Shloka 121
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
एवं सोमे तथा वायौ भूम्याकाशशरीरग: । सरागस्तत्र वसति गुणांस्तेषां समाचरन्
evaṃ some tathā vāyau bhūmyākāśaśarīragaḥ | sarāgas tatra vasati guṇāṃs teṣāṃ samācaran ||
Thus, a person who recites the Saṃhitā, when still accompanied by attachment (rāga), attains embodiment suited to the lunar realm, the realm of wind, the earthly realm, and the mid-space (antarikṣa). Dwelling there, he continues to adopt and practice the characteristic qualities of the beings who inhabit those worlds—showing that one’s inner disposition shapes both one’s destination and one’s conduct after reaching it.
विरूप उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even meritorious practice (such as japa/recitation) yields destinations shaped by one’s inner attachment: with rāga still present, one attains various realms and continues to mirror the guṇas (dispositions) prevalent there. The verse stresses that liberation requires purification from attachment, not practice alone.
Virūpa describes the post-mortem trajectory of a practitioner: the reciter, if still passionate/attached, takes on bodies appropriate to the lunar, airy, earthly, and mid-space realms, resides in them, and behaves according to the qualities of their inhabitants—illustrating a cosmological map tied to ethical psychology.