Shloka 81
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
राजोवाच यदि विप्र विसृष्टं ते जप्पस्थ फलमुत्तमम् | आवयोर्यत् फलं किज्चित् सहितं नौ तदस्त्विह
rājovāca yadi vipra visṛṣṭaṃ te japastha phalam uttamam | āvayor yat phalaṃ kiñcit sahitaṃ nau tad astv iha ||
ৰাজাই ক’লে—হে বিপ্ৰশ্ৰেষ্ঠ! যদি তুমি সঁচাকৈয়ে তোমাৰ জপৰ উত্তম ফল মোক দান কৰিছা, তেন্তে ইয়াত এনেকুৱাই হওক—আমাৰ দুয়োৰে যি কোনো পুণ্যফল হয়, সেয়া একেলগে একত্ৰিত হওক, আৰু আমি দুয়ো সমান অধিকাৰে সেই যৌথ ফল একেলগে ভোগ কৰোঁ।
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical ideal of reciprocity and shared responsibility: spiritual merit (the fruit of japa) is not treated as a private possession alone, but as something that can be consciously shared, creating equality in enjoyment of results and mutual participation in dharmic outcomes.
In a dialogue between a king and a brāhmaṇa, the king responds to the brāhmaṇa’s act of giving away the ‘supreme fruit’ of his japa. The king proposes that henceforth whatever merit either of them gains should be combined, so both may partake together with equal right.