Shloka 14
अवसन्मदगहे तात ब्राह्मणो हरिपिड्रल: । चीरवासा बिल्वदण्डी दीर्घश्मश्रु: कृशो महान्
avasan madgṛhe tāta brāhmaṇo haripiṅgalaḥ | cīravāsā bilvadaṇḍī dīrghaśmaśruḥ kṛśo mahān ||
Vāyu said: “Dear child, long ago a brāhmaṇa of greenish-tawny complexion once lived in my dwelling. He wore tattered garments and carried a staff of bilva wood. His moustache and beard were long; he appeared lean, yet he was a man of imposing presence.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets an ethical frame by depicting an ascetic brāhmaṇa—rag-clad, staff-bearing, austere in appearance—suggesting that spiritual stature and moral authority are not dependent on wealth or outward comfort, but on discipline and character.
Vāyu begins a recollection addressed to a ‘child’ (tāta), introducing a brāhmaṇa who once stayed in his dwelling and describing his distinctive ascetic appearance (rags, bilva staff, long beard, lean yet imposing), preparing for a subsequent episode involving this guest.