Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
ब्राह्मणो5पि जपन्नास्ते दिव्यं वर्षशतं तथा । भीष्मजी कहते हैं--राजन्! ऐसा कहकर भगवती सावित्री देवी अपने धामको चली गयीं और ब्राह्मण भी दिव्य सौ वर्षोतक पूर्ववत् जपमें संलग्न रहा
brāhmaṇo 'pi japann āste divyaṁ varṣaśataṁ tathā |
Bhīṣma dijo: «Oh rey, tras decir esto, la venerable diosa Sāvitrī partió a su morada; y el brāhmaṇa permaneció sentado, entregado al japa como antes, durante cien años divinos».
भीष्म उवाच
The verse teaches steadfastness in spiritual discipline: japa and tapas bear fruit through sustained, unwavering practice over long periods, reflecting self-control and commitment to dharma.
Bhīṣma narrates that the brāhmaṇa continues his mantra-recitation without interruption, remaining absorbed in japa for a ‘divine’ span of one hundred years, emphasizing continuity after a significant divine encounter in the surrounding story.