Shloka 393
Adhyāya 42 — Mahābhūta–Indriya–Adhyātma-Vyavasthā
Brahmā’s Instruction on Elements and Faculties
जातस्याध्ययन पुण्यमिति वृद्धानुशासनम् | कर्मके अनेक भेद हैं
jātasya adhyayanaṁ puṇyam iti vṛddhānuśāsanam | karmake aneka bhedāḥ santi, teṣu pūjā dānaṁ ca yajñe havanaṁ ca—ete pradhānāḥ | vṛddha-puruṣāṇāṁ kathanaṁ yat dvija-kule utpannasya puruṣasya veda-adhyayanaṁ api puṇyasya karma |
Vāyu-deva said: “For one who is born (in the proper station), the study of sacred learning is itself a meritorious act—so instruct the elders. Though actions have many varieties, worship, giving, and the offering of oblations in sacrifice are foremost. Yet the wise maintain that for a man born in a twice-born lineage, the disciplined study of the Vedas too is a deed of merit.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse ranks key religious actions—worship, charity, and sacrificial oblations—as primary, while also affirming that for a twice-born person, disciplined Vedic study is itself a meritorious duty (puṇya-karma), validated by the authority of elders and tradition.
Vāyu-deva is speaking in an instructive mode, summarizing traditional ethical-religious guidance: he cites the elders’ teaching to define what counts as principal meritorious action and to emphasize the special dharma of Vedic study for those born in dvija lineages.