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 ||
ພຣາຫມັນກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ກະສັດ, ພຣະອົງອວດອ້າງວ່າ ວາຈາຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຂໍແຕ່ສົງຄາມຢູ່ເທົ່ານັ້ນ. ຖ້າເປັນເຊັ່ນນັ້ນ ເປັນຫຍັງພຣະອົງຈຶ່ງບໍ່ຂໍສົງຄາມກັບຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ? ເພາະເຫດໃດພຣະອົງຈຶ່ງຂໍອີກ (ແຕ່ກັບຫຼີກລ້ຽງການຮົບກັບຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ)?»
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?