Shloka 12

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

Ethics of Non-attachment

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

pravṛttam udakaṃ vāyuṃ sarvaṃ vāneyam āśrayet | prāśnīyād ānupūrvyena yathādīkṣam atandritaḥ ||

Translation

ഒഴുകുന്ന ജലം, വായു മുതലായ വനത്തിൽ ലഭിക്കുന്നതെല്ലാം ആശ്രയിക്കണം. തന്റെ ദീക്ഷാവ്രതവിധിപ്രകാരം അലസതയില്ലാതെ ജാഗ്രതയോടെ ക്രമമായി അവ സ്വീകരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

प्रवृत्तम्flowing (set in motion)

उदकम्water

वायुम्air

सर्वम्all

वानम्of the forest, forest-produced

इयम्this

आश्रयेत्should resort to / should take (as support/food)

प्राश्नीयात्should eat / should partake

आनुपूर्व्येणin due order, sequentially

यथाas, according to

दीक्षम्vow/observance (initiation discipline)

अतन्द्रितःunwearied, vigilant

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वायुदेव (Vāyu-deva)

उ

उदक (water)

व

वायु (air/wind)

व

वन (forest)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.