Shloka 22
अन्तर्वन-विद्यारण्योपमा
The Allegory of the Inner Forest of Knowledge
कृशाशा: सुव्रताशाश्च॒ तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषा: । आत्मन्यात्मानमाविश्य ब्रह्माणं समुपासते
kṛśāśāḥ suvratāśāś ca tapasa dagdhakilbiṣāḥ | ātmany ātmānam āviśya brahmāṇaṃ samupāsate ||
Die, deren weltliche Hoffnungen verdorrt sind, die danach verlangen, edle Gelübde zu wahren, und deren Sünden durch Askese verbrannt wurden—solche Menschen wenden den Geist nach innen, gründen das Selbst im Selbst und verehren das höchste Brahman.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
True worship of Brahman is grounded in ethical purification and inner discipline: when desires and external expectations fade, one embraces noble vows, purifies wrongdoing through tapas, and then turns inward—fixing the mind in the self—to contemplate the Supreme Reality.
A brahmin speaker describes the qualities of genuine spiritual aspirants. Rather than praising ritual or worldly success, he highlights renunciation of hopes, commitment to virtuous vows, purification through austerity, and inward meditation culminating in worship of Brahman.