Shloka 36

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

सवनिव तु राजर्षि: सम्पूज्याथ प्रणम्प च | कुशलप्रश्नमकरोत्‌ सर्वेषां राजसत्तम:,नृपश्रेष्ठ राजर्षि इक्ष्वाकुने उन सबको प्रणाम करके उनकी पूजा की और उन सबका कुशल-समाचार पूछा

Transliteration

sa nṛpo rājaṛṣiḥ sampūjya atha praṇamya ca | kuśalapraśnam akarot sarveṣāṃ rājasattamaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Khi ấy vị vua kia—một bậc vương hiền (rājarsi), đệ nhất trong hàng quân vương—trước hết kính cẩn cúng lễ, đảnh lễ họ theo đúng phép tắc; rồi sau đó mới hỏi thăm an khang của tất cả mọi người—như vậy mà giữ trọn đạo lý vương giả, lấy khiêm cung, tôn kính và lòng quan tâm đến phúc lợi của kẻ khác làm khuôn phép.

Word by Word

• स: he
• स: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनिवृत्तः: not turned back; having not withdrawn
• अनिवृत्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिवृत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राजर्षिः: royal sage
• राजर्षिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्पूज्य: having duly honored/worshipped
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-पूज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• प्रणम्य: having bowed/saluted
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कुशल-प्रश्नम्: inquiry about welfare
• कुशल-प्रश्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशलप्रश्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अकरोत्: made/asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (of them)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• राजसत्तमः: best of kings
• राजसत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• a rājaṛṣi king (identified in the Hindi gloss as Ikṣvāku)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A righteous ruler embodies dharma through respectful conduct: honoring worthy persons, bowing with humility, and actively asking after everyone’s welfare—showing that power should be guided by reverence and care.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates that a royal sage-king approaches an assembly, offers worship and salutations to those present, and then asks about their well-being, following proper royal and ethical protocol.