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Shloka 107

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

यदि तावन्न गृह्वामि ब्राह्मणेनापवर्जितम्‌ । कथं न लिप्येयमहं पापेन महताद्य वै,यदि मैं आज ब्राह्मणकी दी हुई वस्तु ग्रहण न करूँ तो किस प्रकार महान्‌ पापसे निर्लिप्त रह सकूँगा

yadi tāvanna gṛhvāmi brāhmaṇenāpavarjitam | kathaṃ na lipyeyam ahaṃ pāpena mahatā'dya vai ||

ब्राह्मण उवाच—यदि तावन्न गृह्णामि ब्राह्मणेनापवर्जितम्। कथं न लिप्येयमहं पापेन महताद्य वै॥

यदिif
यदि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि
तावत्so long; then; in that case
तावत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत्
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
गृह्णामिI take; I accept
गृह्णामि:
TypeVerb
Rootग्रह्
FormLat, present, 1, singular, Parasmaipada
ब्राह्मणेनby a Brahmin
ब्राह्मणेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण
Formmasculine, instrumental, singular
अपवर्जितम्given; bestowed (lit. handed over)
अपवर्जितम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअपवर्जित
Formneuter, accusative, singular
कथम्how?
कथम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम्
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
लिप्येयम्might I be tainted; might I be smeared
लिप्येयम्:
TypeVerb
Rootलिप्
FormVidhi-lin, optative, Atmanepada (passive sense), 1, singular
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअहम्
Formnominative, singular
पापेनby sin; with sin
पापेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपाप
Formneuter, instrumental, singular
महत्great
महत्:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत्
Formneuter, instrumental, singular
अद्यtoday; now
अद्य:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअद्य
वैindeed; surely
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै

ब्राह्मण उवाच

B
Brāhmaṇa (the speaker)
B
Brāhmaṇa (as giver/authority)

Educational Q&A

The verse frames refusal or acceptance of a Brahmin-sanctioned allotment as a moral issue: when something is properly set aside and given according to dharma, declining it may itself become a cause of grave fault, because one fails to uphold the intended righteous order of giving and receiving.

A Brahmin speaker reasons aloud about a dilemma: he considers that if he does not take what another Brahmin has duly assigned or offered, he fears he will incur great sin rather than remain pure—indicating a context where proper acceptance is treated as a duty, not mere desire.