Shloka 32

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

Ethics of Non-attachment

Devanagari script

यात्रामात्रं च भुज्जीत केवल प्राणयात्रिकम्‌ | धर्मलब्धमथाश्रीयान्न काममनुवर्तयेत्‌,प्राणयात्राका निर्वाह करनेके लिये जितना अन्न आवश्यक है, उतना ही ग्रहण करे। धर्मतः प्राप्त हुए अन्नका ही आहार करे। मनमाना भोजन न करे

Transliteration

yātrāmātraṃ ca bhuñjīta kevalaṃ prāṇayātrikam | dharmalabdham athāśrīyān na kāmam anuvartayet ||

Translation

വായുദേവൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ജീവൻ നിലനിർത്താൻ ആവശ്യമായത്ര മാത്രം, പ്രാണയാത്രയ്ക്കായി മാത്രം, ഭക്ഷിക്കണം. ധർമ്മപ്രകാരം ലഭിച്ച അന്നം മാത്രമേ ആശ്രയിക്കൂ; ഭക്ഷണത്തിൽ ആഗ്രഹത്തെയും സ്വേച്ഛയെയും പിന്തുടരരുത്.

Word by Word

यात्रामात्रम्only as much as is needed for sustenance

चand

भुञ्जीतshould eat/partake

केवलम्only, merely

प्राणयात्रिकम्for the maintenance of life (life-sustaining)

धर्मलब्धम्obtained righteously

अथthen/and further

आश्रयेत्should resort to/should take (as food)

नnot

कामम्desire/whim (as one pleases)

अनुवर्तयेत्should follow/pursue

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu-deva

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Eat only what is necessary to sustain life, and accept only food acquired righteously; do not let appetite and craving dictate one’s consumption.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva delivers a moral instruction emphasizing disciplined living: sustenance should be minimal and dharmic, rejecting indulgence driven by kāma.