Shloka 163
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
भविता च विवादोऊत्र तव तेषां च धर्मतः । तब सावित्रीदेवीने मधुर वाणीमें “तथास्तु” कहा। इसके बाद देवीने ब्राह्मणका प्रिय करनेकी इच्छासे यह दूसरा वचन और कहा--:विप्रवर! जहाँ दूसरे श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मण गये हैं
bhavitā ca vivādo 'tra tava teṣāṃ ca dharmataḥ | tataḥ sāvitrīdevī madhuravāṇyā me "tathāstu" ity uvāca | tataḥ paraṃ devī brāhmaṇasya priyaṃ kartum icchantī idaṃ dvitīyaṃ vacanam apy āha— vipravara! yatra anye śreṣṭhā brāhmaṇā gatāḥ, teṣu svargādiṣu nimnaśreṇīṣu lokeṣu tvaṃ na gamiṣyasi | tubhyaṃ svabhāvasiddhaṃ nirdōṣaṃ brahmapadaṃ prāpsyasi | tvayā mayi yātra prārthanā kṛtā sā paripūrṇā bhaviṣyati | ahaṃ tāṃ paripūrayituṃ yatnaṃ kariṣyāmi | tvaṃ niyamapūrvakam ekāgracitto japaṃ kuru | dharmaḥ svayam tava sevāyāṃ upasthāsyati | kālaḥ mṛtyuś ca yamaś ca api tava nikaṭaṃ upagamiṣyanti, teṣāṃ sarvaiḥ saha iha dharmānukūlo vāda-vivādaś ca bhaviṣyati |
ビーシュマは語った。「ここにおいて、ダルマに則り、汝と彼らとの間に論争が起こるであろう。」そのとき女神サーヴィトリーは甘美なる声で私に言った。「タターஸ্তু（然り、そうあれ）。」さらに女神は、その婆羅門の望みを叶えんとして第二の誓いを告げた。「婆羅門の中の最勝者よ。汝は、他の高徳の婆羅門たちが赴いた天界をはじめとする下位の諸世界へは行かぬ。汝は自性の清浄に自然に安立する、瑕疵なく汚れなきブラフマンの位（ブラフマン・パダ）を得るであろう。ここで汝が我に願ったことは成就する。私はそれを完成へと努めよう。戒律を守り、心を一つにして持誦（ジャパ）を行え。ダルマそのものが汝に仕えるため来たる。さらにカーラ（時）、ムリティユ（死）、ヤマも汝の近くに現れ、ここで彼らすべてと、ダルマにかなう論争がなされるであろう。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage elevates disciplined spiritual practice (niyama and one-pointed japa) as a means to the highest goal—faultless brahmapada—surpassing even meritorious heavenly worlds. It also frames ethical truth as something that can withstand scrutiny: dharma itself, along with cosmic forces like Time, Death, and Yama, becomes the arena and standard for a righteous debate.
Bhishma recounts that Savitri grants assent (“tathāstu”) and then offers a further boon to a brahmin: he will not go to lesser celestial realms but will attain the pure Brahman-state. She instructs him to practice japa with disciplined concentration, promising that Dharma—and even Kāla, Mṛtyu, and Yama—will come near, leading to a dharma-aligned disputation.