Shloka 19

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

समाप्ते नियमे तस्मिन्नथ विप्रस्थ धीमत: । साक्षात्‌ प्रीतस्तदा धर्मो दर्शयामास तं द्विजम्‌

Transliteration

samāpte niyame tasminn atha viprastha dhīmataḥ | sākṣāt prītastadā dharmo darśayāmāsa taṃ dvijam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“当那位智者婆罗门的誓行圆满之时，法（Dharma）亲自显现，心生欢喜，赐予那位‘再生者’得以亲近觐见。”

Word by Word

• समाप्ते: when (it was) completed
• समाप्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाप्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• नियमे: in the vow/observance
• नियमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अथ: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• विप्रस्य: of the brahmin
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• धीमतः: of the wise
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात्

• प्रीतः: pleased
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• धर्मः: Dharma (the deity)/righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दर्शयामास: showed, caused to see
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Perfect (periphrastic), 3rd, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्विजम्: the twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• Dharma (as deity/personified righteousness)
• the wise Brahmin (dvija/vipra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteousness is not merely discussed but realized: when a person completes disciplined observance with self-restraint, truthfulness, and freedom from anger and fault-finding, Dharma ‘appears’—meaning ethical integrity culminates in clear, direct confirmation of the right path.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the wise brahmin finishes his prescribed niyama (vowed discipline), Dharma, pleased with his conduct, manifests directly and grants him a personal vision/audience.