Shloka 44
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
राजोवाच स्वशक््त्याहं ददानीति त्वया पूर्वमुदाह्॒तम् । याचे त्वां दीयतां महां जप्यस्यास्य फलं द्विज,राजाने कहा--्रह्मन! आपने मुझसे पहले कहा है कि “मैं अपनी शक्तिके अनुसार दान दूँगा! तो मैं आपसे यही माँगता हूँ कि आप अपने झपका फल मुझे दे दीजिये
brāhmaṇa uvāca | rājovāca svaśaktyāhaṁ dadānīti tvayā pūrvam udāhṛtam | yāce tvāṁ dīyatāṁ mahāṁ japyasyāsya phalaṁ dvija ||
Der König sprach: „O Brahmane! Du hast zuvor gesagt: ‘Ich gebe nach meiner Kraft.’ Darum bitte ich dich: o Großer, o Zweimalgeborener, gewähre mir die Frucht dieses Japa (heiligen Rezitierens).“
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse probes the ethics of giving: if one claims to give according to capacity, the request tests whether spiritual merit (the fruit of japa) is also something one can ‘give’—raising questions about what is truly transferable and what constitutes genuine generosity.
In a dialogue between a Brahmin and a king, the king recalls the Brahmin’s earlier statement about giving according to ability and then asks the Brahmin to give him the fruit of his japa, effectively challenging the Brahmin’s claim and setting up a discussion on the nature of gifts and spiritual merit.