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:,ब्राह्मणने कहा--राजन्‌! आपने जो वस्तु माँगी थी और जिसे देनेकी मैंने प्रतिज्ञा कर ली थी, उसे मैं आपकी धरोहरके रूपमें अपने पास रखता हूँ; अतः शीघ्र उसे ले लें। यदि नहीं लेंगे तो निस्संदेह मैं आपको शाप दे दूँगा

Transliteration

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

Translation

Der Brahmane sagte: „O König, nimm es an. Ich bewahre treuhänderisch auf, worum du gebeten hast und was ich zu geben gelobt habe. Wenn du es nicht annimmst, dann werde ich dich ohne Zweifel verfluchen.“

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.