Niruma: Bhagwan Mahavir had disciple named Goshala , who aims “Tejoleshya” (burning meteor like weapon) at Bhagwan and his two disciples. The disciples died but Bhagwan is unharmed and the weapon boomarangs, and turns back and hits Goshala, whose entire body starts burning. Bhagwan tell him : “Beware, on the seventh day you will die.” Then Goshala repents for his deed and cries out in pain on realising what he had done. “This terrible suffering is due to my own sinful doing.” He gathered all his disciples around him and admitted: “I was wrong and Lord Mahavir was correct.”
“After my death, you all go to Lord Mahavir. Acknowledge him as God! I am a mere scam. After my death, spit on my dead body and feed it to vultures.”
He repents strongly. What does that result in? After his death announced Bhagawan Mahavir said, “Goshala, because of his pratikraman, has achieved devgati*. On the last day he repented extremely, so he set himself free.” Rightly or wrongly, he was attached to Bhagwan, so he would surely attain “Moksha” (Salvation). Don't you agree that there is tremendous power in doing “pratikraman“? (Severe penance and repentance). If done heartily, it can burn away the worst sins!
*gati: Life Forms: Migration of the Self into different states of existence. There are 4 Gatis.
*Devgati = that of celestial beings.