The Conduct of the Vanaprastha (Forest-Dweller)

Verse 1 (padma.3.58.1)

व्यास उवाच । एवं गृहाश्रमे स्थित्वा द्वितीयं भागमायुषः । वानप्रस्थाश्रमं गच्छेत्सदारः साग्निरेव च ।

vyāsa uvāca evaṁ gṛhāśrame sthitvā dvitīyaṁ bhāgamāyuṣaḥ vānaprasthāśramaṁ gacchetsadāraḥ sāgnireva ca

Vyasa said: Thus, having dwelt in the householder stage for the second portion of his life, he should go to the Vanaprastha stage, together with his wife and his sacred fires.

Verse 2 (padma.3.58.2)

निक्षिप्य भार्यां पुत्रेषु गच्छेद्वनमथापि वा । दृष्ट्वापत्यस्य वापत्यं जर्जरीकृतविग्रहः ।

nikṣipya bhāryāṁ putreṣu gacchedvanamathāpi vā dṛṣṭvāpatyasya vāpatyaṁ jarjarīkṛtavigrahaḥ

Or, entrusting his wife to his sons, he may go to the forest — having seen his children's children, his body worn out with age.

Verse 3 (padma.3.58.3)

शुक्लपक्षस्य पूर्वाह्णे प्रशस्ते चोत्तरायणे । गत्वारण्यं नियमवांस्तपः कुर्यात्समाहितः ।

śuklapakṣasya pūrvāhṇe praśaste cottarāyaṇe gatvāraṇyaṁ niyamavāṁstapaḥ kuryātsamāhitaḥ

In the forenoon of the bright fortnight, during the auspicious northern course of the sun, having gone to the forest, disciplined, he should perform austerity, composed in mind.

Verse 4 (padma.3.58.4)

फलमूलानि पूतानि नित्यमाहारमाहरेत् । यदाहारो भवेत्तेन पूजयेत्पितृदेवताः ।

phalamūlāni pūtāni nityamāhāramāharet yadāhāro bhavettena pūjayetpitṛdevatāḥ

He should always gather pure fruits and roots as food. With whatever food he has, he should honor the ancestors and gods.

Verse 5 (padma.3.58.5)

पूजयेदतिथिं नित्यं स्नात्वा चाभ्यर्चयेत्सुरान् । गृहादादाय चाश्नीयादष्टौ ग्रासान्समाहितः ।

pūjayedatithiṁ nityaṁ snātvā cābhyarcayetsurān gṛhādādāya cāśnīyādaṣṭau grāsānsamāhitaḥ

He should always honor a guest; having bathed, he should worship the gods. Composed, he should eat only eight mouthfuls.

Verse 6 (padma.3.58.6)

जटाश्च बिभृयान्नित्यं नखरोमाणि नोत्सृजेत् । स्वाध्यायं सर्वथा कुर्यान्नियच्छेद्वाचमन्यतः ।

jaṭāśca bibhṛyānnityaṁ nakharomāṇi notsṛjet svādhyāyaṁ sarvathā kuryānniyacchedvācamanyataḥ

He should always wear matted hair, and never cut his nails or bodily hair. He should always perform self-study, and restrain his speech otherwise.

Verse 7 (padma.3.58.7)

अग्निहोत्रं च जुहुयात्पंचयज्ञान्समाचरेत् । उत्पन्नैर्विविधैर्मेध्यैः शाकमूलफलेन वा ।

agnihotraṁ ca juhuyātpaṁcayajñānsamācaret utpannairvividhairmedhyaiḥ śākamūlaphalena vā

He should offer the Agnihotra and perform the five great sacrifices, with various pure things that have grown naturally, or with vegetables, roots, and fruit.

Verse 8 (padma.3.58.8)

चीरवासा भवेन्नित्यं स्नायात्त्रिषवणं शुचिः । सर्वभूतानुकंपश्च प्रतिग्रहविवर्जितः ।

cīravāsā bhavennityaṁ snāyāttriṣavaṇaṁ śuciḥ sarvabhūtānukaṁpaśca pratigrahavivarjitaḥ

He should always wear bark-garments, and bathe three times a day, pure. He should be compassionate toward all beings, and refrain from accepting gifts.

Verse 9 (padma.3.58.9)

दर्शेन पौर्णमासेन यजेत नियतं द्विजः । ऋत्विष्ट्याग्रयणे चैव चातुर्मास्यानि कारयेत् ।

darśena paurṇamāsena yajeta niyataṁ dvijaḥ ṛtviṣṭyāgrayaṇe caiva cāturmāsyāni kārayet

A disciplined twice-born should sacrifice with the new-moon and full-moon rites; and likewise the seasonal sacrifices, the Agrayana, and the Chaturmasya rites.

Verse 10 (padma.3.58.10)

उत्तरायणं च क्रमशो दक्षिणायनमेव च । वासंतशारदैर्मेद्ध्यैरुत्पन्नैः स्वयमाहृतैः ।

uttarāyaṇaṁ ca kramaśo dakṣiṇāyanameva ca vāsaṁtaśāradairmeddhyairutpannaiḥ svayamāhṛtaiḥ

In due order, in the northern and southern courses of the sun, with pure offerings gathered in spring and autumn, self-collected —

Verse 11 (padma.3.58.11)

पुरोडाशांश्चरूंश्चैव विधिवन्निर्वपेत्पृथक् । देवताभ्यः पितृभ्यश्च दत्त्वा मेध्यतरं हविः ।

puroḍāśāṁścarūṁścaiva vidhivannirvapetpṛthak devatābhyaḥ pitṛbhyaśca dattvā medhyataraṁ haviḥ

he should duly offer purodasha and charu, separately, to the gods and to the ancestors, having given the purest of the offering.

Verse 12 (padma.3.58.12)

शेषं समुपभुंजीत लवणं च स्वयंकृतम् । वर्ज्जयेन्मद्यमांसानि भौमानि कवकानि च ।

śeṣaṁ samupabhuṁjīta lavaṇaṁ ca svayaṁkṛtam varjjayenmadyamāṁsāni bhaumāni kavakāni ca

He should eat the remainder himself, and salt made by his own hand. He should avoid liquor and meat, and earth-grown mushrooms.

Verse 13 (padma.3.58.13)

भूस्तृणं शष्पकं चैव श्लेष्मातक फलानि च । न फालकृष्टमश्नीयादुत्सृष्टमपि केनचित् ।

bhūstṛṇaṁ śaṣpakaṁ caiva śleṣmātaka phalāni ca na phālakṛṣṭamaśnīyādutsṛṣṭamapi kenacit

He should avoid ground-grasses, shaspaka, and shleshmataka fruits. He should not eat anything grown by plough-cultivation, even if given by someone.

Verse 14 (padma.3.58.14)

न ग्रामजातान्यार्तोपि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च । श्रावणेनैव विधिना वह्निं परिचरेत्सदा ।

na grāmajātānyārtopi puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca śrāvaṇenaiva vidhinā vahniṁ paricaretsadā

Not even in distress should he eat flowers and fruits grown in a village. He should always tend the fire only according to the rule declared in scripture.

Verse 15 (padma.3.58.15)

न द्रुह्येत्सर्वभूतानि निर्द्वंद्वो निर्भयो भवेत् । न नक्तं किंचिदश्नीयाद्रात्रौ ध्यानपरो भवेत् ।

na druhyetsarvabhūtāni nirdvaṁdvo nirbhayo bhavet na naktaṁ kiṁcidaśnīyādrātrau dhyānaparo bhavet

He should not harm any being; he should be free from the pairs of opposites and free of fear. He should not eat anything at night, and should be devoted to meditation at night.

Verse 16 (padma.3.58.16)

जितेंद्रियो जितक्रोधस्तत्त्वज्ञानविचिंतकः । ब्रह्मचारी भवेन्नित्यं न पत्नीमपि संश्रयेत् ।

jiteṁdriyo jitakrodhastattvajñānaviciṁtakaḥ brahmacārī bhavennityaṁ na patnīmapi saṁśrayet

Of controlled senses, having conquered anger, reflecting on the knowledge of truth, he should always be celibate, and not even approach his own wife.

Verse 17 (padma.3.58.17)

यस्तु पत्न्या वनं गत्वा मैथुनं कामतश्चरेत् । तद्व्रतं तस्य लुप्येत प्रायश्चित्तीयते द्विजः ।

yastu patnyā vanaṁ gatvā maithunaṁ kāmataścaret tadvrataṁ tasya lupyeta prāyaścittīyate dvijaḥ

But whoever, having gone to the forest with his wife, engages in intercourse out of desire, his vow is thereby broken, and that twice-born must undergo penance.

Verse 18 (padma.3.58.18)

तत्र यो जायते गर्भो न स स्पृश्यो द्विजातिभिः । न हि वेदेधिकारोस्य तद्वंशेप्येवमेव हि ।

tatra yo jāyate garbho na sa spṛśyo dvijātibhiḥ na hi vededhikārosya tadvaṁśepyevameva hi

Whatever child is conceived there is not to be touched by the twice-born; he has no right to the Veda, and likewise throughout his descendants.

Verse 19 (padma.3.58.19)

भूमौ शयीत सततं सावित्रीजप्यतत्परः । शरण्यः सर्वभूतानां सद्विभागपरः सदा ।

bhūmau śayīta satataṁ sāvitrījapyatatparaḥ śaraṇyaḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ sadvibhāgaparaḥ sadā

He should always sleep on the ground, devoted to the recitation of the Savitri. He should be a refuge to all beings, and always devoted to sharing rightly.

Verse 20 (padma.3.58.20)

परिवादं मृषावादं निद्रालस्ये च वर्जयेत् । एकाग्निरनिकेतः स्यात्प्रोक्षितां भूमिमाश्रयेत् ।

parivādaṁ mṛṣāvādaṁ nidrālasye ca varjayet ekāgniraniketaḥ syātprokṣitāṁ bhūmimāśrayet

He should avoid slander, falsehood, sleep, and idleness. He should maintain a single fire, be without a fixed dwelling, and reside upon consecrated ground.

Verse 21 (padma.3.58.21)

मृगैः सह चरेद्दांतस्तैः सहैव च संवसेत् । शिलायां शर्करायां वा शयीत सुसमाहितः ।

mṛgaiḥ saha careddāṁtastaiḥ sahaiva ca saṁvaset śilāyāṁ śarkarāyāṁ vā śayīta susamāhitaḥ

Self-controlled, he should roam together with the deer, and dwell together with them. He should sleep upon a rock, or on gravel, with full composure.

Verse 22 (padma.3.58.22)

सद्यः प्रक्षालको वा स्यान्माससंचयिकोपि वा । षण्मासनिचयो वापि समानिचय एव वा ।

sadyaḥ prakṣālako vā syānmāsasaṁcayikopi vā ṣaṇmāsanicayo vāpi samānicaya eva vā

He may be one who gathers food daily, or one who stores food for a month; or one who stores for six months, or even for a full year.

Verse 23 (padma.3.58.23)

नक्तं चान्नं समश्नीयाद्दिवा चाहृत्य शक्तितः । चतुर्थकालको वा स्यात्किं वाप्यष्टमकालिकः ।

naktaṁ cānnaṁ samaśnīyāddivā cāhṛtya śaktitaḥ caturthakālako vā syātkiṁ vāpyaṣṭamakālikaḥ

He may eat food gathered by day, only at night; or he may eat once every fourth mealtime, or even once every eighth.

Verse 24 (padma.3.58.24)

चांद्रायणविधानैर्वा शुक्लेकृष्णे च वर्जयेत् । पक्षेपक्षे समश्नीयाद्यवागूं क्वथितां सकृत् ।

cāṁdrāyaṇavidhānairvā śuklekṛṣṇe ca varjayet pakṣepakṣe samaśnīyādyavāgūṁ kvathitāṁ sakṛt

Or, by the Chandrayana rules, he may abstain in the bright and dark fortnights. Fortnight by fortnight, he may eat once boiled barley-gruel.

Verse 25 (padma.3.58.25)

पुष्पमूलफलैर्वापि केवलैर्वर्तयेत्सदा । स्वाभाविकैः स्वयंशीर्णैर्वैखानसमते स्थितः ।

puṣpamūlaphalairvāpi kevalairvartayetsadā svābhāvikaiḥ svayaṁśīrṇairvaikhānasamate sthitaḥ

Or he may live entirely on flowers, roots, and fruit alone, taking only what has fallen naturally, established in the way of the Vaikhanasas.

Verse 26 (padma.3.58.26)

भूमौ वा परिवर्तेत तिष्ठेद्वा प्रपदैर्दिनम् । स्थानासनाभ्यां विहरेन्न क्वचिद्धैर्य्यमुत्सृजेत् ।

bhūmau vā parivarteta tiṣṭhedvā prapadairdinam sthānāsanābhyāṁ viharenna kvaciddhairyyamutsṛjet

He may roll upon the ground, or stand on tiptoe all day; he may vary between standing and sitting, but should never abandon steadiness.

Verse 27 (padma.3.58.27)

ग्रीष्मे पंचतपाश्च स्याद्वर्षास्वभ्रावकाशिकः । आर्द्रवासाश्च हेमंते क्रमशो वर्द्धयेत्तपः ।

grīṣme paṁcatapāśca syādvarṣāsvabhrāvakāśikaḥ ārdravāsāśca hemaṁte kramaśo varddhayettapaḥ

In summer he should practice the five-fire austerity; during the rains, he should remain exposed under the open sky; in winter he should wear wet garments — thus, progressively, he should increase his austerity.

Verse 28 (padma.3.58.28)

उपस्पृशेत्त्रिषवणं पितृदेवांश्च तर्पयेत् । एकपादेन तिष्ठेत मरीचिं वा पिबेत्सदा ।

upaspṛśettriṣavaṇaṁ pitṛdevāṁśca tarpayet ekapādena tiṣṭheta marīciṁ vā pibetsadā

He should sip water three times daily, and offer libations to the ancestors and gods. He may stand on one foot, or he may always subsist merely on light and air.

Verse 29 (padma.3.58.29)

पंचाग्निधूमगो वा स्यादूष्मगः सोमपोपि वा । पयः पिबेच्छुक्लपक्षे कृष्णपक्षे तु गोमयम् ।

paṁcāgnidhūmago vā syādūṣmagaḥ somapopi vā payaḥ pibecchuklapakṣe kṛṣṇapakṣe tu gomayam

He may live amid the smoke of the five fires, or endure the heat, or partake of Soma. He may drink milk in the bright fortnight, and cow-dung water in the dark fortnight.

Verse 30 (padma.3.58.30)

शीर्णपर्णाशनो वा स्यात्कृच्छ्रैर्वा वर्तयेत्सदा । योगाभ्यासरतश्च स्याद्रुद्राध्यायी भवेत्सदा ।

śīrṇaparṇāśano vā syātkṛcchrairvā vartayetsadā yogābhyāsarataśca syādrudrādhyāyī bhavetsadā

He may live on fallen leaves, or always subsist through hardship-vows. He should be devoted to the practice of yoga, and should always recite the Rudra chapter.

Verse 31 (padma.3.58.31)

अथर्वशिरसोध्येता वेदांताभ्यासतत्परः । यमान्सेवेत सततं नियमांश्चाप्यतंद्रितः ।

atharvaśirasodhyetā vedāṁtābhyāsatatparaḥ yamānseveta satataṁ niyamāṁścāpyataṁdritaḥ

He should be a student of the Atharvashiras, devoted to the practice of Vedanta. He should constantly observe the yamas, and, without laziness, the niyamas.

Verse 32 (padma.3.58.32)

अथ चाग्नीन्समारोप्य स्वात्मनि ध्यानतत्परः ।

atha cāgnīnsamāropya svātmani dhyānatatparaḥ

Then, having merged his sacred fires within his own self, devoted to meditation —

Verse 33 (padma.3.58.33)

अनग्निरनिकेतो वा मुनिर्मोक्षपरो भवेत् । तापसेष्वेव विप्रेषु यात्रिकं भैक्षमाहरेत् ।

anagniraniketo vā munirmokṣaparo bhavet tāpaseṣveva vipreṣu yātrikaṁ bhaikṣamāharet

without fire and without a fixed dwelling, the sage should become devoted to liberation. He should gather traveler's alms only from ascetic Brahmins,

Verse 34 (padma.3.58.34)

गृहमेधिषु चान्येषु द्विजेषु वनचारिषु । ग्रामादाहृत्य चाश्नीयादष्टौ ग्रासान्वने वसन् ।

gṛhamedhiṣu cānyeṣu dvijeṣu vanacāriṣu grāmādāhṛtya cāśnīyādaṣṭau grāsānvane vasan

and from other twice-born householders who wander the forest. Having brought food from the village, he should eat only eight mouthfuls, while dwelling in the forest.

Verse 35 (padma.3.58.35)

प्रतिगृह्य पुटेनैव पाणिना शकलेन वा । विविधाश्चोपनिषद आत्मसंसिद्धये जपेत् ।

pratigṛhya puṭenaiva pāṇinā śakalena vā vividhāścopaniṣada ātmasaṁsiddhaye japet

Accepting his food in a leaf-vessel, or in the cupped hand, or on a fragment, he should recite the various Upanishads for the perfection of his self.

Verse 36 (padma.3.58.36)

विद्याविशेषान्सावित्रीं रुद्राध्यायं तथैव च । महाप्रस्थानिकं वासौ कुर्य्यादनशनं तथा । अग्निप्रवेशमन्यद्वा ब्रह्मार्पणविधौ स्थितः ।

vidyāviśeṣānsāvitrīṁ rudrādhyāyaṁ tathaiva ca mahāprasthānikaṁ vāsau kuryyādanaśanaṁ tathā agnipraveśamanyadvā brahmārpaṇavidhau sthitaḥ

Special forms of knowledge, the Savitri, and the Rudra chapter he should recite. Or he may undertake the great journey unto death, or fasting unto death, or entering fire, established in the rite of offering himself to Brahman.