Shloka 13
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
तत् तथेति ततो देवी मधुरं प्रत्यभाषत
tat tatheti tato devī madhuraṁ pratyabhāṣata | bhavitā ca vivādo 'tra tava teṣāṁ ca dharmataḥ ||
ત્યારે દેવીએ મધુર વાણીમાં કહ્યું—“તથાસ્તુ.” અને ઉમેર્યું—“ધર્મ અનુસાર અહીં તારો અને તેમનો વાદ-વિવાદ પણ થશે.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even disagreement can be conducted “dharmataḥ”—within the bounds of righteousness. The verse frames debate not as mere conflict but as an ethically governed encounter, where truth-seeking and propriety matter.
Bhīṣma narrates that a goddess responds graciously (“tathā”—‘so be it’) and foretells that a dispute/debate will occur, but it will proceed in a manner consistent with dharma between the addressed person and others.