ṛṇais tribhir dvijo jÄto
devará¹£i-pitá¹á¹‡Äá¹ prabho
yajñÄdhyayana-putrais tÄny
anistīrya tyajan patet
ṛṇaiḥ - with debts; tribhiḥ - three; dvi-jaḥ - a member of the twice-born classes; jÄtaḥ - is born; deva - to the demigods; ṛṣi - sages; pitá¹á¹‡Äm - and forefathers; prabho - O master (Vasudeva); yajña - by sacrifice; adhyayana - study of scripture; putraiḥ - and (begetting) children; tÄni - these (debts); anistÄ«rya - not liquidating; tyajan - leaving (his body); patet - he falls down.
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.
Concerning the special obligations of a brÄhmaṇa, the Å›ruti states, jÄyamÄno vai brÄhmaṇas tribhir ṛṇavÄñ jÄyate brahmacaryeṇa ṛṣibhyo yajñena devebhyaḥ prajayÄ pitá¹›bhyaḥ: “Whenever a brÄhmaṇa 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.â€
