Shloka 57
Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman
Manu’s Instruction
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
athaivaṁ vadato me 'dya vacanaṁ na kariṣyasi | mahān adharmo bhavitā tava rājan mṛṣā-kṛtaḥ ||
Disse o brâmane: “Se, mesmo depois de eu te ter falado hoje com tamanha clareza, não cumprires o meu pedido, então, ó Rei, recairá sobre ti uma grave ruptura do dharma — o grande pecado de ter tornado falsas as minhas palavras.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.