Shloka 33

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

Ethics of Non-attachment

Devanagari script

ग्रासादाच्छादनादन्यन्न गृह्लीयात्‌ कथंचन । यावदाहारयेत्‌ तावत्‌ प्रतिगृह्लीत नाधिकम्‌

Transliteration

grāsād ācchādanād anyan na gṛhlīyāt kathaṃcana | yāvad āhārayet tāvat pratigṛhlīta nādhikam ||

Translation

风神伐由天说道：“除饮食所需与蔽体之衣外，切莫受取或积藏他物。即便受施取食，也当只取足供一餐之量——不可多取。”

Word by Word

• ग्रासात्: from food (a mouthful/meal)
• ग्रासात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रास
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• आच्छादनात्: from covering (clothing)
• आच्छादनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आच्छादन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• गृह्लीयात्: should take/accept
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथंचन: in any way; at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन

• यावत्: as much as; so long as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत्

• आहारयेत्: should eat; should take as food
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तावत्: that much; only so much
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत्

• प्रतिगृह्लीत: let him accept/receive
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह्
• Form: Imperative (Lot), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अधिकम्: more; excess
• अधिकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva
• food (alms)
• clothing

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Practice aparigraha (non-hoarding): keep only the bare necessities—food and clothing—and accept even alms only in the quantity required, avoiding surplus and attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is instructing a listener in a dharmic rule of disciplined living, emphasizing restraint in receiving gifts and limiting possessions to essentials.