Shloka 8

Adhyāya 199: Karma–Jñāna Causality and the Nirguṇa Brahman

Manu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

तस्यानुकम्पया देवी प्रीता समभवत्‌ तदा । वेदमाता ततस्तस्य तज्जप्यं समपूजयत्‌

Transliteration

tasyānukampayā devī prītā samabhavat tadā | vedamātā tatastasyā tajjapyaṃ samapūjayat |

Translation

毗湿摩说：“女神因怜悯之心，于彼时更为欢喜。随后，作为‘吠陀之母’而受敬奉的萨维特丽，在心中默然礼赞并认可那人依规而行的持诵（japa）。”

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अनुकम्पया: by compassion
• अनुकम्पया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुकम्पा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रीता: pleased
• प्रीता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• समभवत्: became
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• वेदमाता: the Mother of the Veda
• वेदमाता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदमातृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: thereupon/then
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जप्यम्: to be muttered/recited (japa-worthy); the japa
• जप्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• समपूजयत्: honoured/praised (fully)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Devī (Savitrī/Vedamātā)
• Veda (as implied by Vedamātā)
• Japa (mantra-recitation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When a person performs prescribed spiritual practice (japa) with discipline and in accordance with dharma, it becomes worthy of honor; such sincerity invites divine compassion and approval.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes how the Goddess—identified as Savitrī, the Mother of the Vedas—becomes pleased out of compassion and honors the man’s rule-following mantra-recitation, approving it as a righteous act.