Line 129: |
Line 129: |
| | | |
| In the Vanaprashthashrama (tatra), a person knowledgeable in dharma upholds the duties of Vanaprastha by studying the Aranyaka shastras.<ref name=":4">Pandit Ramnarayanadatta Shastri Pandey, Mahabharata (Khanda 5-Shantiparva), Gorakhpur: Gita Press.</ref> | | In the Vanaprashthashrama (tatra), a person knowledgeable in dharma upholds the duties of Vanaprastha by studying the Aranyaka shastras.<ref name=":4">Pandit Ramnarayanadatta Shastri Pandey, Mahabharata (Khanda 5-Shantiparva), Gorakhpur: Gita Press.</ref> |
| + | |
| + | === Mokshadharma Parva, Shanti Parva === |
| + | In the Mokshadharma Parva from the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma enlightens Yudhishthira with the knowledge about Vanaprasthashrama that was given to Shukadeva by his father Maharshi Vyasa. |
| + | |
| + | It is said that one should take to Vanaprasthashrama when one's hair starts to whiten, wrinkles form on the skin and one's progeny begets a progeny. In such conditions, one should retire to the forest to spend the 3rd phase of one's life as a vanaprastha.<ref name=":4" /> |
| + | |
| + | ...प्रेक्षापूर्वं यदा पत्त्येद्वलीपलितमात्मना।।12.250.3 |
| + | |
| + | अपत्यस्यैव चापण्यं वनमेव तदाऽऽश्रयेत्।।12.250.4 |
| + | |
| + | तृतीयमायुषो भागं वानप्रस्थाश्रमे वसेत्।...<ref name=":5">Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-12-%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5-250 Adhyaya 250]</ref> |
| + | |
| + | In the Vanaprasthashrama, one is directed to worship the same Agni worshipped during the grhasthashrama and engage in the worship of the deities.<ref name=":4" /> |
| + | |
| + | ...तानेवाग्नीन्पस्त्विरेद्यजमानो दिवौकसः।।12.250.5<ref name=":5" /> |
| + | |
| + | A Vanaprasthi is advised to eat appropriately once in the 6th part or 3rd prahara of the day and avoid intoxicated behaviour. Upholding Agnihotra, Go-seva and all the components of Yajnas as in the grhasthashrama is stated as the dharma of a Vanaprasthi.<ref name=":4" /> |
| + | |
| + | नियतो नियताहारः षष्ठभुक्तोऽप्रमत्तवान् । तदग्निहोत्रं ता गावो यज्ञाङ्गानि च सर्वशः ॥६॥<ref name=":5" /> |
| | | |
| === Uma Shankara Samvada, Anushasana Parva, Mahabharata. === | | === Uma Shankara Samvada, Anushasana Parva, Mahabharata. === |