Shloka 4
Kāma–Mamatā–Upadeśa
Discourse on Desire, Possessiveness, and Ritual Duty
ब्रह्ममृत्यू ततो राजन्नात्मन्येव व्यवस्थितौ । अदृश्यमानौ भूतानि योधयेतामसंशयम्
brahmamṛtyū tato rājann ātmany eva vyavasthitau | adṛśyamānau bhūtāni yodhayetām asaṃśayam ||
Vāyu berkata: “Maka, wahai raja, baik kebinasaan (maut) mahupun ketidakmatian yang menyerupai Brahman, keduanya bersemayam dalam diri sendiri. Walau tidak kelihatan, dua kuasa ini mengheret makhluk hidup ke dalam pertikaian—tanpa ragu. Dorongan batin untuk mengaku ‘ini milikku’ dan menafikan ‘itu bukan milikku’ itulah benih sengketa.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Death and deathlessness are not merely external events but inner principles: one’s orientation toward the Self (brahma/amṛta) leads toward freedom, while identification with separative notions fosters mortality-bound fear and aggression. The verse points to possessiveness—‘mine’ versus ‘not mine’—as an unseen driver that provokes beings into conflict.
Vāyudeva addresses the king and explains a subtle cause behind warfare and hostility. He frames conflict as arising from invisible inner forces—mortality and immortality—operating within beings, especially through the psychology of attachment and exclusion.