Shloka 14
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
इदं चैवापरं प्राह देवी तत्पियकाम्यया । निरयं नैव याता त्वं यत्र याता द्विजर्षभा:
idaṃ caivāparaṃ prāha devī tatpriyakāmyayā | nirayaṃ naiva yātā tvaṃ yatra yātā dvijarṣabhāḥ ||
ភីෂ្មបាននិយាយថា៖ «ហើយទេវី ដែលប្រាថ្នាធ្វើអ្វីដែលពេញចិត្តគាត់ បានមានព្រះវាចាបន្ថែមថា៖ ‘អ្នកមិនបានទៅនរកឡើយ; តែអ្នកបានទៅដល់ស្ថានភាពដែលព្រាហ្មណ៍ដ៏ប្រសើរបំផុតទទួលបាន’»។
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes moral reassurance about posthumous destiny: one’s end is not necessarily a punitive hell, but can be the blessed state attained by the most righteous and spiritually accomplished (here, ‘the foremost Brahmins’), implying the power of merit and right conduct.
Bhīṣma reports a divine utterance: a goddess, intending to please and console, adds that the addressed person has not fallen into hell; instead, they have reached the exalted realm/state associated with the best of the twice-born.