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Those who are guilty of great sins and other misdeeds are freed from sin by right austerities. In the Jain practice, various types of austerities are mentioned for liberation from sin.
The Vedic sages have described many ways to be free from sin, such as homa, japa practice, charity, fasting, pilgrimage, etc.
In Vedic literature, the words *prāyaścitti* and *prāyaścitta* are used. The word *prāyaścitti* is used many times in the Taittiriya Samhita. This word is used there in the sense of atonement for sin. The word *prāyaścitta* is used in the Atharva Veda, Vajasaneyi Samhita, 4 Aitireya Brahmana, Shatapatha Brahmana, Kaushitaki Brahmana. Both the words *prāyaścitti* and *prāyaścitta* are given in the Apastamba Srautasutra and Shankhayana Srautasutra. In the *Prāyaścittaviveka* text, the etymology of *prāyaścitta* is *prāyaḥ-tapa* and *citta-sankalpa*, meaning that *prāyaścitta* is related to the resolve of austerity for the removal of sin. In the *Bāgbhaṭṭo Yājñavalkya Smṛti*, the meaning of *prāyaḥ* is sin and the meaning of *citta* is purification. Hemadri 2, quoting the explanation of an unknown commentator, has written that the meaning of *prāyaḥ* is destruction and the meaning of *cit* is reconciliation. That is, the meaning of *prāyaścitta* is to make up for what has been lost. Therefore, it is a necessary action for the destruction of sin.
Brihaspati 3 and other scholars have classified sin into two types. One is *kāmakṛta*, that is, which is done intentionally. The other is *akāmakṛta*, which happens unintentionally. *Akāmakṛta* sins can be destroyed by *prāyaścitta*. But can *kāmakṛta* sin be destroyed by *prāyaścitta*? There has been a lot of disagreement among scholars on this matter. In the Manusmriti 4 and the Yājñavalkya Smṛti 5, it is clearly stated that *prāyaścitta* or the study of the Vedas destroys sins committed unintentionally. The Yājñavalkya Smṛti 16 states that knowingly