Shloka 78

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

राजोवाच कृतं स्वर्गेण मे कार्य गच्छ स्वर्ग यथागतम्‌ । विप्रो यदीच्छते गन्तुं चीर्ण गृह्नातु मे फलम्‌

Transliteration

rājovāca: kṛtaṃ svargeṇa me kāryaṃ gaccha svarga yathāgatam | vipro yadīcchate gantuṃ cīrṇaṃ gṛhṇātu me phalam ||

Translation

The king said: “I have no need of heaven; my purpose is fulfilled without it. O Heaven, return the way you came. If this brahmin wishes to go to heaven, let him take the merit I have earned.”

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कृतम्: done; enough; finished
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• स्वर्गेण: with heaven; by heaven
• स्वर्गेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• मे: my; for me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular, 1st

• कार्यम्: need; purpose; business
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• गच्छ: go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• स्वर्ग: O heaven
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यथा: as; just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• आगतम्: come; arrived
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: Past active participle (kta/ktavatu usage as adjective), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• विप्रः: the brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• इच्छते: desires; wishes
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• गन्तुम्: to go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Infinitive (tumun)

• चीर्णम्: performed; practiced
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गृह्णातु: let him take; may he accept
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: Imperative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular, 1st

• फलम्: fruit; result (merit)
• फलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

स्वर्ग उवाच

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• svarga (Heaven)
• vipra (brahmin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Heaven is not the highest aim when dharma is grounded in selflessness. The king rejects personal heavenly reward and offers his earned merit to another, illustrating detachment from फल (reward) and compassion as a higher ethical choice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Heaven appears as an offered destination or reward. The king declines it, telling Heaven to depart, and proposes that if the brahmin desires to go, he may take the king’s accumulated merit (puṇya-phala) instead.