Shloka 100
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
विकृत उवाच धारयामीत्यनेनोक्तं ददानीति तथा मया । नायं मे धारयत्यद्य गच्छतां यत्र वाउछति
Vikṛta uvāca: dhārayāmīty anenoktaṃ dadānīti tathā mayā | nāyaṃ me dhārayaty adya gacchatāṃ yatra vā icchati ||
Vikṛta said: “He stated, ‘I am taking it as a debt.’ But I, for my part, gave it saying, ‘I am giving it as a gift.’ Therefore, no debt binds him to me. Let him go now wherever he wishes.”
विकृत उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral obligation depends on intention and the terms of an exchange: if something is given as dāna (a gift), it should not be treated as a binding debt. Clear speech and honest intent prevent exploitation and uphold dharma.
Vikṛta responds to a dispute about whether an item was taken as a loan or received as a gift. He asserts that although the other party called it a debt, he himself gave it explicitly as a gift; therefore he claims no right to demand repayment and releases the person to go freely.