Shloka 39
Kurukṣetra Pilgrimage: Sages Praise Kṛṣṇa; Vasudeva Inquires on Karma; Viṣṇu-yajña Performed
ऋणैस्त्रिभिर्द्विजो जातो देवर्षिपितृणां प्रभो । यज्ञाध्ययनपुत्रैस्तान्यनिस्तीर्य त्यजन् पतेत् ॥ ३९ ॥
ṛṇais tribhir dvijo jāto devarṣi-pitṝṇāṁ prabho yajñādhyayana-putrais tāny anistīrya tyajan patet
Dear Prabhu, a dvija is born with three debts—to the demigods, the sages, and the forefathers. If he leaves his body without repaying them through sacrifice, scriptural study, and begetting children, he falls into a hellish condition.
Concerning the special obligations of a brāhmaṇa, the śruti states, jāyamāno vai brāhmaṇas tribhir ṛṇavāñ jāyate brahmacaryeṇa ṛṣibhyo yajñena devebhyaḥ prajayā pitṛbhyaḥ: “Whenever a brāhmaṇa takes birth, three debts are born along with him. He can pay his debt to the sages by celibacy, his debt to the demigods by sacrifice, and his debt to his forefathers by begetting children.”
FAQs
Bhagavatam 10.84.39 states that a brāhmaṇa is born indebted to the demigods, sages, and forefathers, and should repay them through sacrifice (yajña), Vedic study (adhyayana), and worthy offspring (putra).
In the Kurukṣetra context, Śukadeva explains principles of dharma and social-religious responsibility, emphasizing that renouncing duties prematurely—without fulfilling foundational obligations—leads to spiritual and moral decline.
Honor gratitude and responsibility: worship and service (deva-ṛṇa), learning and sharing sacred knowledge (ṛṣi-ṛṇa), and caring for family/lineage and elders while raising responsible children or serving society as one’s legacy (pitṛ-ṛṇa).