Real atonement is knowledge, not punishment; character transforms only through understanding Brahman.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, First Chapter, verse number ten.
[leads devotees in chanting] [01:58] kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt kvacic carati tat punaḥ prāyaścittam atho 'pārthaṁ manye kuñjara-śaucavat [SB 6.1.10] So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he said that everyone in this material world knows what is, to some extent at least, or to his capacity, knows, "This is right" or "This is wrong." May not be very advanced in knowledge, but something they know, "This is right; this is wrong." So criminality we have described. Everyone knows "This is not good," but he is punished; again he does that. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, "What is the use of this atonement?" He further explains in this verse that kvacit nivartate abhadrāt. Abhadra means unclean, wrong things.
Bhadra means right thing. Bhadra and abhadra. In India bhadra means gentleman and abhadra means uncivilized man. So sometimes he does like gentleman and sometimes like foolish rascal.
Kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt kvacic carati tat punaḥ. After coming from the prison house, jail, he decides, "No more I shall commit. I shall now become gentleman." But as soon as his friends, criminals, again mix with them, he again commits the same sinful activity. So in this condition, atonement, if he cannot change his character, so what is the use of this atonement?
Prāyaścittam atho 'pārtham. Apārtham means useless. If he cannot change his character, change his mind, then the punishment, or prāyaścittam, is apārtha, useless. How useless?
Manye, "I think it is as useless as kuñjara-śaucavat." Kuñjara means elephant. Elephants taking bath, perhaps you have not seen. In India we had some opportunity. They wash the body very nicely, repeatedly throwing water with the trunk, and as soon as come on the shore of the tank, again take some dust and throws over the body.
We have to study from nature that how is that. This rascal washed so nicely his body, and immediately, coming out of the tank, he throws dust. Śaucye manye kuñjara-śaucavat. Very appropriate. It is that hasti-snāna.