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Shloka 57

Brahmā’s Instruction on Brahmacarya, Vānaprastha, and the Aliṅga Path

Ethics of Non-attachment

ध्यायेदेकान्तमास्थाय मुच्यते5थ निराश्रय: । निर्मुक्त: सर्वसड्रेभ्यो वायुराकाशगो यथा,जो तत्त्ववेत्ता अन्त समयमें इन तत्त्वोंका ज्ञान प्राप्त करके एकान्तमें बैठकर परमात्माका ध्यान करता है, वह आकाशमें विचरनेवाले वायुकी भाँति सब प्रकारकी आसक्तियोंसे छूटकर पञ्चकोशोंसे रहित, निर्भय तथा निराश्रय होकर मुक्त एवं परमात्माको प्राप्त हो जाता है

dhyāyed ekāntam āsthāya mucyate 'tha nirāśrayaḥ | nirmuktaḥ sarvasaṅgebhyo vāyur ākāśago yathā ||

Vāyu-deva said: “Taking refuge in solitude, one should meditate; then, becoming without dependence, one is released. Freed from every attachment—like the wind that moves through the open sky—such a knower of reality, at life’s end, attains liberation and reaches the Supreme Self.”

ध्यायेत्should meditate
ध्यायेत्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootध्यै (ध्यान)
FormVidhi-lin (optative), 3, singular, Parasmaipada
एकान्तम्solitude; a secluded place
एकान्तम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootएकान्त
Formmasculine, accusative, singular
आस्थायhaving resorted to; having taken up
आस्थाय:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootआ-स्था
Formktvanta (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada
मुच्यतेis released; is liberated
मुच्यते:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootमुच्
FormLat (present indicative), 3, singular, Atmanepada (passive sense)
अथthen; and
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
निराश्रयःwithout support; independent
निराश्रयः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootनिराश्रय
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
निर्मुक्तःfreed; released
निर्मुक्तः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootनिर्मुक्त
Formkta (past passive participle), masculine, nominative, singular
सर्वसङ्गेभ्यःfrom all attachments
सर्वसङ्गेभ्यः:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootसर्वसङ्ग
Formmasculine, ablative, plural
वायुःwind
वायुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवायु
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
आकाशगःmoving in the sky
आकाशगः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआकाशग
Formnañ/agentive (ग from √गम् with sense 'going') used adjectivally, masculine, nominative, singular
यथाas; just like
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा

वायुदेव उवाच

V
Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
Ā
ākāśa (space/sky)
V
vāyu (wind, as simile)

Educational Q&A

Liberation is gained through solitary, focused meditation grounded in true knowledge, culminating in complete detachment from all worldly ties—becoming free and unobstructed like wind moving through space.

Vāyudeva is instructing about the final-stage discipline of a tattva-vettā (knower of reality): at the end of life, withdrawing into solitude and meditating on the Supreme, one becomes nirāśraya (without dependence) and nirmukta (fully disentangled), thereby attaining mokṣa.