Devanagari
ऋणैस्त्रिभिर्द्विजो जातो देवर्षिपितृणां प्रभो ।
यज्ञाध्ययनपुत्रैस्तान्यनिस्तीर्य त्यजन् पतेत् ॥ ३९ ॥
Verse text
ṛṇais tribhir dvijo jāto
devarṣi-pitṝṇāṁ prabho
yajṣādhyayana-putrais tāny
anistīrya tyajan patet
Synonyms
ṛṇaiḥ
—
with debts
;
tribhiḥ
—
three
;
dvi
—
jaḥ — a member of the twice-born classes
;
jātaḥ
—
is born
;
deva
—
to the demigods
;
ṛṣi
—
sages
;
pitṝṇām
—
and forefathers
;
prabho
—
O master (Vasudeva)
;
yajṣa
—
by sacrifice
;
adhyayana
—
study of scripture
;
putraiḥ
—
and (begetting) children
;
tāni
—
these (debts)
;
anistīrya
—
not liquidating
;
tyajan
—
leaving (his body)
;
patet
—
he falls down .
Translation
Dear Prabhu, a member of the twice-born classes is born with three kinds of debts — those owed to the demigods, to the sages and to his forefathers. If he leaves his body without first liquidating these debts by performing sacrifice, studying the scriptures and begetting children, he will fall down into a hellish condition.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Dear Prabhu, a member of the twice-born classes is born with three kinds of debts—those owed to the demigods, to the sages and to his forefathers. If he leaves his body without first liquidating these debts by performing sacrifice, studying the scriptures and begetting children, he will fall down into a hellish condition.
KB 10.84.39
“Everyone, even if born in a higher status as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya, is certainly indebted to the demigods, to the sages, to the forefathers and to other living entities, and in order to liquidate all these debts, one has to perform sacrifices, study the Vedic literature and generate children in religious householder life. If somehow one accepts the renounced order of life without liquidating these debts, he certainly falls down from his position.
Purport
Concerning the special obligations of a
brāhmaṇa,
the
śruti
states,
jāyamāno vai brāhmaṇas tribhir ṛṇavāṣ jāyate brahmacaryeṇa ṛṣibhyo yajṣena devebhyaḥ prajayā pitṛbhyaḥ:
“Whenever a
brāhmaṇa
takes birth, three debts are born along with him. He can pay his debt to the sages by celibacy, his debt to the demigods by sacrifice, and his debt to his forefathers by begetting children.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The sruti says, "The brahmana is born with debts to these three. By brahmacarya (studying the Vedas) , by sacrifice and by producing children, he is freed from the debts to the rsis, to the devatas and to the pitras." Paying back the debts to them (tani nistirya) one should go to the forest.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
O Lord, capable of relieving us of all debts (prabho)! The incapable person should not be found faulty. One version has pitṛnām. The short ṛ is poetic license. Without liquidating his debts to the devatās (tān or tāni) he encounters great obstracles (patet) in this life and the next. Therefore Manu says vrajati adhaḥ: one should leave the house after this is accomplished. Taking shelter of the Lord is not forbidden at this time. There is no fault in worshipping the Lord even if one has debts.
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ
na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ
gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam
O King! One who has given up all varṇāśrama duties and has taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who offers shelter to all, is not a debtor to or servant of the devatās, great sages, ordinary living beings, relatives or Pitṛs. SB 11.5.41
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
One must absolve debts to the devatās by sacrifice, just as one absolves debts to sages and pitṛs by study and sons respectively. O Lord, capable of relieving us of all debts (prabho)! The incapable person should not be found faulty. One version has pitṛnām. The short ṛ is poetic license. Without liquidating his debts to the devatās (tān or tāni) he encounters great obstracles (patet) in this life and the next or enters into enjoyment of the house again.