mjhjmtu

As stated in one of the answer here: There is a variation in the thread count of yajñopavītam. Bachelors wear a single thread, married men wear 2, and married men with children wear 3. Each thread contains 3 strands as well.

The three strands signify three debts:

1. Debt to one's teacher(s).


2. Debt to one's parents and ancestors.


3. Debts to sages and Rishis.

My question is: how to clear off these debts? Is there any other debt not stated here?

Please cite references from some authentic resources.

The 3 debts are actually :

Deva Runa - debt to Devas (who give us rains, food). Fulfilled by doing Yagnas. In modern day, sandhya-vandana and aradhana. Service to Divya Kshetras, Temples, Bhagavatas & Brahmanas.

Rishi Runa - debt to Rishis (who give us mantras, vedas). Fulfilled by brahmacharya (celibacy) and chanting, learning & teaching Vedas, Itihasa, Puranans, Smritis.

Pitru Runa - debt to Piturs (ancestors who gave us birth & life). Fulfilled by marriage and begetting son & raising him according to shastra.

There are also 5 sacrifices that need to be done daily - Panchamaha Yagna:

Deva Yagna - see above

Brahma (Rishi) Yagna - see above

Pitru Yagna - doing Tarpana & Shraddha

Manushya Yagna - athithi satkara - feeding unannounced guests, helping relatives & neighbours, charity to poor.

Bhuta Yagna - avoiding meat (hence killing of animals), feeding stray cats, crows, dogs. donating to SPCA

Yagna (sacrifice) is a way to repay Runa (debt), so these two are sometimes combined. Anyways, it seems we took lot of loans to get human birth :)

There are three types of debts as of Pitris, Devas and Rishis. One can be freed from debt of Pitris by providing a son, from debt of Devas by doing sacrifices and from debt of Rishis by pupil-ship.

It is stated in Satapatha Brahma 1.7.2.

1. Verily, whoever exists, he, in being born, is born as (owing) a debt to the gods, to the Rishis, to the fathers, and to men.




2. For, inasmuch as he is bound to sacrifice, for that reason he is born as (owing) a debt to the gods: hence when he sacrifices to them, when he makes offerings to them, he does this (in discharge of his debt) to them.




3. And further, inasmuch as he is bound to study (the Veda), for that reason he is born as (owing) a debt to the Rishis: hence it is to them that he does this; for one who has studied (the Veda) they call 'the Rishis' treasure-warden.'

Same thing has been said in Yajur Veda, Kanda 6, Prapathaka 1.

A Brahman on birth is born with a threefold debt, of pupilship to the Rsis, of sacrifice to the gods, of offspring to the Pitrs. He is freed from his debt who has a son, is a sacrificer, and who has lived as a pupil: this (debt) he performs (ávadayate) by these cuttings off', and that is why the cuttings-off (avadána) have their name.

The three debts (as already said in the other answers) are: Deva Rina, Rishi Rina and Pitru Rina.

Manu Smriti 4.257. When he has paid, according to the law, his debts
to the great sages, to the manes, and to the gods, let him make over
everything to his son and dwell (in his house), not caring for any
worldly concerns.

The method of clearing these debts is performing Deva, Pitri and Rishi Tarpana/Yajna:

Manu Smriti 3.81. Let him worship, according to the rule, the sages
by the private recitation of the Veda, the gods by burnt oblations,
the manes by funeral offerings (Sraddha), men by (gifts of) food,
and the Bhutas by the Bali offering.