Shloka 51
Brahmā’s Instruction on Brahmacarya, Vānaprastha, and the Aliṅga Path
Ethics of Non-attachment
यत्र ज्ञानवतां प्राप्तिरलिड्रग्रहणा स्मृता । तस्मादलिड्जधर्मज्ञो धर्मतत्त्वमुपाचरेत्,उस आत्मतत्त्वतक बुद्धि, इन्द्रिय और देवताओंकी भी पहुँच नहीं होती। जहाँ केवल ज्ञानवान् महात्माओंकी ही गति है, वहाँ वेद, यज्ञ, लोक, तप और व्रतका भी प्रवेश नहीं होता; क्योंकि वह बाह्य चिह्लसे रहित मानी गयी है। इसलिये बाह्य चिह्नोंसे रहित धर्मको जानकर उसका यथार्थरूपसे पालन करना चाहिये
vāyudeva uvāca | yatra jñānavatāṁ prāptir aliṅgrahaṇā smṛtā | tasmād aliṅgadharmajño dharmatattvam upācaret ||
Vāyudeva said: “That state which is reached by the wise is remembered as ‘without outward marks.’ Therefore, one who understands the dharma that is free from external signs should practice the true essence of dharma.” The teaching points beyond ritual and visible badges of religiosity, urging an inward, reality-based pursuit of dharma accessible only through knowledge and realization.
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.