Shloka 51
Brahmā’s Instruction on Brahmacarya, Vānaprastha, and the Aliṅga Path
Ethics of Non-attachment
यत्र ज्ञानवतां प्राप्तिरलिड्रग्रहणा स्मृता । तस्मादलिड्जधर्मज्ञो धर्मतत्त्वमुपाचरेत्
vāyudeva uvāca | yatra jñānavatāṁ prāptir aliṅgrahaṇā smṛtā | tasmād aliṅgadharmajño dharmatattvam upācaret ||
Vāyudeva dit : « L’état auquel parviennent les sages est rappelé comme “sans marques extérieures”. Ainsi, celui qui comprend le dharma dépourvu de signes visibles doit en pratiquer l’essence véritable. » L’enseignement dépasse le rituel et les insignes apparents de la piété, et exhorte à une quête intérieure, fondée sur la connaissance et la réalisation.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
True dharma is not defined by external signs, rituals, or public markers; it is an inward reality realized by the wise. One should therefore cultivate dharma at the level of its essence (tattva)—through knowledge, discernment, and inner transformation rather than mere outward observance.
Vāyudeva is instructing the listener about a highest spiritual attainment described as ‘without outward marks.’ He emphasizes that only the truly wise reach it, and he exhorts the practitioner to follow dharma in its markless, essential form rather than relying on external identifiers of religiosity.