Shloka 45
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
ब्राह्मण उवाच युद्ध मम सदा वाणी याचतीति विकत्थसे । न च युद्ध मया सार्थ किमर्थ याचसे पुन:
brāhmaṇa uvāca | yuddhaṁ mama sadā vāṇī yācatīti vikatthase | na ca yuddhaṁ mayā sārthaṁ kimarthaṁ yācase punaḥ ||
ព្រះព្រាហ្មណ៍បាននិយាយថា៖ «ឱ រាជា! ព្រះអង្គអួតអាងថា វាចារបស់ខ្ញុំតែងតែសុំសង្គ្រាម។ បើដូច្នោះ ហេតុអ្វីព្រះអង្គមិនសុំសង្គ្រាមជាមួយខ្ញុំទេ? ហេតុអ្វីបានជាព្រះអង្គសុំម្ដងទៀត (តែបែរជាជៀសវាងសង្គ្រាមជាមួយខ្ញុំ)?»
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques empty boasting and demands consistency between one’s claims and one’s actions. Ethically, it highlights accountability in speech: declaring someone as warlike or provocative is meaningless unless one is prepared to face the implications of that claim.
A Brahmin addresses a king who has been boasting that the Brahmin’s speech always seeks battle. The Brahmin challenges the king’s inconsistency: if the king truly believes this, why does he not seek combat with the Brahmin himself, and why does he keep making such demands while avoiding that direct test?