Shloka 54

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच नाददे5परवक्तव्यं दत्त चास्य फलं मया । वाक्यं प्रमाणं राजर्षे ममाद्य तव चैव हि

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | nādade ’paravaktavyaṃ dattaṃ cāsya phalaṃ mayā | vākyaṃ pramāṇaṃ rājarṣe mamādya tava caiva hi ||

Translation

婆罗门说道：“王仙（rājarṣi）啊，我不再接受任何反驳之辞；在此事上，我已将我苦行/诵持之果授予你。王仙，今日此处的裁断之权，唯在你我之言——我的话与你的话；故各自当坚守所言。”

Word by Word

• {'brāhmaṇa uvāca': 'the Brahmin said', 'na ādade': 'I do not accept

• I will not take up', 'apara-vaktavyam': 'any further statement

• something else to be said', 'dattam': 'given

• bestowed', 'asya': 'of this (matter)', 'phalam': 'fruit

• result (especially of tapas/japa)', 'mayā': 'by me', 'vākyaṃ': 'word

• promise', 'pramāṇam': 'authoritative proof

• decisive standard', 'rājarṣe': 'O royal sage (kingly seer)', 'mamādya': 'mine today / as for me today', 'tava ca eva': 'and yours indeed', 'hi': 'indeed

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (the Brahmin speaker)
• Rājarṣi (the royal sage addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That one’s spoken word and pledged commitment carry moral authority: after giving the fruit of his austerity, the Brahmin refuses further debate and insists that both parties must stand by their statements as the binding standard.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin addresses a royal sage, declaring that he has already granted the result of his japa/tapas regarding the issue at hand, and therefore will not entertain additional arguments; the matter is to be settled by the authority of their respective words.