Shloka 19
कृपकृपी-जननम्
The Birth of Kṛpa and Kṛpī; Kṛpa’s Attainment of Astras
न तस्य लोका: सन्तीति धर्मविद्धि: प्रतिष्ठितम् । यज्ैस्तु देवान् प्रीणाति स्वाध्यायतपसा मुनीन्
na tasya lokāḥ santīti dharmaviddhiḥ pratiṣṭhitam | yajñais tu devān prīṇāti svādhyāya-tapasā munīn |
The wise, knowing dharma, have established this rule: for one who neglects these obligations, the blessed worlds are not attainable. By sacrifices a person pleases the gods, and by self-study and austerity he gratifies the sages—thus one should duly discharge the debts that bind human life to the cosmic and social order.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human life is bound by dharmic obligations (ṛṇa). If one ignores these duties, higher/meritorious realms are not attained. The verse highlights two key means of repayment: yajña to satisfy the gods and svādhyāya plus tapas to honor and satisfy the sages, affirming a normative ethical order established by dharma-knowers.
Vaiśaṃpāyana states a dharma principle while discussing the traditional doctrine of debts/obligations. He explains that neglecting these obligations blocks access to auspicious worlds, and he specifies how certain debts are discharged—through sacrifice for the gods and through study and austerity for the sages.