Shloka 31
Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya
Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa
कौशिकीं तु समासाद्य वायुभक्षस्त्वलोलुप: । एकविंशतिरात्रेण स्वर्गमारोहते नर:,जो कौशिकी नदीमें स्नान करके लोलुपता त्यागकर इक्कीस रातोंतक केवल हवा पीकर रह जाता है वह मनुष्य स्वर्गको प्राप्त होता है
Kauśikīṁ tu samāsādya vāyubhakṣas tv alolupaḥ | ekaviṁśatirātreṇa svargam ārohate naraḥ ||
Habiendo llegado al río Kauśikī, aquel que está libre de codicia y vive sólo del aire (en ayuno) durante veintiuna noches, se dice que asciende al cielo.
अजड्रिय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that austerity (severe fasting) becomes spiritually efficacious when paired with inner discipline—especially freedom from greed—and performed in a sacred context; such self-restraint is presented as generating merit leading to heavenly attainment.
The speaker describes a specific vow: going to the Kauśikī river, bathing/undertaking the observance there, and living without food (subsisting only on air) for twenty-one nights; the stated result of completing this vow without greed is ascent to Svarga.