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 berkata: seorang manusia terlahir sudah memikul utang—kepada para dewa, kepada tamu, kepada mereka yang bergantung padanya untuk nafkah, kepada para leluhur, dan bahkan kepada dirinya sendiri. Karena itu ia harus berusaha menjadi bebas dari utang-utang itu dengan menunaikan kewajiban kepada masing-masing.
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.