Shloka 24

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

Ethics of Non-attachment

Devanagari script

असंरोधेन भूतानां वृत्तिं लिप्सेत मोक्षवित्‌ न चान्यमन्नं लिप्सेत भिक्षमाण: कथंचन,मोक्षके तत्त्वको जाननेवाला संन्यासी दूसरे प्राणियोंकी जीविकामें बाधा पहुँचाये बिना ही यदि भिक्षा मिल जाती हो तभी उसे स्वीकार करे। भिक्षा माँगते समय दाताके द्वारा दिये जानेवाले अन्नके सिवा दूसरा अन्न लेनेकी कदापि इच्छा न करे

Transliteration

asaṃrodhena bhūtānāṃ vṛttiṃ lipseta mokṣavit | na cānyam annaṃ lipseta bhikṣamāṇaḥ kathaṃcana ||

Translation

ヴァーユは言った。「解脱への道を知る者は、他の生きものの生を妨げることなく糧を求めよ。乞食するときも、いかなる場合であれ、施し手が自ら差し出すもの以外の食を望んではならぬ。」

Word by Word

• {'asaṃrodhena': 'without obstruction, without hindering', 'bhūtānām': 'of beings

• living creatures', 'vṛttim': 'means of livelihood

• subsistence', 'lipseta': 'should seek

• should desire/aim for', 'mokṣavit': 'knower of liberation

• one who understands mokṣa', 'na ca': 'and not

• nor', 'anyam': 'other

• different', 'annam': 'food', 'bhikṣamāṇaḥ': 'begging

• seeking alms', 'kathaṃcana': 'in any way

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• living beings (bhūta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A liberation-seeker should live without harming or obstructing other beings and should practice strict contentment in alms—accepting only what is freely given, without craving alternatives.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is instructing on renunciant conduct: how a mokṣa-oriented mendicant should obtain sustenance ethically—non-intrusively and without desire-driven selectiveness while begging.