Shloka 4
मनुरुवाच — इन्द्रिय-मनः-ज्ञान-क्रमः
Manu on the hierarchy of senses, mind, and knowledge
जप्यस्य च विधिं कृत्स्नं वक्तुमहसि मेडनघ । जापका इति किज्चैतत् सांख्ययोगक्रियाविधि:
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | japyasya ca vidhiṁ kṛtsnaṁ vaktum arhasi medānagha | jāpaka iti kiṁ caitat sāṅkhyayogakriyāvidhiḥ, anagha! | avamānena kurute na prīyati na hṛṣyati | īdṛśo jāpako yāti nirayaṁ nātra saṁśayaḥ ||
युधिष्ठिर बोले— अनघ! आप मुझे जप की सम्पूर्ण विधि भी बताइए। ‘जपक’ शब्द का ठीक-ठीक अर्थ क्या है? क्या यह सांख्य, ध्यानयोग या क्रियायोग की कोई विधि है? जो अवहेलना से जप करता है, जिसमें न प्रेम होता है न प्रसन्नता—ऐसा जपक निःसंदेह नरक को जाता है।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses that spiritual practice is judged not only by outward performance but by inner disposition: japa done with disrespect and without affectionate reverence is ethically blameworthy and leads to negative karmic results.
Yudhiṣṭhira questions a revered, ‘sinless’ teacher about the complete procedure of japa and the precise meaning of ‘jāpaka,’ asking whether it belongs to Sāṅkhya, Yoga, or ritual discipline; the passage also warns against contemptuous, joyless recitation.