Shloka 99

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

राजोवाच दीयमानं न गृह्नलासि ऋणं कस्मात्‌ त्वमद्य वै | यथैव ते<भ्यनुज्ञातं तथा गृह्लीष्व मा चिरम्‌

Transliteration

rājovāca—dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇāsi ṛṇaṁ kasmāt tvam adya vai | yathaiva te 'bhyanujñātaṁ tathā gṛhlīṣva mā ciram ||

Translation

Le roi dit : « Pourquoi n’acceptes-tu pas aujourd’hui la dette qu’on te rembourse ? De même que tu as jadis consenti à recevoir ce qui t’était donné, reçois aussi ce qu’il te donne maintenant. Ne tarde pas. »

Word by Word

• {'rājā uvāca': 'the king said', 'dīyamānam': 'being given

• being offered (in repayment)', 'na gṛhṇāsi': 'you do not accept/take', 'ṛṇam': 'debt

• loan to be repaid', 'kasmāt': 'why? for what reason?', 'tvam adya vai': 'you, today indeed', 'yathā eva': 'just as

• in the same way as', 'te': 'by you / to you (context-dependent)', 'abhyanujñātam': 'approved

• permitted', 'tathā': 'so

• likewise', 'gṛhlīṣva': 'accept! take! (imperative)', 'mā ciram': 'do not delay

Speaker

विरूप उवाच

Characters & Entities

• rājā (the king)
• virūpa (Virūpa)
• ṛṇa (debt/loan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should act consistently and fairly in matters of obligation: if one accepted a benefit earlier, one should also accept the corresponding repayment when it is duly offered, without needless delay or obstruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

A king addresses a person who is refusing to accept repayment of a debt. He urges him to take what is being returned, reminding him that he previously consented to accept what was given, and therefore should now accept the repayment promptly.