Guilt occupies a central place in Western moral psychology and is deeply embedded in Christian th... more Guilt occupies a central place in Western moral psychology and is deeply embedded in Christian theological frameworks through doctrines of sin, culpability, and redemption. In contrast, classical Indian spiritual traditions articulated in Sanskrit literature lack an exact conceptual or linguistic equivalent of guilt understood as an identity-based moral emotion. This paper examines the philosophical meaning of guilt, traces its emergence and consolidation within Christian theology, and contrasts it with the ethical, psychological, and ontological frameworks of Sanskrit traditions such as Vedānta, Yoga, Sāṃkhya, and Dharmaśāstra. Through analysis of key concepts including sin, original sin, divine judgment, karma, avidyā (ignorance), pāpa, prāyaścitta (rectification), and the ontology of the Self, this study argues that the absence of guilt in Sanskrit spirituality is neither accidental nor deficient but reflects a coherent metaphysical and psychological model of moral error and transformation. The paper concludes by discussing implications for contemporary spiritual practice and moral psychology.
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