So when Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommended, "My dear King, you are very anxious for these persons suffering in the hell. They have to perform prāyaścitta." So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, after recommending this, could not satisfy Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He was king, kṣatriya. He knew the nature of the citizen. Therefore he said,
- dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpaṁ
- janānn apy ātmano 'hitam
- karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho katham
- (SB 6.1.9)
The Mahārāja Parīkṣit said, "One may know that sinful activity is injurious for him because he actually sees that a criminal is punished by the government and rebuked by people in general, and because he hears from the scriptures and learned scholars that one is thrown into hellish condition in the next life for committing sinful act. Nevertheless, in spite of such knowledge one is forced to commit sins again and again, even after performing acts of atonement. Therefore what is the value of such atonement?"