Shloka 14

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

Ethics of Non-attachment

Devanagari script

देवतातिथि पूर्व च सदा प्राश्नीत वाग्यत: । अस्पर्धितमनाश्चैव लघ्वाशी देवताश्रय:

Transliteration

devatātithi-pūrvaṃ ca sadā prāśnīyāt vāg-yataḥ | aspardhitamanāś caiva laghv-āśī devatā-śrayaḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu nói: “Trước hết, luôn phải dâng phần ăn cho chư thiên và khách đến nhà; rồi sau đó, trong im lặng và tự chế, mới thọ thực phần của mình. Tâm chớ nuôi ý tranh đua với bất kỳ ai; hãy ăn thanh đạm, và sống nương tựa nơi chư thiên.”

Word by Word

• देवतान्: the gods
• देवतान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अतिथीन्: guests
• अतिथीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पूर्वम्: first, beforehand
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• प्राश्नीयात्: should eat/partake
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अश् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वाक्यतः: in silence / restrained in speech
• वाक्यतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वाक्यतस् (अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)

• अस्पर्धितमनाः: one whose mind is free from rivalry
• अस्पर्धितमनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्पर्धित-मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• लघ्वाशी: one who eats lightly
• लघ्वाशी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघु-आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवताश्रयः: one who takes refuge in the gods
• देवताश्रयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवता-आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• devatāḥ (the gods)
• atithi (guest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Prioritize dharmic giving—first honor the gods and guests with food—then eat oneself with restraint. Cultivate inner purity by avoiding rivalry and envy, practice moderation in diet, and maintain a devotional reliance on the divine.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is instructing a code of conduct centered on daily discipline: hospitality and offerings come before personal consumption, speech is restrained during eating, the mind is kept free of competitive hostility, and one lives with faith in divine order.