Manava Dharmashastra 5.106

5.106

ye vidvāṃsaste kṣāntyaiva śuddhyanti | te hi dveṣerṣyāmatsarairnopahanyante | tato duṣkṛteṣu pravṛtteṣu nityaśuddhā bhavanti | kṣāntirnāma cittadharmaḥ, sarvatra sāmyam | dānasyāpyakāryakṛcchuddhiruktā "dānena vadhanirṇikam ” ( 11 | 138 ) ityādinā | pracchannapāpānāmapi rahasyādhikāre japa ukta eva | tapaḥ vedavidāṃ vedābhyāsa eva, jñānaṃ ca | yathoktaṃ "brāhmaṇasya tapo jñānaṃ” iti ( 11 | 235 ) | kṛcchrādi tu sarveṣāṃ śuddhiheturna vedavidāmeva |

Learned men become pure by tolerance; by liberality those who have done what should not be done; secret sinners by the repeating of sacred texts; and by austerity those who are well-versed in the Veda.—(106).

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Those who are learned are purified by tolerance; ‘they are never affected by hatred, jealousy or ill-will; hence even when sin is rampant, they remain ever pure. ‘Tolerance’ is the property of the Mind which consists in having the same consideration for all.

Of ‘liberality’ also the efficacy in removing the sin of doing what sought not to be done has been described under 11.139, where it is declared that ‘murder is wiped off by charity’.

In the section dealing with ‘secret sins’ also it has been declared that for the expiation of secret sins, one should repeat the sacred texts.

For persons well-versed in the Veda, ‘austerity’; which, in their case, consists in repeating the Vedic texts and also cultivating knowledge; as it has been declared that—‘for the Brāhmaṇa, learning is the real austerity’ (11.235). As regards the ‘kṛcchra’ and other penances, they are, means of purification for all men, not only for those versed in the Veda.—(106).

(Verse 107 of others.)

This verse is quoted in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 792);—in Smṛtisāroddhāra, (p. 249);—in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda, (Śrāddha, p. 13b);—and in Śuddhikaumudī (p. 360).

Comparative notes by various authors
Viṣṇu (22.90).—(Same as Manu.)

Yājñavalkya (3.32.33).—(See above, under 104.)