Narrator:
[Ambient Sounds] (The audio begins with ambient sounds and ritualistic chanting.)
Devotee:
Greetings, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, my son. Blessings. Tell me.
Devotee:
Every person in society is involved in some kind of debt. It could be the debt to parents, the debt to a Guru, or a debt to God. Besides these, there are property-related bank loans and various other debts people are entangled in. I request you to tell me more about the debt to parents, the debt to a Guru, and the debt or offering to God.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, look, there are many types of debts. If parents leave behind a financial debt, it is the responsibility of their children to repay it. According to our scriptures, if someone does not repay a parental debt, they are born with that debt in their next life. This is why children—both sons and daughters—should repay such debts.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Now, there is also the debt of staying in a mother's womb for ten months and ten days. If you stay in someone's house for that long, you have to pay rent. But you are in your mother's womb—there is no question of rent there. Then the mother nurtures you and raises you with her milk. Later, Nature does the rest. It is the duty of children to try and repay the debt to their parents.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
As for the Guru's debt, there is no "debt" in a commercial sense. A Guru grants a mantra to a disciple; it isn't a transaction. We believe that perhaps in a previous life, I was his Guru, and across many births, the Guru remains the same, appearing in different forms and different bodies. This is according to the Gita. So, there isn't a "debt" as such, but there is a concept of grave offenses. According to the scriptures, one of the greatest sins is to violate the Guru's partner.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
But even more than parents, we are indebted to Nature. We were raised by this Earth and this environment. Yet, we do not repay that debt. All we give back to Nature is waste.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Did you know that in the military, there is a practice of touching the Earth upon waking up and saying, "Mother Earth, Mother India, it is my responsibility to protect you"? This is done every morning. Similarly, we light lamps for our children or for our household, but we rarely light a lamp for the Earth. This is quite strange.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I tell the many people who come to me: "Look, give something back to the Earth." When we perform rituals, we first offer to the Earth. We recite: "Bhurasi Bhumirasyaditirasi Vishwadhaya Vishwasya Bhuvanasya Dhartri Prithivim Dringha Prithivim Ma Hingsih." We offer clarified butter (ghee). Some people even offer a bit of their tea or food to the ground before consuming it. That is the rule. Whatever I am eating is a gift from the Earth. The Earth has nurtured me.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
A mother lets go after a certain time, and then Nature controls you. Parents raise you and then let you go. Once you have knowledge, they no longer look after you in the same way. This is seen most clearly among animals and birds. It is also seen in Western countries, where parents separate from children once they are grown.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Debt is a heavy thing. Just as parental debts should be repaid, the debt to the Earth—the environment and the deities that nurtured us—must be acknowledged. We are carrying a debt that we never truly repay.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to say: "Magur machcher jhol, juboti meyer kol, bolo hori bol." (Catfish soup, a young woman's lap, chant the name of Hari).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
By "catfish soup," he meant tears. Shed tears of devotion. And this Mother Earth is the "young woman"—she never grows old. Rest in her lap and call out to the Lord (Hari). Roll on this earth and pray. This is what Chaitanya Dev taught.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Repaying the Earth's debt simply means acknowledging it—admitting that I am existing because of this Earth. Without soil, we couldn't walk. Without water, we couldn't bathe. Without trees, we wouldn't have fruit. They helped us grow. That is why we say, become free from debt.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
In a forest near the Narmada River, there is a Shiva temple. Those who are heavily in debt go there to pray for release. It is called the "Rinamukteshwar Mahadev" temple. I have been there. It is said that if you offer large black grams (urad dal) to the Lord there, you can become free from debt. This is a living tradition.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
But a mother's and father's debt can never truly be repaid. If anyone claims they have repaid it, they are being arrogant. If a father leaves a financial debt, a son's job is to pay it off. The debt to Nature cannot be repaid, but we can daily ask for forgiveness from the Earth, the trees, water, fire, and air that help us.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is a story from Benaras (Varanasi). A young man once told his mother, "Mother, I will repay my debt to you. I will not remain indebted for you giving me birth and raising me." The mother smiled and said, "Fine, if that's what you want."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The son said, "I will build a temple for you in Benaras." He chose a spot at Manikarnika Ghat. He worked very hard and spent a lot of money to build a temple for Lord Shiva right by the Ganges. When it was finished and the rituals were done, he felt very proud. He went back to his mother and said, "Mother, I have repaid my debt to you."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
His mother said, "Is that so? Go and look at the temple again."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The boy thought she was joking, but she insisted. He went back to Benaras, to Manikarnika Ghat, and saw that the temple was leaning. It is known as the "Leaning Temple." You can still see it today.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
When he told his mother, she said, "Look, the debt to parents can never be repaid. Your ego led you to think you could."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Repaying parental debt is impossible. And look at the state of society today. Those who gave birth are being thrown out of their homes, left at stations, or neglected. I know of a case where a son kept his elderly mother chained because she would ask for food.
Devotee:
Gurudev, I have a question about this. In today's society, many children live abroad for work or studies. They leave their elderly parents in old-age homes. Is this how they are "repaying" their debt? What do you say about this?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Look, people do need money, and many parents want their children to earn well and live abroad. But when old age comes, it becomes a problem. The son might send money, but who will do the shopping? Who will cook? I have seen sons who hire help and try to look after their parents.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
But I have also seen people who come from America and say, "We have started an organization to provide home treatment for the elderly parents left behind here by NRIs." They provide medical care at home so the parents don't have to go to the hospital.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
However, the real tragedy is those who stay in the same house and still can't stand their parents. They treat them as a burden. One man came to me and said his mother was ill and he wanted to perform "Chandrayaan" (a rite often associated with the end of life). I scolded him severely. I said, "When you were a baby and soiled yourself while your mother was eating, she didn't ' Chandrayaan' you! Get out of here and don't let me hear such talk again."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It is a matter of fortune to be able to serve your parents. But today, daughters-in-law often don't want to look after their in-laws. They forget that they too will have children, and the law of karma applies. What they do to their mothers-in-law, their children will do to them.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I know an elderly gentleman whose son and daughter-in-law wouldn't let him near his grandson. That grandfather would stand on the street every morning just to catch a glimpse of his grandson going to school. He wasn't allowed to speak to him. It is heartbreaking.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I face these stories every day. I feel helpless hearing them. It makes me lose the desire to help anyone. People who don't look after their parents are poisonous; they poison the Earth.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
A mother's body might be under the earth, but from there she still asks, "Where is my child?" People today don't have the patience to handle their parents. As sins increase, people will suffer more. Look at the current pandemic—it is the result of human sin.
Devotee:
Gurudev, we have heard in detail from you about the debt to mothers, fathers, Gurus, and most importantly, the constant debt we owe to Nature. We are truly grateful. Salutations, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Blessings.
Narrator:
[Closing Sounds] (The audio ends with closing ritualistic sounds and chanting.)
Spiritual Insight
Guru Shyama Khyapa illuminates the profound concept of debt (ṛṇa) that binds every human being. He identifies three fundamental debts: to parents who gave us life and nourishment, to the Guru who imparts the liberating mantra, and to Nature (the Earth and environment) which sustains our existence. While financial debts can be repaid, the debt to parents is described as impossible to fully repay—a truth illustrated by the powerful story of a son who built a temple for his mother only to find it leaning, symbolizing the eternal nature of parental gratitude. The Guru emphasizes that even the debt to Nature cannot be repaid, but can only be acknowledged through daily acts of gratitude and offerings. In today's society, where elderly parents are often neglected or abandoned, this teaching serves as a stark reminder of our sacred duties and the karmic consequences of ignoring them.