complete size of Suvarna, he should perform the Brahma-hatya expiatory rite with great attention for twelve years. 

51. If the act of stealing silver is of a quantity less than a Suvarna magnitude,11 the sinner should duly perform the expiatory penance called Santapana. Otherwise, he shall be fallen. 

11. VV. 51-54 declare the Prayashchitta to be performed by a thief of silver depending on the weight of the metal as follows: 

Weight of the stolen silver                 Prayashchitta prescribed

Less than 1 suvarna in weight One Santapana.

Between 4 to 10 nishkas            One Chåndrayana.

From 10 to 100 Nishkas            Two Chandrayanas.

from 100 to 1000 Nishkas        Three Chandrayanas.

More than 1000 Nishkas          Expiation meant for Brahmahatya. 

52. O sage, a person who knowingly steals between four and ten Nishkas of silver should perform the Chandrayana penance. 

53. If anyone steals silver of the size ranging from ten to hundred Nishkas, two Chandrayana constitute the expiation for his sin. 

54. Between a hundred and a thousand Nishkas, he should perform three Chandrayanas. If the stolen quantity exceeds a thousand Nishkas he should perform Brahmahatya expiatory penance. 

55. If the stolen quantity is upto a thousand Nishkas and the material is mainly bell-metal, iron or load stones, the expiatory rite is stated to be Paräka.12 

12. Paraka: 

A penance requiring continuous fast for twelve days and observance of self-control (vide Manu XI.215, Yajnavalkya III. 320 A.P.171-10).

56. In the case of theft of jewels, the expiation is the same as that of silver. Now the expiatory penance of persons who defile the preceptors' bed is being stated.

Adultery 

57. If due to inadvertence one cohabits with one's mother or her co-wife one should cut off one's own testicles proclaiming one's own sin13. 

13. Incest with one's preceptor's wife or one's mother or step-mother is to be expiated with the incision of the organ and to go on walking with his testicles in one's hand and proclaiming the sins till one falls dead. This has been prescribed since the days of Dharma Sūtras. For example: 

Gautama states: 

lingam va savrushanam utkrutya njalavadhaya dakshinapratichim vrajed ajihmam a-sharira-patat |

Manu XI.105 repeats the same. But the NP, does not lay down the other punishment, viz. lying on a red-hot iron bed or embracing a red hot iron image of a woman, though the Dharma Sūtras and Manu prescribe that alternatively. But the NP. prescribes leap from a precipice, which is its special view. 

The prayashchittas for other cases of incest vary in various Smrutis. NP.'s views are stated in vv. 60-69.

58. He should hold the testicle in his hand and proceed towards the South west. While going, he should never consider what is pleasant or what is miserable. 

59. He should go ahead without seeing the other persons who go about here and there. He who walks thus till death becomes purified. Or he should fall from a promontory proclaiming his own sin. 

60. On cohabiting with a woman of a higher caste un-thinkingly the sinner should with great attention perform Brahma-hatya expiatory rite for twelve years. 

61. O excellent Brahmana, either unthinkingly or as a regular practice if one cohabits with a woman of his own caste or a higher caste one attains purity on being burned in the fire of dried cow dung balls. 

62. If after the sexual intercourse with his mother, the sinner withdraws before the discharge of the semen virile, he should perform the Brahmahatya expiatory rite. If he discharges the semen virile, he should burn himself in the fire. 

63. If anyone withdraws before the discharge of semen virile in a woman of his own caste or of a higher caste he should perform Brahmahatya expiatory rite for nine years and be devoted to Vishnu. 

64. If one cohabits with the Vaishya wife of one's own father, one should perform the expiatory rite for six years. On cohabiting with the Shudra wife of the preceptor, one should perform the expiatory rite for three years. 

65-66. If due to infatuation one is deluded and cohabits with mother's sister, father's sister, preceptor's wife, wife of the father-in-law, paternal uncle's wife, maternal uncle's wife or one's own daughter, he should duly perform the Brahmahatya expiatory rite if the sin continues for two days; if the sin is committed for many times on a single day, the expiatory rite should be performed for three years. 

67. If the sin is committed only for once, he becomes purified after performing the rite of expiation for a year; if the sin is committed for three days, he should become pure only if he is burnt in fire and not otherwise. 

68-69. He who passionately cohabits with a Chandala or Puşhkasa woman, daughter-in-law, sister, friends' wife, or disciple's wife, should perform Brahma-hatya expiatory rite for six years, O leading sage. He who cohabits without passion should perform Krucchra rite for a year.

Expiation for Associates of great sinners 

70. The expiatory rite for associating with great sinners is being mentioned.14 A person whose soul is sanctified, thanks to the expiatory rite, should attain the benefit of all religious rites. 

14. As stated above, association with the four types of grave sinners mentioned above, is regarded as a serious sin and Manu XI. 181, Yajnavalkya III. 261 provided that a person associating with a person guilty of serious sins (Maha-patakas) should undergo the same Prayashchitta as is prescribed for the Mahapapa. NP. voices the same view but be takes a lenient view and prescribes milder Prayashchittas of shorter duration as compared with those for the original sinners. Kullūka, Vijnaneshvara and other commentators state that the Prayashchitta in such cases is a Vrata and as such should not be extended to or involve death of the performer of the Vrata. 

(maranasya cha Vratashabdavachyatva' bhavat /

-Mitakshara on Yajna. Smru. III. 261.

71. Persons who associate with the great sinners have to perform the respective expiatory rites of those sinners, to be undoubtedly free from those impurities. 

72. He who associates with these unknowingly for five days, should perform physical Krucchra rite. Otherwise, he becomes fallen. 

73. If the association lasts for twelve days, the expiatory penance called Mahā-säntapana must be performed. If the association continues for half a month he should observe fast for twelve days. 

74. If the association lasts for a month the expiatory rite is Paráka and if the association is for three months the rite of Chandrayana has to be performed. If the association is for six months, two Chandrayana penances are to be performed. 

75. If the association lasts for a period slightly less than a year he should perform the expiatory rite for six months. All these expiatory rites are to be performed three times if the association is knowingly pursued.

Expiation for Miscellaneous sins 

76-77. If a Brahmana kills a frog, a mongoose, a crow, a boar, a rat, a cat, a goat, a sheep, a dog or a fowl, he should perform the rite of half a Krucchra.15 The slayer of a horse should perform Atikrucchra rite. In the event of killing an elephant he should perform Taptakrucchra expiation and Paraka if he kills a cow. 

15. VV 76-92a deal with miscellaneous sins. Smruti-writers (e.g., Manu XI. 133-37, Yājn III. 269-74) have prescribed various expiatory rites for them. The NP. agrees with some. The NP. emphasizes that slandering gods and Brahmanas is a great sin from which there is no absolution (89b-90). The main point is that if one is devoted to Lord Narayana and undergoes expiatory rites, he becomes free from sins. In extolling devotion to Vishnu, NP. asserts that all sins are destroyed by remembering (or worshipping or meditating on) Hari. He concludes: All heaps of miseries instantly disappear if Lord Vishnu is remembered but once (V. 97).

78a. No mode of purification is enjoined by learned men in the event of wanton killing of a cow. 

Minor sins 

78b-82. If any beverage, quilt, seat, flowers, fruits, roots or foodstuffs and edibles are stolen the atonement is through Panchagavya. If dried wood, grass, trees, jaggery, hides, garments and meat are stolen, he should fast for three nights. On killing any of these, viz.—the sparrow, the ruddy goose, the swan, the Kärandava bird, owl, crane, dove, web-foot, parrot, blue jay, white crane, the Gangetic porpoise or the tortoise, the sinner should abstain from food for twelve days. If semen virile, feces or urine is taken in, Prajapatya rite is to be performed. 

83-84. Three Chandrayanas are enjoined (as expiatory rites) in the event of taking in the leavings of the Shūdra’s food. On touching a woman in her menses, a Chandala, a great sinner, a woman recently delivered of a child, a fallen fellow, a man defiled by Ucchishta (left-over of eaten food) or a washerman and others one should take bath along with the clothes one is clad in. He should take in ghee also. 

85-86a. O Brahmana, the man of purified soul should perform the Japa of Gayatri Mantra one hundred and eight times. On touching any of the above-mentioned persons unwittingly at the time of taking food, one should observe fast for three nights and take in Panchagavya. He should then be purified, O Narada. 

86b-87. If at the time of ablution, charitable gifts, Japas, Bhojana (meal), etc., if anyone hears the voice of anyone of these or talks to any of them, he should vomit the food taken in. He should take bath again and observe fast. 

88-89a. O Narada, he should take in ghee on the next day after which he shall attain purity. If in the midst of holy rites, even the sound of these is heard, he should perform the Japa of the Gayatri Mantra, a thousand and eight times. 

89b-90a. Censuring Brahmanas and the deities is the vilest of all sins. O Narada, no expiation for this is found in any scripture. 

90b-91a. In the case of those sins mentioned by the learned ones to be on a par with great sins, one should duly perform expiatory rites. 

91b-92a. If anyone performs the expiatory rites with devotional feelings to Narayana, all his sins perish. Otherwise, he shall be a fallen fellow. 

92b-94a. A person who is free from passions, etc. and is endowed with (i.e., fully feels) repentance and is possessed of mercy and kindness to all beings and is alertly devoted to the remembrance of Vishnu, he is absolved of all sins whether he is defiled by great sins or by all sins, as he is devoted to Vishnu. 

94b-95a. He who remembers Narayana devoid of beginning and end, the man who remembers the embodiment of the universe and free from ailments, is liberated from crores of sins. 

95b-96a. On being remembered, worshipped, meditated upon or bowed to, Vishnu who is stationed in the hearts of the good, does destroy all sins. 

96b-97. He who worships Hari in virtue of his association or even delusion, becomes liberated from all sins. He goes to Vishnu’s region. All the accumulated heaps of pain and distress perish by remembering Vishnu even once. 

98-101a. O Brahmana, his attainment of heavenly pleasures and the like can be inferred. O leading sage, rarely indeed is human birth obtained. There too, the devotion to Hari is said to be rarer still. Hence, after attaining the rare human birth, as fleeting and transitory as the streak of lightening, one must devoutly worship Hari who liberates the Pashus (individual Souls) from bondage. All the obstacles perish; purity of the mind is generated and salvation is achieved when Janardana is worshipped. 

101b-102a. The eternal Purusharthas (aims of life), viz., virtue, wealth, love and liberation are realized by those who are devoted to Hari's worship. There is no doubt about this. 

102b-103a. O ye men! Do not be arrogant after attaining the human existence consisting of fickle entities namely, sons, wives, houses, fields, wealth and grain. 

103b-104. Eschew your lust and fury, greed and delusion, inebriety and slandering and censure. Cherish the pious feelings towards Hari. Leave off all your activities and worship Janardana. 

105-106. The trees in the city of Krutånta (god of Death) are seen close at hand. As long as death does not overtake one, so long as old age has not come, even before the sense organs become incapacitated, one should worship Hari. No sane man should put any faith in the body that is of a perishing nature. 

107. Death is ever near; riches are too unsteady and fickle and the death of the body is imminent. Hence, leave off pride and arrogance. 

108. All unions end in separation; everything is transitory and transient. Knowing this, O blessed one, worship Janardana. 

109-110a. One only increases one's miseries by hopes. Liberation is too rare and inaccessible. Even the great sinner who worships Vishnu with devotion attains the greatest abode on reaching which none is subjected to affliction. 

110b-111a. O excellent one, all holy centres, all sacrifices (Yajnas), and the Vedas with their ancillary subjects are not worth even a sixteenth part of the worship of Narayana. 

111b-112. If people are devoid of devotion to Vishnu, of what use are the Vedas, scriptures, sacrifices and pilgrimages to holy centres. Of what avail are austerities and holy rites? 

113. Those men who worship Vishnu of infinite forms, comprehensible through Vedantas, attain the region of Achyuta. Those who see the excellent deity as pervasive as the firmament, who is the plysician that cures the illness of worldly existence, attain the region of Achyuta. 

114. On remembering the primordial Atman who possesses infinite power, who is the support of Universe, who is worthy of being worshipped by Devas, whose form is brilliant and who is called Achyuta, a man attains to his true friend.