Shloka 18

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

Ethics of Non-attachment

Devanagari script

अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो दत्त्वा नैष्कर्म्यमाचरेत्‌ । सर्वभूतसुखो मैत्र: सर्वेन्द्रिययतो मुनि:

Transliteration

abhayaṃ sarvabhūtebhyo dattvā naiṣkarmyam ācaret | sarvabhūtasukho maitraḥ sarvendriyayato muniḥ ||

Translation

वायुरुवाच—सर्वभूतेभ्योऽभयं दत्त्वा नैष्कर्म्यं समाचरेत्। सर्वभूतसुखे सुखी मैत्रः सर्वेन्द्रियनिग्रहः, मुनिवृत्तिं समाश्रयेत्॥

Word by Word

• {'abhayam': 'fearlessness

• security', 'sarvabhūtebhyaḥ': 'to all beings', 'dattvā': 'having given

• bestowing', 'naiṣkarmyam': 'state of non-attachment to action

• actionlessness in the sense of freedom from doership and desire for results', 'ācaret': 'should practice

• should undertake (as a discipline)', 'sarvabhūta-sukhaḥ': 'one whose happiness is in the happiness of all beings

• rejoicing in universal welfare', 'maitraḥ': 'friendly

• possessing maitri (friendliness)', 'sarva-indriya-yataḥ': 'one who has restrained all the senses', 'muniḥ': 'sage

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva (Wind-god)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches an ascetic-ethical ideal: grant safety and non-fear to all beings, practice renunciation as freedom from selfishly motivated action (naiṣkarmya), cultivate universal friendliness (maitrī), take joy in the welfare of all, and restrain the senses as a muni.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is instructing the listener on the proper conduct of a renunciant/forest-dweller moving toward sannyāsa: a life marked by non-harming, benevolence to all creatures, inner discipline, and sage-like restraint.