Shloka 37
Nārada Instructs Dakṣa’s Sons; Allegory of the World; Dakṣa Curses Nārada
ऋणैस्त्रिभिरमुक्तानाममीमांसितकर्मणाम् । विघात: श्रेयस: पाप लोकयोरुभयो: कृत: ॥ ३७ ॥
ṛṇais tribhir amuktānām amīmāṁsita-karmaṇām vighātaḥ śreyasaḥ pāpa lokayor ubhayoḥ kṛtaḥ
وہ تینوں قرضوں سے آزاد نہ تھے اور انہوں نے اپنے فرائض پر درست غور بھی نہ کیا تھا۔ اے نارَد، اے گناہ آلود عمل کے پیکر! تو نے میرے بیٹوں کی، جو رشیوں، دیوتاؤں اور باپ کے قرض میں بندھے تھے، اس دنیا اور اگلی دنیا دونوں میں بھلائی کی راہ روک دی۔
As soon as a brāhmaṇa takes birth, he assumes three kinds of debts — debts to great saints, debts to the demigods and debts to his father. The son of a brāhmaṇa must undergo celibacy ( brahmacarya ) to clear his debts to the saintly persons, he must perform ritualistic ceremonies to clear his debts to the demigods, and he must beget children to become free from his debts to his father. Prajāpati Dakṣa argued that although the renounced order is recommended for liberation, one cannot attain liberation unless one fulfills his obligations to the demigods, the saints and his father. Since Dakṣa’s sons had not liberated themselves from these three debts, how could Nārada Muni have led them to the renounced order of life? Apparently, Prajāpati Dakṣa did not know the final decision of the śāstras. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.41) :
FAQs
This verse warns that if one remains bound by the three obligations—toward the devas, sages, and forefathers—and does not spiritually evaluate one’s duties, one’s actions can hinder true auspiciousness in both this life and the next.
Nārada instructed Dakṣa’s sons to look beyond ritualistic duty and social obligation and to seek the ultimate welfare (śreyas) through proper spiritual discernment, so they would not be trapped in fruitive cycles that obstruct liberation and bhakti.
Do your responsibilities thoughtfully, but regularly examine their ultimate purpose—aligning work, family duties, and spiritual practices toward devotion and self-realization—so duty becomes purifying rather than merely binding.