Shloka 92

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

अनेन धर्मप्राप्त्यर्थ शुभा दत्ता पुरानध । धेनुर्विप्राय राजर्षे तप:स्वाध्यायशीलिने,निष्पाप राजर्षे! इसने धर्मकी प्राप्तिके लिये एक तपस्वी और स्वाध्यायशील ब्राह्मणको एक दूध देनेवाली उत्तम गाय दी थी

Transliteration

virūpa uvāca |

anena dharmaprāptyarthaṁ śubhā dattā purā nṛpa |

dhenur viprāya rājarṣe tapaḥsvādhyāyaśīline |

niṣpāpa rājarṣe ||

Translation

اے بےگناہ راجَرشی! پہلے دھرم کی حصولیابی کے لیے اس شخص نے تپسیا اور سوادھیائے میں مشغول ایک برہمن کو ایک مبارک و عمدہ دودھ دینے والی گائے دان میں دی تھی۔

Word by Word

• अनेन: by this (act/means)
• अनेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• धर्म: dharma, merit
• धर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्ति-अर्थम्: for the purpose of attainment
• प्राप्ति-अर्थम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राप्ति + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शुभा: auspicious, excellent
• शुभा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दत्ता: given
• दत्ता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• ननु: indeed, surely (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ननु

• धेनुः: a milch-cow
• धेनुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विप्राय: to a brahmin
• विप्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• राजर्षे: O royal sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तपः-स्वाध्याय-शीलिने: to one devoted to austerity and self-study
• तपः-स्वाध्याय-शीलिने: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + स्वाध्याय + शीलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• निष्पाप: O sinless one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पाप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राजर्षे: O royal sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

विरूप उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Virūpa
• king (nṛpa; addressed as rājarṣi)
• brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• milch-cow (dhenu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is pursued not only through personal restraint but also through ethically directed generosity—supporting a worthy recipient devoted to tapas and svādhyāya. The verse highlights that giving (especially sustaining gifts like a milch-cow) to the learned and disciplined is a recognized means of acquiring merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Virūpa addresses a king (called a royal sage) and recounts a past act: someone gave an excellent milch-cow to a brāhmaṇa known for austerity and Vedic study, explicitly intending the gift as a means to attain dharma/merit.