Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
विरूप उवाच धारयामि नरव्याप्र विकृतस्येह गो: फलम् । ददतश्न न गृह्नाति विकृतो मे महीपते
virūpa uvāca | dhārayāmi naravyāghra vikṛtasyeha goḥ phalam | dadataś ca na gṛhṇāti vikṛto me mahīpate ||
វិរូបៈបានទូលថា៖ «ឱ បុរសសីហា! ខ្ញុំបានរក្សាទុកនៅទីនេះ ជាបំណុល នូវផល (បុណ្យ) នៃការបរិច្ចាគគោមួយ ដែលជារបស់វិក្រឹត។ ឱ ព្រះអម្ចាស់ផែនដី! ថ្ងៃនេះខ្ញុំកំពុងសងបំណុលនោះ; ប៉ុន្តែវិក្រឹតមិនព្រមទទួលពីខ្ញុំទេ»។
विरूप उवाच
The verse highlights dharma around obligation and moral accounting: one should repay what one holds as another’s due (even intangible ‘phala’/merit), and acceptance/refusal itself can carry ethical significance in disputes about rightful ownership of merit.
Virūpa tells the king that he has been holding the ‘fruit’ (merit) of Vikṛta’s cow-gift as a kind of debt. Now he is offering to return it, but Vikṛta refuses to accept the repayment, indicating a moral or legal complication being brought before royal judgment.