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There is a mantra in the Krishna Yajurveda that says, "I surrender whatever misconduct has occurred from my mind, speech, and body." In this way, the Vedic tradition seeks forgiveness from the Lord for sins committed through the evening ritual. This is similar to the concept of Pratikraman.
In the Parsi religion, there is also a provision for confessing sins. The Khordah Avesta is the main scripture of the Parsi religion. It states, "I repent for the evil thoughts that have arisen in my mind, the use of vulgar language from my speech, and the wrongdoings of my body. I repent for all the wrong deeds I have done. I repent for arrogance, slander of the dead, greed, anger, envy, looking with evil intent, self-indulgence, laziness, whispering, violation of purity, false testimony, theft, adultery, and all sins that I have committed knowingly or unknowingly. I confess these wrongdoings with a pure heart and separate myself from them."
The founder of Christianity, Jesus, considered it necessary to confess sins. Hiding sins makes them grow, while confessing them reduces or destroys them. This method of confessing sins to be free from faults is similar to Pratikraman. Pratikraman is the best way to purify life. Some religions discuss it in detail, while others mention it briefly. But it is true that all religions have considered it necessary.
Kayotsarga also holds a significant place in the Jain practice. Kayotsarga is called Vranachikitsa in the Anuyogadwar Sutra. Constant vigilance is necessary because negligence can lead to faults in practice. Kayotsarga is a kind of balm for healing the wounds caused by these faults. It heals the wounds caused by excesses. If a garment becomes very dirty, it needs to be cleaned. It won't be clean in one wash; it needs to be cleaned repeatedly with soap. Similarly, the garment of restraint also gets stained with the dirt of excesses and the stains of mistakes. These stains are cleansed through Pratikraman. The stains that don't disappear through Pratikraman are removed through Kayotsarga. In Kayotsarga, deep contemplation is undertaken to destroy the fault.
Why is Kayotsarga performed? The Necessary Sutra, while contemplating this question, states that Kayotsarga is performed to refine the life of restraint, to free the soul from Maya, Mithyatva, and Nidana Shalya, and to destroy the effects of sinful karmas.
Kayotsarga consists of two words: Kaya and Utsarga. It means the abandonment of the body. However, it is not possible to abandon the body while alive. Here, the abandonment of the body means the abandonment of physical restlessness and attachment to the body. The practitioner remains isolated from the material objects of the world for some time and immerses themselves in their true self. Kayotsarga is a way of turning inward.