Shloka 22

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

प्राणत्यागं कुरु मुने गच्छ लोकान्‌ यथेप्सितान्‌ । त्यक्त्वा55त्मन: शरीरं च ततो लोकानवाप्स्यसि

Transliteration

dharma uvāca | prāṇatyāgaṃ kuru mune gaccha lokān yathepsitān | tyaktvā ātmanaḥ śarīraṃ ca tato lokān avāpsyasi, mune ||

Translation

达摩说道：“圣者啊，舍弃你的生命之息，前往你所愿的诸世界。唯有抛下此身之后，你才能到达那些功德之境。”

Word by Word

• प्राणत्यागम्: abandonment of life-breath (giving up life)
• प्राणत्यागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण-त्याग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुरु: do; perform
• कुरु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मुने: O sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• लोकान्: worlds; realms
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• यथा: as; according as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• ईप्सितान्: desired; wished-for
• ईप्सितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईप्सित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned; after giving up
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• लोकान्: worlds; realms
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अवाप्स्यसि: you will attain; you will obtain
• अवाप्स्यसि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप्
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मुने: O sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

धर्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Muni (unnamed sage)
• Lokas (desired realms/worlds)
• Śarīra (the body)
• Prāṇa (life-breath)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma teaches that attainment of higher, meritorious realms is linked to the decisive relinquishing of embodied life: one reaches the desired post-mortem worlds only after casting off the body, emphasizing detachment from the physical form and readiness for the next state of existence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a dialogue where Dharma addresses a sage, Dharma instructs him to perform prāṇatyāga—voluntarily relinquishing the life-breath—so that, after leaving the body, he may proceed to the desired worlds promised by his merit and spiritual standing.