Shloka 16

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

Ethics of Non-attachment

Devanagari script

शुचिदेह: सदा दक्षो वननित्य: समाहित: । एवं युक्तो जयेत्‌ स्वर्ग वानप्रस्थो जितेन्द्रिय:

Transliteration

śucidehaḥ sadā dakṣo vananityaḥ samāhitaḥ | evaṃ yukto jayetsvargaṃ vānaprastho jitendriyaḥ ||

Translation

风神伐由说道：“林居者当常保其身清净，于达摩之职恒勤且能，长住林野，心神摄持。如此修持而自制者——已降伏诸根的婆那普拉斯塔（vānaprastha）——便能赢得天界。”

Word by Word

• शुचिदेहः: having a pure body
• शुचिदेहः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि-देह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• दक्षः: skilled, capable
• दक्षः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वननित्यः: dwelling constantly in the forest
• वननित्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन-नित्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समाहितः: collected, concentrated (in mind)
• समाहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (समाहित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• युक्तः: disciplined, properly engaged
• युक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (युक्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जयेत्: should conquer/attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वानप्रस्थः: a forest-dweller (vānaprastha)
• वानप्रस्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जितेन्द्रियः: one who has conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित-इन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Svarga
• Vānaprastha (forest-dweller āśrama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that a vānaprastha should maintain purity, competence in dharmic observances, steady forest-dwelling, and mental concentration; through such disciplined sense-control, he attains (wins) svarga.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is instructing about the conduct and fruits of the vānaprastha āśrama, outlining the required qualities and stating the resulting attainment of heaven.