Shloka 108
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
तौ चोवाच स राजर्षि: कृतकार्यों गमिष्यथ: । नेदानीं मामिहासाद्य राजधर्मो भवेन्मृषा
tau covāca sa rājarṣiḥ: kṛtakāryau gamiṣyathaḥ | nedānīṃ mām ihāsādya rājadharmo bhaven mṛṣā ||
Then that royal sage said to the two: “You shall depart only after your matter has been duly settled. Having approached me here now, do not leave without your purpose being fulfilled. I fear that otherwise the king’s duty of justice may become false—indeed, stained.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king must ensure that those who seek justice receive a completed resolution; otherwise rājadharma (royal duty) becomes ‘mṛṣā’—discredited or morally compromised. The verse stresses accountability and the ethical necessity of finishing adjudication once petitioners have approached the ruler.
A royal sage addresses two parties who have come before him with a matter in dispute. He instructs them not to leave immediately, but to remain until their business is properly concluded, expressing concern that failing to complete the process would tarnish the integrity of royal justice.