Verse 6.35

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

ऋणानि त्रीण्यपाकृत्य मनो मोक्षे निवेशयेत् ।
अनपाकृत्य मोक्षं तु सेवमानो व्रजत्यधः ॥ ३५ ॥

ṛṇāni trīṇyapākṛtya mano mokṣe niveśayet |
anapākṛtya mokṣaṃ tu sevamāno vrajatyadhaḥ || 35 ||

One shall turn his mind towards Liberation only after having paid off the three debts; without having paid them, if he seeks for Liberation, he sinks downwards.—(35)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Paying off’— Clearing off the debt.

‘One shall turn his mind towards Liberation’.—The term ‘liberation’ here indicates the stage of Renunciation; it is this stage that is spoken of as the principal path which leads to Liberation only; not so the other stages (which lead to other results also); hence ‘liberation’ means the Stage of Renunciation.—(35).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 3.57), to the effect that until one has begotten offsprings he is not entitled to the life of Renunciation;—in Vidhānapārijāta (II, p. 373);—in Hemādri (Kāla, p. 808), which says that ‘mokṣa’ here stands for jñāna, knowledge, as is clear from the use of the term ‘sevamānaḥ’—and in Yatidharmasaṅgraha (p. 3) along with the next verse (see below).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Smṛtyantara (Aparārka, p. 966).—‘Having paid off the three debts, being freed from all motions of I and mine, the Brāhmaṇa, the Kṣatriya and the Vaiśya may go forth from the house.’