Shloka 3
मनुरुवाच — इन्द्रिय-मनः-ज्ञान-क्रमः
Manu on the hierarchy of senses, mind, and knowledge
जापकानां फलावाप्तिं श्रोतुमिच्छामि भारत । किंफलं जपतामुक्तं क्व वा तिष्ठन्ति जापका:
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | jāpākānāṃ phalāvāptiṃ śrotum icchāmi bhārata | kiṃphalaṃ japatām uktaṃ kva vā tiṣṭhanti jāpakāḥ || bhīṣma uvāca | rājan sāvadhānaḥ śṛṇu jāpākānāṃ gatiṃ prabho | yathoktapūrvaṃ yaḥ pūrvaṃ na anutiṣṭhati jāpakaḥ | ekadeśakriyaś cātra nirayaṃ sa ca gacchati ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dijo: «Oh Bhārata, deseo oír cómo quienes practican el japa alcanzan sus frutos. ¿Qué fruto se declara para los que repiten la fórmula sagrada, y en qué mundos moran los practicantes del japa?» Bhīṣma respondió: «Oh rey, escucha con atención mientras describo el destino de los practicantes del japa. Aquel que es llamado jāpaka pero no sigue la disciplina tal como fue prescrita antes—cumpliendo aquí sólo una observancia parcial—va al infierno.»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Japa is not merely mechanical repetition; it must be performed in accordance with the prescribed discipline. Claiming the status of a jāpaka while observing only a fragment of the rules leads to negative karmic consequences, described here as falling into niraya.
Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma about the fruits and destinations of those who practice japa. Bhīṣma begins his reply by warning that a practitioner who does not follow the earlier-stated rules fully, and performs only partial observances, meets an unfortunate post-mortem fate.