Shloka 57

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

अथैवं वदतो मे5द्य वचनं न करिष्यसि । महानधर्मो भविता तव राजन्‌ मृषा कृत:,राजन! यदि इस तरह स्पष्ट बात करनेपर भी आप आज मेरे वचनका पालन नहीं करेंगे तो आपको असत्यका महान्‌ पाप लगेगा

Transliteration

athaivaṁ vadato me 'dya vacanaṁ na kariṣyasi | mahān adharmo bhavitā tava rājan mṛṣā-kṛtaḥ ||

Translation

ਹੇ ਰਾਜਨ! ਅੱਜ ਮੈਂ ਇੰਨੀ ਸਾਫ਼ ਗੱਲ ਕਹਿ ਦੇਣ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਵੀ ਜੇ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਮੇਰੀ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਨਾ ਕਰੋ, ਤਾਂ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਉੱਤੇ ਅਧਰਮ ਦਾ ਭਾਰੀ ਦੋਸ਼ ਆਵੇਗਾ—ਮੇਰੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਨੂੰ ਝੂਠਾ ਕਰ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਪਾਪ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਲੱਗੇਗਾ।

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• एवम्: thus/in this manner
• एवम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• वदतः: of (me) speaking/saying
• वदतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• मे: of me/my
• मे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• वचनम्: word/command
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• करिष्यसि: you will do/you will comply
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महान्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अधर्मः: unrighteousness/sin
• अधर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भविता: will be/will become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: periphrastic future agent noun (भवितृ-), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: of you/for you
• तव: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मृषा: falsely/untruly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मृषा

• कृतः: done/made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (a brāhmaṇa speaker)
• राजन् (a king, addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must honor truthful speech and commitments; refusing a just request after hearing it clearly turns the speaker’s words into “falsehood” and becomes a serious adharma. The verse stresses ethical responsibility for making one’s word effective through action.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa addresses a king directly and warns him: if the king does not comply with the brāhmaṇa’s stated instruction/request even after clear explanation, the king will incur a great moral fault—specifically the blame of rendering the brāhmaṇa’s words futile or false.