Shloka 40
The Greatness of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya) and Avimukta’s Liberative Power
यस्तत्र निवसेन्मर्त्यः संयतात्मा समाहितः । त्रैलोक्यमपि भुंजानो वायुभक्षसमः स्मृतः ॥ ४० ॥
yastatra nivasenmartyaḥ saṃyatātmā samāhitaḥ | trailokyamapi bhuṃjāno vāyubhakṣasamaḥ smṛtaḥ || 40 ||
凡人若住于彼处，摄心自制，定念安住——纵享三界之乐——亦被称为“唯以风为食”者，即极清净、至节制的苦行者。
Narada (teaching in a Tirtha-Mahatmya frame within Uttara-Bhaga)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that residence at a sacred tirtha bears fruit only when supported by self-control and inner steadiness; such discipline elevates one’s state to the level of extreme ascetic purity, even amid worldly enjoyments.
By implying that true sacred living is inward—marked by restraint and collected mind—this verse supports bhakti as disciplined devotion, where enjoyment does not distract from remembrance and surrender.
Not a technical Vedanga lesson; it emphasizes practical dharma-yoga disciplines—saṁyama (sense-control) and samādhāna (mental one-pointedness)—which underpin effective vrata, japa, and tirtha-based observances described in the Puranas.