Question

Our Scriptures say that jeev has to pay off tri rin to attain salvation. Without paying off these debts there is no possibility of mukti from Maya. And without mukti from Maya there is no chance of attaining God realization.

Shri Maharaj Ji propagates the philosophy of exclusively following bhaktiyog. If we follow only bhaktiyog, how will these debts be paid-off? And if these are not paid off then how will be get mukti from Maya?

Answer 

In Sanatan Vedic Dharma Vedas are the final authority on all matters of dharma.

Vedas state that human beings are made of two aspects – a body and a soul. That is why dharma also has two aspects - physical and spiritual. There are two definitions of dharma

धारणात् धर्मः ।
dhāraṇāt dharmaḥ ।

​धारतीति धर्मः ।
dhāratīti dharmaḥ ।

Meaning – “Whatever is worth adopting for leading a happy life, is called dharma”.

People also have two distinct mentalities. Those innocent humans who consider the body as the real “I”. They follow the varnashram dharma.

In the entire brahmand the pinnacle of sensual pleasures are in Brahmlok, the abode of the creator Lord Brahma. All levels of material happiness from the earth to Brahmlok, are attainable by following the varnashram dharma depicted in the Vedas.

There is the other category of awakened humans. They know the jiva to be the real “I”. They adopt para dharma.

Practising para dharma enables human beings to realize God and attain unlimited divine bliss.

Our Hindu scriptures also advise that from the moment of birth every human being is indebted in 3 ways called tri rin (त्रिऋण)

Everyone is expected to repay these debts to lead a peaceful and prosperous life. This repayment is done by having an attitude of gratitude and by physically performing the aforementioned actions towards those who provide for things needed for our sustenance.

​The scriptures say, without repaying these debts, one cannot attain mukti from Maya. The same scriptures also say -

ॠणानि त्रीण्यपाकृत्य मनो मोक्षे निवेश्येत्।
​अनपाकृत्य मोक्षं तु सेवमानः पतत्यधः ॥ 
मनु स्मृति
r̥̄ṇāni trīṇyapākr̥tya mano mokṣe niveśyet।
​anapākr̥tya mokṣaṁ tu sevamānaḥ patatyadhaḥ ॥ 
manu smr̥ti

Any action (karma, jnana, yoga), which is not coupled with true devotion, cannot grant mukti to anyone". The Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapurana is called the 5th Veda. It proclaims -

तपस्विनो दानपरा यशस्विनो मनस्विनो मंत्रविदः सुमङ्लाः ।
क्षेमं न विन्दन्ति बिना यदर्पणं तस्मै सुभद्रश्रवसे नमो नमः ॥ 
भाग 2.4.17
tapasvino dānaparā yaśasvino manasvino maṁtravidaḥ sumaṅlāḥ ।
kṣemaṁ na vindanti binā yadarpaṇaṁ tasmai subhadraśravase namo namaḥ ॥ 
bhāga 2.4.17

 “Any amount of austerity, alms, fame, yoga or power of mantra cannot deliver one from the bondage of Maya. Submitting yourself to God is the only way”. The greatest advocate of jnana in this Kaliyuga is Adi Jagadguru Shankaracharya. He also admitted the same -

मोक्ष साधन सामग्र्यां भक्तिरेव गरीयसी ।
mokṣa sādhana sāmagryāṁ bhaktireva garīyasī ।

"Amongst all the methods that lead to mukti, bhakti is supreme and indispensable."

Can one pay off debt by doing bhakti?

Those who follow path of devotion does not wish to attain swarg lok or even mukti (s)he does not waste any time in paying off any of these debts. Instead a devotee of God pursues the highest goal. The Shrimad Bhagavat says –

देवर्षिभूताप्तनृणां पितृणां न किंकरो नायमृणी च राजन । 
सर्वात्मना यः शरणं शरण्यं गतो मुकुन्दं परिहृत्य कर्त्तम ॥
भा 1.5.41
devarṣibhūtāptanr̥ṇāṁ pitr̥ṇāṁ na kiṁkaro nāyamr̥ṇī ca rājana । 
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundaṁ parihr̥tya karttama ॥
bhā 1.5.41

“Those who surrender exclusively to Shri Krishna, are not expected to perform any actions to repay these debts”. In other words, a real devotee is not a slave of any rule of Varnashram Dharm.

Jiva is more important than the body. Para dharma is for the benefit of the soul. That is why para dharma is superior than apara dharma.  In Gita Shri Krishna stated the condition for following para dharma - 

सर्वधर्मान परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं ब्रज । 
​गीता 18.66
sarvadharmāna parityajya māmekaṁ śaraṇaṁ braja । 
​gītā 18.66

“Discard all other material dharma (as they ultimately result in sufferings). Submit yourself only unto Me (Supreme Lord, the personified form of unlimited divine bliss)”.

One has to completely surrender the self. Surrendering things that belong to you - like property, senses and mind - is not complete surrender. When a devotee surrenders self, he sees nothing except God in all entities. That is exclusive devotion and such devotion enslaves even the Almighty and Supremely independent God. In Bhagavat Bhakt Vatsal Shri Krishna told Rishi Durvasa -

अहं भक्तपराधीनो ह्यस्वतंत्र इव द्विज । 
साधुभिर्ग्रस्त हृदयो भक्तिर्भक्तजनप्रियः ॥
भागवत 9.4.63
ahaṁ bhaktaparādhīno hyasvataṁtra iva dvija । 
sādhubhirgrasta hr̥dayo bhaktirbhaktajanapriyaḥ ॥
bhāgavata 9.4.63

“Although I am absolutely self-willed yet I am completely under the control of those who fully surrender to Me”.

Shri Krishna has further said,”I am so subservient to them that I serve even the devotees of such devotees”.

​So, a devotee needs to apprise himself of this subsection in the divine rules to clear all apprehensions regarding abandonment of all rules of karma, gyan and yoga and become confident in pursuing the path of bhakti. A mind which is ridden with doubts and apprehensions cannot do real bhakti as bhakti means complete surrender of mind.

​Lord Krishna says in Gita - ​

मामेकं शरणं ब्रज ॥
māmekaṁ śaraṇaṁ braja ॥

"Surrender yourself only unto Me".

Mind is the only doer in our being. When the mind is submitted in the service of Shri Krishna, then who will follow the other rules?

People who lead their life according to their own whims and fantasies are usually not open to accepting scriptural knowledge. So, it is really difficult to impart that divine knowledge to such people. Whereas, those who lead a sattvik life, generally revere the scriptures and thus are more accepting of the scriptural knowledge. All the rules of apara dharma are meant to yield the benefits of a sattvik life but do not lead to ultimate bliss.

So following apar dharma is good till you are introduced to para dharma. After knowing the para dharma follow apara dharma if  attaining temporary residence in swarg is your goal and not ultimate bliss.

Further more, bhakti bestows the primary fruit of bhakti and also bestows all achievements attained by apara dharma and all other endeavors. Just like the billionaire does not expend any effort to be a millionaire, a devotee does not need to expend any effort to attain lesser achievements.

Shri Krishna proclaims in Bhagavat,

यत्कर्मभिर्यत्तपसा ज्ञानवैराग्यतश्च यत्। योगेन दानधर्मेण श्रेयोभिरितरैरपि ॥ 
भा 11.20.32
yatkarmabhiryattapasā jñānavairāgyataśca yat। yogena dānadharmeṇa śreyobhiritarairapi ॥ 
bhā 11.20.32

सर्वं मद्भक्तियोगेन मद्भक्तो लभतेऽञ्जसा । स्वर्गापवर्गं मद्धाम कथंचिद् यदि वांछति ॥
भ्. र​. सि
sarvaṁ madbhaktiyogena madbhakto labhate'ñjasā । svargāpavargaṁ maddhāma kathaṁcid yadi vāṁchati ॥
bh. ra​. si

“Whatever is feasible by karma, austerity,  gyan,  vairagya, swarg or mukti  including My divine abode, is made available to My devotees by bhakti, if they so desire”.

​Shri Krishna cleverly added the words 

कथंचिद् यदि वांछति ॥
kathaṁcid yadi vāṁchati ॥

"IF they so desire".

The devotees of The Supreme Lord attain the rewards of following the path of karma, path of gyan and path of yoga, outcomes of all other foreseeable means and anything else that can be there. The bliss of attaining divine-love is so great that the devotee rejects all trivial achievements and remains thoroughly absorbed in the ecstasy of the ocean of the nectar of love. That is why Shri Krishna had put the qualifier “IF they so desire”.

​God has perfect knowledge and is gracious. So, based on His own judgement whatever God showers upon His devotees is far superior than what devotees can desire for themselves. Armed with thorough protection of Almighty God devotees overlook debt repayment along with every other expedient and their outcomes.

LEARN MORE

[1] Materialism and spiritualism: contrary or complementary?
[2] Why Do Pure Bhakti?
[3] Bhakti Gives You The Fruits Of Other Expedients
[4] Bliss of Bhagavan