If I stole something and I say, ‘yes I have stolen, give me whatever punishment you want to give me.’ I am ready to take the punishment. That is what surrendering really means.
I have stolen but don’t punish me does not mean surrendering.
Now, when you are ready to accept the punishment, then the giver of punishment says, ‘no, I won’t punish you’, and he relieves you of the action.
An action has already happened through you and there is a result. So as an antidote to that you do some good action, this is called Prayaschitta. Suppose I said some bad words that hurt someone, then I do prayaschitta.
That the Guru can give or the person who was affected can give, or with your own intuition you can decide what prayaschitta you will do.
‘I will bring happiness to so many people’ or ‘I will do some good work’