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 said: “Let him subsist only on what the forest provides—flowing water, air, and other wild produce. Remaining ever vigilant and true to his vowed discipline, he should take these in due order, as prescribed by his consecration.”
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.