Shloka 60

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

इहागम्य हि मां राजन्‌ जाप्यं फलमयाचथा: । तन्मे निसृष्टं गृह्लीष्व भव सत्ये स्थिरोडपि च

Transliteration

ihāgamya hi māṃ rājan jāpyaṃ phalam ayācathāḥ | tan me nisṛṣṭaṃ gṛhlīṣva bhava satye sthiro 'pi ca ||

Translation

బ్రాహ్మణుడు అన్నాడు—“రాజా! మీరు ఇక్కడికి వచ్చి నా జపఫలాన్ని అడిగారు. కాబట్టి నేను ఇప్పుడు మీకు అర్పించినదాన్ని మీకు చెందిందిగా స్వీకరించండి; అలాగే సత్యంలో కూడా స్థిరంగా ఉండండి.”

Word by Word

इहhere

आगम्यhaving come

हिindeed/for

माम्me

राजन्O king

जाप्यम्a muttered prayer/recitation (japa) to be done

फलम्fruit/result

अयाचथाःyou requested/asked

तत्that

मेof me / my

निसृष्टम्released/granted/handed over

गृह्लीष्वtake (for yourself)

भवbe

सत्येin truth

स्थिरःsteadfast

अपिalso/even

चand

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (a brāhmaṇa speaker)

र

राजन् (a king, unnamed here)

ज

जाप्य (japa/recitation)

फ

फल (merit/fruit of recitation)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Spiritual merit is treated as a transferable gift when rightly requested, but the higher ethical injunction remains: the king must be unwavering in satya (truth). The verse links religious practice (japa) with moral steadiness (truthfulness) as the foundation of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa addresses a king who has come and asked for the ‘fruit’ of the brāhmaṇa’s recitation. The brāhmaṇa agrees to hand over that merit and simultaneously exhorts the king to remain firm in truth.