<![CDATA[This study examines the Tapta Kṛcchra Vratam, a self-purification ritual prescribed to atone for negative contamination (sin) incurred through physical contact with the corpse of a suicide victim (ulah pati), as described in the Parāśara Dharmaśāstra. It addresses three core issues: the ritual’s philosophical significance and textual foundations, its prescribed procedures, and its distinctions from the suddha karma/prāyaścitta practices of Balinese Hindu communities. Using a descriptive-interpretive qualitative approach grounded in hermeneutic analysis of classical texts and a review of secondary literature on Hindu law, ethics, and ritual, the research draws on the Parāśara Dharmaśāstra, ethnographic documents, and related scholarly sources to interpret the ritual’s normative, philosophical, and ritualistic dimensions. Findings reveal that the Tapta Kṛcchra Vratam unfolds in four successive dietary restrictions over twelve days consuming only warm water, then warm milk, then clarified butter, and finally fasting entirely culminating in the donation of a cow or buffalo to a brāhmaṇa. Each phase symbolizes a stage in spiritual transformation through cosmic elements and rigorous asceticism. Philosophically, the ritual is rooted in notions of human dignity, karma, and the pursuit of spiritual regeneration following a serious transgression. Its divergence from Balinese prāyaścitta lies in a solitary, textually normative paradigm, whereas Balinese practice emphasizes communal‐material offerings (banten), the Tri Hita Karana framework, and contextual flexibility. In conclusion, although these traditions differ in form and theological framework, they share the ultimate goal of restoring purity, upholding dharma, and harmonizing the individual with the cosmos. The Tapta Kṛcchra Vratam remains a relevant Vedic legacy that integrates ascetic discipline, cosmic symbolism, and contemporary ritual ethics.]]>
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