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A person's sin is reduced when they confess it. Confession of one's transgression is the first step towards atonement. This is called *Aalocna* in Jain tradition. The *Gautama Dharma Sutra* and *Manusmriti* state that a student in the *Brahmacharya Ashram* who commits the sin of sexual intercourse should declare their fault while begging for alms in seven houses.
It is not as bad to commit a sin as it is to not recognize it as a sin. *Manusmriti*, *Vishnu Dharmaottar*, and *Brahma Purana* clearly state that the more a person's mind abhors their wrongdoing, the more their body is freed from sin. If a person does not repent after committing a sin, they cannot be freed from it. They should resolve in their mind that they will not repeat the act. The *Prayaschittaviveka Grantha* provides a remedy by Angira: If a person is immersed in remorse after committing sins and repents day and night, they become purified through *Pranayama*. *Prayaschittaprakash* believes that repentance alone is not enough to remove sins, but it makes the sinner eligible for atonement.
*Manusmriti*, *Bodhayana Dharma Sutra*, *Vasishtha Smriti*, and *Abhisankha Smriti* state that if a person performs sixteen *Pranayamas* with *Omkar* daily, they are freed from the sin of abortion after a month. *Vishnu Dharma Sutra* also states that the proper performance of three *Pranayamas* destroys all sins committed during the day or night. The *Chandogya Upanishad* and *Mundaka Upanishad* consider penance to be superior to sacrifice. Gautama has outlined the following durations of penance according to the nature of the sin: one year, six months, three months, two months, one month, twenty-four days, twelve days, six days, three days, and one night. Acharya Manu has declared:
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