Verse. (Glossary for the Vahinis)

Some unseemly Shlokas are recited at the conclusion of traditional ritual worship in Brahmin houses.

Paapoham paapa karmaham

Paapa-atma paapasambhava

Trahi mam pundari kaaksham

Sarva paapa haro Hari

(I am sin itself, I am a committer of sin, I am a sinful soul, I am born out of sin). This is a prayer in which the worshiper attributes sin not only to himself but even to his forebears. You may well imagine how unseemly all this is. Such prayers were devised to induce in the pious a sense of guilt and make them atone for their ‘sins’ by making offerings to the priestly class.

When the Shastra declares that everything has originated from Brahman (the Absolute), when the Upanishads declare that the Lord is the In-dweller in all beings - ishvarah sarva bhutanam,’ how could the ideas of ‘birth in sin’ and ‘I am a sinner’ have any place? By arousing baseless fears in men, such sayings have served to undermine whatever little faith the people had in the Divine. This also accounts for the loss of faith among students today. Consequently, I introduced changes in this Shloka in Prasanthi Nilayam. The priest in our Mandir used to repeat the old Shloka earlier. In the place of Paapoham, the term Praaptoham was substituted. Praaptakarmaham, Praaptasambhavam. The changes meant: ‘I am born as a pure being. My parents were pure persons. My spirit is holy. My actions are sacred.’ The old Shloka (verse) was changed in this manner. (SSS Vol.25, p.217-218)