Shloka 9
Vasiṣṭha on Saṃsāra, Guṇas, and Misattributed Agency
Mahābhārata 12.292
देवतातिथि भृत्येभ्य: पितृभ्यश्चात्मनस्तथा । ऋणवान् जायते मर्त्यस्तस्मादनृणतां व्रजेत्
devatātithi-bhṛtyebhyaḥ pitṛbhyaś cātmanaḥ tathā | ṛṇavān jāyate martyas tasmād anṛṇatāṁ vrajet ||
Parāśara said: A mortal is born already indebted—to the gods, to guests, to those who depend on him for support, to the ancestors, and even to his own self. Therefore, one should strive to become free from these debts by fulfilling the duties owed to each.
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human life begins with obligations: to the gods (through worship and right conduct), to guests (hospitality), to dependents (support and protection), to ancestors (continuing lineage and rites), and to oneself (self-care, discipline, and inner cultivation). Dharma is framed as consciously repaying these debts and aiming for anṛṇatā—freedom from unmet obligations.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Parāśara delivers a didactic statement defining the human condition as inherently indebted. He urges the listener to pursue a life of responsible action—ritual, social, familial, and personal duties—so that one becomes ‘debt-free’ in the ethical sense.