Debt in the Matsya Purāṇa

Debt was one of the most widely used methods in the society. After the birth of a person he must overcome various obstacles and hardships and reach his goal by performing Caturāśrama , but in between, three debts are imposed on him by birth. These three debts are Ṛṣirṇa (Sage-debt), Pitṛṛṇa (Patriarchal debt) and Devaṛṇa (God debt). According to the Taitiriya Saṃhitā (TS-6/3/10/5), the person was obliged to repay the debt. That is to say, people were obliged to repay the loan to sages by studying the Vedas , to repay the Pitṛṛṇa by descendants and to repay the Devaṛṇa by sacrifice. These three debts are also mentioned in Matsya Purāṇa. It is said that if a person pays obeisance to his father at the Gangeśvara shrine on the banks of the Narmada, he is freed from three debts.^[1] Somewhere in the Matsya Purāṇa it is said that the gods, Agnihoma , the sages Svādhyāya and the fathers are satisfied with Śrāddha .^[2] In the Matsya Purāṇa , this incident shows the generosity that both Brahma and the children of the famous sage, Urva will kindly free those who are childless from Pitṛṛṇa during the Yūgantara (MP-175/60).