Shloka 36
Chapter 84: Brahmā’s Counsel on Tāraka, the Search for Agni, and the Genesis of Skanda
Kārttikeya
गवामुष्णं पय: पीत्वा ऋयहमुष्णं घृतं पिबेत् । त्रयहमुष्णं घृतं पीत्वा वायुभक्षो भवेत् ऋ यहम्
gavām uṣṇaṃ payaḥ pītvā tryaham uṣṇaṃ ghṛtaṃ pibet | tryaham uṣṇaṃ ghṛtaṃ pītvā vāyubhakṣo bhavet tryaham ||
毗耶娑说：“饮过温热的牛乳之后，当再饮温热的酥油（ghṛta）三日。温酥油饮满三日，继而当以风为食，仅凭气息而住三日。”就其语境而言，这是循序渐进的苦行与净化法门，强调以自律与调摄身躯来奉行法（dharma）。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches disciplined, step-by-step restraint: a regulated intake (warm cow’s milk, then warm ghee) culminating in a brief fast (living on air). It frames bodily discipline as a dharmic tool for purification and strengthening self-control.
Vyāsa is prescribing a specific ascetic regimen—first warm cow’s milk, then warm ghee for three days, and finally three days of fasting (vāyubhakṣa). The passage functions as practical instruction within a broader discussion of dharma and observances.