Shloka 9

Vasiṣṭha on Saṃsāra, Guṇas, and Misattributed Agency

Mahābhārata 12.292

Devanagari script

देवतातिथि भृत्येभ्य: पितृभ्यश्चात्मनस्तथा । ऋणवान्‌ जायते मर्त्यस्तस्मादनृणतां व्रजेत्‌

Transliteration

devatātithi-bhṛtyebhyaḥ pitṛbhyaś cātmanaḥ tathā | ṛṇavān jāyate martyas tasmād anṛṇatāṁ vrajet ||

Translation

ປາຣາຊະຣະກ່າວວ່າ: ມະນຸດເກີດມາກໍເປັນຜູ້ມີໜີ້ຕັ້ງແຕ່ແລ້ວ—ຕໍ່ເທວະດາ, ຕໍ່ແຂກ, ຕໍ່ຜູ້ທີ່ພຶ່ງພາອາໄສໃຫ້ຕົນອຸປະຖຳ, ຕໍ່ບັນພະບຸລຸດ, ແລະແມ່ນແຕ່ຕໍ່ຕົນເອງ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຄວນພາກພຽນໃຫ້ພົ້ນຈາກໜີ້ເຫຼົ່ານີ້ ໂດຍປະຕິບັດໜ້າທີ່ທີ່ຄວນຊົດໃຫ້ແຕ່ລະຝ່າຍ.

Word by Word

• देवता: the deity (as a creditor)
• देवता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अतिथि: the guest (as a creditor)
• अतिथि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भृत्येभ्यः: to dependents/servants
• भृत्येभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, बहुवचन

• पितृभ्यः: to the ancestors/fathers
• पितृभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• आत्मनः: of oneself / to oneself (as one’s own obligation)
• आत्मनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• ऋणवान्: indebted
• ऋणवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जायते: is born / comes to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)

• अनृणताम्: freedom from debt / debtlessness
• अनृणताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृणता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: should go/attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• devatāḥ (gods)
• atithi (guest)
• bhṛtyāḥ (dependents)
• pitaraḥ (ancestors)
• ātman (self)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.