Shloka 12
Brahmā’s Instruction on Brahmacarya, Vānaprastha, and the Aliṅga Path
Ethics of Non-attachment
प्रवृत्तमुदकं वायुं सर्व वानेयमाश्रयेत् । प्राश्नीयादानुपूर्व्येण यथादीक्षमतन्द्रित:,बहते हुए जल, वायु आदि सब वनकी वस्तुओंका ही सेवन करे। अपने व्रतके अनुसार सदा सावधान रहकर क्रमश: उपर्युक्त वस्तुओंका आहार करे
pravṛttam udakaṃ vāyuṃ sarvaṃ vāneyam āśrayet | prāśnīyād ānupūrvyena yathādīkṣam atandritaḥ ||
Vāyu-deva dit : «Qu’il ne subsiste que de ce que la forêt procure : l’eau courante, l’air et les autres dons sauvages. Toujours vigilant et fidèle à la discipline de son vœu, qu’il les prenne dans l’ordre requis, tel que le prescrit sa consécration.»
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches disciplined restraint: one undertaking a vow should live on minimal, pure, forest-available sustenance (even as subtle as air and flowing water), and follow the prescribed order of observance without negligence.
Vāyu-deva is instructing a practitioner about proper conduct during a vowed observance (dīkṣā), specifying what kinds of sustenance are permissible and emphasizing careful, sequential adherence to the rules of the vow.