Tulasi Vanam
This entry is part 16 of 17 in the series Niti Chalisa

देवतातिथिभृत्येभ्यः पितृभ्यश्चात्मनस्तथा। ऋणवान् जायते मर्थस्तस्मादनृणां ब्रजेत् ।।
(महाभारत शान्तिपर्व २९२.१)

“प्रत्येक मनुष्य देवता, अतिथि भरण पोषणके योग्य कुटुम्बीजन, पितर तथा अपने आपका भी ऋणी होकर जन्म लेता है; अतः उसे उस ऋणसे मुक्त होनेका प्रयत्न करना चाहिए।।”

Essence

Every human is born with a rina (debt) to the devata-s, atithi-s, pitru-s, kutumbijana-s, and to oneself therefore, one should strive to repay this debt.

This verse from the Mahabharata emphasizes the concept of “Rina”/debt that every individual is born with, and the importance of repaying these debts throughout one’s life.

Saṃskr̥ta words in context :

  1. Rina[Riṇa]: Debt
  2. Kutumbijana-s: Family members 
  3. Athithi-s: Guests
  4. Pitru-s: Ancestors
Series Navigation<< Cows as Integral Part of Yajnas

Author

Receive updates on our latest posts
icon