Therefore, before one’s next death comes, as long as one’s body is strong enough, one should quickly adopt the process of atonement according to śāstra; otherwise one’s time will be lost, and the reactions of his sins will increase. As an expert physician diagnoses and treats a disease according to its gravity, one should undergo atonement according to the severity of one’s sins.
Srimad Bhagavata Purana
श्रीमद्भागवतमहापुराणम्
मूल श्लोकः
तस्मात्पुरैवाश्विह पापनिष्कृतौ यतेत मृत्योरविपद्यतात्मना । दोषस्य दृष्ट्वा गुरुलाघवं यथा भिषक्चिकित्सेत रुजां निदानवित्
tasmātpuraivāśviha pāpaniṣkṛtau yateta mṛtyoravipadyatātmanā | doṣasya dṛṣṭvā gurulāghavaṃ yathā bhiṣakcikitseta rujāṃ nidānavit
SB 6.1.8