Shloka 84

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच ततो विकृतवेषौ द्वौ पुरुषा समुपस्थितौ | गृहीत्वान्योन्यमावेष्ट्य कुचैलाबूचतुर्वच:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | tato vikṛtaveṣau dvau puruṣā samupasthitau | gṛhītvānyonyam āveṣṭya kucailābūcatuḥ vacaḥ ||

Translation

ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ແລ້ວແຕ່ນັ້ນ, ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ, ຊາຍສອງຄົນຜູ້ແຕ່ງກາຍປະຫຼາດນ່າສະພຶງກົວ ກໍປາກົດຕົວຢູ່ທີ່ນັ້ນ. ພວກເຂົາຈັບກັນໄວ້ ແລະກອດຮັດກັນແນ່ນຫນາດ້ວຍແຂນ, ນຸ່ງຜ້າສົກປົ່ນເປື້ອນ. ຄູ່ນັ້ນເວົ້າຊ້ຳໆດັ່ງນີ້—ເປັນພາບທີ່ຊີ້ນຳເຖິງຄວາມວຸ້ນວາຍທາງສິນທຳ ແລະຜົນຕາມມາຂອງຄວາມເສື່ອມຊາມໃນຄວາມປະພຶດ.

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• विकृत-वेषौ: of altered/strange appearance (disguise)
• विकृत-वेषौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत-वेष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• पुरुषौ: men, persons
• पुरुषौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• समुपस्थितौ: having approached; present/arrived
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-स्था
• Form: Past active participle (kta/ktavatu-type usage as adjective), Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• गृहीत्वा: having seized/held
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā)

• अन्योन्यम्: each other
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: अन्योन्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular, adverbial accusative: 'each other'

• आवेष्ट्य: having wrapped/encircled
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-वेṣ्ट्
• Form: Absolutive (ya/lyap)

• कुचैलौ: wearing dirty rags; in soiled garments
• कुचैलौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुचैल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• अब्रूताम्: they said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Dual, Parasmaipada

• चतुर्वचः: fourfold speech / (these) words (as a set)
• चतुर्वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, object of 'abruutām' in the sense 'these words'

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (भीष्म)
• King (राजन्—Yudhishthira implied by context)
• Two men (dvau puruṣau)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up an instructive episode: the sudden appearance of two grotesquely dressed, mutually entangled figures signals moral degradation and prepares the listener for a lesson on the fruits of conduct (karma) and the need for dharmic self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates that two men arrive on the scene, dressed in filthy clothes and holding each other tightly, repeatedly speaking certain words—an ominous tableau that introduces the next part of the story and its ethical explanation.