Penance: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Penance comprises actions required to complete a confession, such as an act of prayer or an act of restoration to the wronged party. Penance is set by the priest who hears the confession.

In eastern religions (Hinduism, etc.), acts of hardship committed on oneself (fasting, lying on rocks heated by the Sun, etc.) in order to attain a higher form of mental awareness or favours from the Gods.