In English
Our sages have laid down guidelines for right action
Next, the debt to the : By selfless investigations and experiments the sages discovered for mankind the paths to be followed for bettering our lives here and attaining mergence. They have laid down the types of right action that will help man to lead a good and worthy life and successfully strive for Self-realisation. These guidelines and codes of conduct have come down to us in the form of (spiritual sciences). The also deal with rituals and forms of worship for propitiating the Divine The sages have taught how man can proceed from the human to the Divine. Such codes have other names elsewhere. But, whatever the name, these are essential for human survival. When man strays from these codes, he is subject to many calamities. Man will have to pay the price now or later for violating these codes. Because the sages of yore have given man these precious guidelines for a righteous and sacred life, we repay the debt by respecting these codes and observing the injunctions laid down by them. Today, instead of honouring and following the , people are dishonouring and violating them and committing many wanton sins in the process. When we follow the path laid down by the sages, we can lead exemplary lives and reach the full height of human potentialities. The third debt we have to pay is to the (debt to the parents). A person desires to have a son and feels that without a son he cannot escape hell. This is not a correct interpretation of the debt to the parents. The ancients desired to have sons who would lead righteous lives and help the parents in discharging the debt to the (debt to the Divine). Many of them performed (sacrifices) to secure such noble sons. They desired not only to acquire merit for themselves by having such sons, but also to ensure that the sacred traditions of the family were maintained and continued untarnished. In the old days, a father did not feel happy when a son was born; he was delighted only when the son earned name and fame by good conduct and righteous living.