Shloka 31
Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya
Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa
कौशिकीं तु समासाद्य वायुभक्षस्त्वलोलुप: । एकविंशतिरात्रेण स्वर्गमारोहते नर:,जो कौशिकी नदीमें स्नान करके लोलुपता त्यागकर इक्कीस रातोंतक केवल हवा पीकर रह जाता है वह मनुष्य स्वर्गको प्राप्त होता है
Kauśikīṁ tu samāsādya vāyubhakṣas tv alolupaḥ | ekaviṁśatirātreṇa svargam ārohate naraḥ ||
Đến sông Kauśikī, người nào dứt lòng tham, sống chỉ nhờ hơi gió (nhịn ăn) suốt hai mươi mốt đêm, thì được nói là sẽ thăng lên cõi trời.
अजड्रिय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that austerity (severe fasting) becomes spiritually efficacious when paired with inner discipline—especially freedom from greed—and performed in a sacred context; such self-restraint is presented as generating merit leading to heavenly attainment.
The speaker describes a specific vow: going to the Kauśikī river, bathing/undertaking the observance there, and living without food (subsisting only on air) for twenty-one nights; the stated result of completing this vow without greed is ascent to Svarga.