Shloka 36

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

सवनिव तु राजर्षि: सम्पूज्याथ प्रणम्प च | कुशलप्रश्नमकरोत्‌ सर्वेषां राजसत्तम:,नृपश्रेष्ठ राजर्षि इक्ष्वाकुने उन सबको प्रणाम करके उनकी पूजा की और उन सबका कुशल-समाचार पूछा

Transliteration

sa nṛpo rājaṛṣiḥ sampūjya atha praṇamya ca | kuśalapraśnam akarot sarveṣāṃ rājasattamaḥ ||

Translation

ତେବେ ସେ ରାଜର୍ଷି, ନୃପଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ରାଜା ପ୍ରଥମେ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ଯଥାବିଧି ପୂଜା କରି, ପ୍ରଣାମ କଲେ; ତାପରେ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କର କୁଶଳ-ମଙ୍ଗଳ ପଚାରିଲେ—ରାଜଧର୍ମର ମର୍ଯ୍ୟାଦା ରକ୍ଷା କରି।

Word by Word

• स: he
• स: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनिवृत्तः: not turned back; having not withdrawn
• अनिवृत्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिवृत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राजर्षिः: royal sage
• राजर्षिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्पूज्य: having duly honored/worshipped
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-पूज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• प्रणम्य: having bowed/saluted
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कुशल-प्रश्नम्: inquiry about welfare
• कुशल-प्रश्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशलप्रश्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अकरोत्: made/asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (of them)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• राजसत्तमः: best of kings
• राजसत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• a rājaṛṣi king (identified in the Hindi gloss as Ikṣvāku)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A righteous ruler embodies dharma through respectful conduct: honoring worthy persons, bowing with humility, and actively asking after everyone’s welfare—showing that power should be guided by reverence and care.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates that a royal sage-king approaches an assembly, offers worship and salutations to those present, and then asks about their well-being, following proper royal and ethical protocol.