I know that if I attack this infection I'll suffer, still I, ah, become infected, and again I suffer. Again I go to the physician, he gives me medicine, again I'm cured, again. This is going on. Why this is? He has got experience, and still he has experienced, he has seen, he has heard, he has full knowledge that, "This kind of sinful activity will be fruitful in this way, and I'll have to suffer." Why does he do it? Therefore, he says:
- kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt
- kvacic carati tat punaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho 'pārtham
- manye kuñjara-śaucavat
- (SB 6.1.10)
"My dear Śukadeva Goswāmī . . ." If a man knows it, by knowing he may refrain for some time from sinful activities, but again he does it. Again he does it. He's forced. He's forced: "Let me do it. All right, I shall suffer. Doesn't matter." But again he suffers, and when he suffers he says: "Oh, I'll not do it again. I'll not do it again. I'll not . . ." But when he's cured, again he does it. Therefore, Parīkṣit Mahārāja . . . the same, confession, or anything you take, atonement. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja is comparing it, kuñjara-śaucavat. It is just like the elephant's taking bath.
The elephant . . . this is natural, one can see, that elephant takes bath very thoroughly. He washes the body in the water, in the tank, very thoroughly for long time, becomes very cleansed. And as soon as he come on the shore he takes some dust and throws it. (laughter) That is nature, you have seen. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja . . . this is just like cleaning the body of an elephant like. The elephant cleanses the body very nicely, but as soon as comes to the land, he takes dust and throws over it. So what is the use of such atonement if I have to commit again? I do it again and again. Again I commit sinful activities, and again I atone. So what is the benefit of this atonement? This is a strong criticism of so-called confession and atonement.