Shloka 110

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच गृहाण धारये5हं च याचितं संश्रुतं मया । न चेद्‌ ग्रहीष्यसे राजन्‌ शपिष्ये त्वां न संशय:

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca gṛhāṇa dhāraye 'haṃ ca yācitaṃ saṃśrutaṃ mayā | na ced grahīṣyase rājan śapiṣye tvāṃ na saṃśayaḥ ||

Translation

ব্রাহ্মণ বললেন—হে রাজন, গ্রহণ করুন। আপনি যা চেয়েছিলেন এবং যা দিতে আমি প্রতিজ্ঞা করেছিলাম, তা আমি আপনার আমানতরূপে ধরে রেখেছি। আপনি যদি না নেন, তবে নিঃসন্দেহে আমি আপনাকে শাপ দেব।

Word by Word

• {'brāhmaṇaḥ': 'a Brahmin

• a priestly man', 'uvāca': 'said

• spoke', 'gṛhāṇa': 'take

• accept (imperative)', 'dhāraye': 'I hold

• I keep (in custody/for safekeeping)', 'aham': 'I', 'ca': 'and', 'yācitam': 'requested

• asked for', 'saṃśrutam': 'promised

• vowed', 'mayā': 'by me', 'na cet': 'if not

• unless', 'grahīṣyase': 'you will take/accept', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative)', 'śapiṣye': 'I will curse', 'tvām': 'you', 'na saṃśayaḥ': 'no doubt

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa)
• राजन् (Rājan, the King)
• याचित वस्तु (the requested object/boon, unspecified)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A pledged promise (saṃśruta) creates a binding ethical obligation: the giver must uphold it and the recipient should not obstruct its fulfillment. The verse also highlights the moral force attributed to a Brahmin’s speech—blessing or curse—as a safeguard for dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin addresses a king, urging him to accept an item/boon the king had asked for and the Brahmin had already promised. The Brahmin says he is holding it in trust and warns that refusal to accept will provoke a curse, pressing the king to complete the transaction and avoid adharma.