Shloka 19

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

Ethics of Non-attachment

Devanagari script

अयाचितमसंक्लृप्तमुपपन्नं यदृच्छया । कृत्वा प्राह्ने चरेद्‌ भैक्ष्यं विधूमे भुक्तवज्जने

Transliteration

ayācitam asaṅklṛptam upapannaṃ yadṛcchayā | kṛtvā prāhne cared bhaikṣyaṃ vidhūme bhuktavajjane ||

Translation

వాయుదేవుడు పలికెను—యాచించకుండానే, సంకల్పం లేకుండానే, యదృచ్ఛగా లభించినదానినే స్వీకరించాలి. నిత్యకర్మలు ముగించుకొని మధ్యాహ్నం భిక్షార్థం బయలుదేరి, జనులు భోజనం చేసి ముగించిన చోట విధూమమైన—తనకొరకు ప్రత్యేకంగా వండని—అన్నాన్ని గ్రహించాలి.

Word by Word

अयाचितम्unsolicited, not begged for

असंक्लृप्तम्not specially prepared/arranged

उपपन्नम्obtained, come by

यत्which (food/thing)

ऋच्छयाby chance, spontaneously

कृत्वाhaving done (having taken/accepted)

प्राह्नेat midday

चरेत्should practice/go about

भैक्ष्यम्alms-food, food obtained by begging

विधूमेin a smokeless (household/fire), where no cooking-smoke is seen

भुक्तवत्where (people) have eaten; after the meal

जनेamong people/households

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 renunciation: one should live on unsolicited, unarranged food that comes naturally, avoiding dependence and manipulation. By taking alms at a fixed time (midday) and eating what is not specially cooked for him, the seeker minimizes burden on householders and curbs greed and entitlement.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is instructing a code of conduct consistent with ascetic or dharma-oriented living, describing how one should obtain and consume food: after completing one’s duties, go for alms at midday and accept only what is freely available without special preparation.