Shloka 81
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
राजोवाच यदि विप्र विसृष्टं ते जप्पस्थ फलमुत्तमम् | आवयोर्यत् फलं किज्चित् सहितं नौ तदस्त्विह
rājovāca yadi vipra visṛṣṭaṃ te japastha phalam uttamam | āvayor yat phalaṃ kiñcit sahitaṃ nau tad astv iha ||
The king said: “O brāhmaṇa, if you have indeed bestowed upon me the supreme fruit of your japa, then let it be so here: whatever merit accrues to either of us, let it be pooled together, and let us both partake of it jointly—having an equal claim upon that shared result.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical ideal of reciprocity and shared responsibility: spiritual merit (the fruit of japa) is not treated as a private possession alone, but as something that can be consciously shared, creating equality in enjoyment of results and mutual participation in dharmic outcomes.
In a dialogue between a king and a brāhmaṇa, the king responds to the brāhmaṇa’s act of giving away the ‘supreme fruit’ of his japa. The king proposes that henceforth whatever merit either of them gains should be combined, so both may partake together with equal right.