Vanaprasthashrama (वानप्रस्थाश्रमः)
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The Bhagavata Purana, Skanda 7, Chapter 12, explains the code of conduct prescribed for Vanaprasthas.[1] They are as follows:
- A Vanaprastha should not eat the product of cultivation (eg. rice, wheat) or anything (like fruits, roots etc.), which though not a product of tillage, ripened before time. He should not partake of food cooked on fire. He should subsist on what is ripe or cooked by rays of the Sun.
न कृष्टपच्यमश्नीयादकृष्टं चाप्यकालतः । अग्निपक्वमथामं वा अर्कपक्वमुताहरेत् ॥ १८॥[2]
na kr̥ṣṭapacyamaśnīyādakr̥ṣṭaṁ cāpyakālataḥ । agnipakvamathāmaṁ vā arkapakvamutāharet ॥ 18॥
- He should prepare charu (an oblation of rice, barley and pulse boiled for offering to deities and pitrs) and Purodasha (boiled rice rounded into a cake for offering to different deities) of corn, wild growth (Nivara) and of a permanent nature. And when he procures new and fresh eatables, he should reject the old ones (stored by him).
वन्यैश्चरुपुरोडाशान् निर्वपेत्कालचोदितान् । लब्धे नवे नवेऽन्नाद्ये पुराणं तु परित्यजेत् ॥ १९॥[2]
vanyaiścarupuroḍāśān nirvapetkālacoditān । labdhe nave nave'nnādye purāṇaṁ tu parityajet ॥ 19॥
- It is just for the preservation of the sacred fire that he should take shelter in a house or cottage or a cave in mountains. He himself should bear exposure to snow, wind, fire, rain and heat of the Sun.
अग्न्यर्थमेव शरणमुटजं वाद्रिकन्दराम् । श्रयेत हिमवाय्वग्निवर्षार्कातपषाट् स्वयम् ॥ २०॥[2]
agnyarthameva śaraṇamuṭajaṁ vādrikandarām । śrayeta himavāyvagnivarṣārkātapaṣāṭ svayam ॥ 20॥
- The Vanaprastha with matted hair (on the head) should wear (without shaving) the hair on his body, moustaches, beard and nails and dirt (not properly washed). He should take with him kamandalu (a pot of water), deer-skin, staff, bark-garments and utensils of fire worship. The sage should thus wander in the forest for twelve, eight, four, two or one year ie. to that length of time which the mind does not get troubled through the (severity of) austerities.
केशरोमनखश्मश्रुमलानि जटिलो दधत् । कमण्डल्वजिने दण्डवल्कलाग्निपरिच्छदान् ॥ २१॥
चरेद्वने द्वादशाब्दानष्टौ वा चतुरो मुनिः । द्वावेकं वा यथा बुद्धिर्न विपद्येत कृच्छ्रतः ॥ २२॥[2]
keśaromanakhaśmaśrumalāni jaṭilo dadhat । kamaṇḍalvajine daṇḍavalkalāgniparicchadān ॥ 21॥caredvane dvādaśābdānaṣṭau vā caturo muniḥ । dvāvekaṁ vā yathā buddhirna vipadyeta kr̥cchrataḥ ॥ 22॥
- If (after the period of stay in the forest) he finds that, owing to ill health (diseases) or old age, he is incapable of pursuing his courses of duties (as a Vanaprastha) or prosecuting his studies in philosophy, he should adopt the vow of fasting, etc. (If he is capable, he should become a Sannyasi - a recluse).[1]
यदाकल्पः स्वक्रियायां व्याधिभिर्जरयाथवा । आन्वीक्षिक्यां वा विद्यायां कुर्यादनशनादिकम् ॥ २३॥[2]
yadākalpaḥ svakriyāyāṁ vyādhibhirjarayāthavā । ānvīkṣikyāṁ vā vidyāyāṁ kuryādanaśanādikam ॥ 23॥
- (Before beginning the fast) he should withdraw and deposit the sacred fires (eg. ahavaniya and others) within his Self. He should renounce the notions of 'I' and 'Mine', and should merge the constituents of his body in their own causes (viz. the sky, air and other three elements).[1]
आत्मन्यग्नीन् समारोप्य सन्न्यस्याहंममात्मताम् । कारणेषु न्यसेत्सम्यक् सङ्घातं तु यथार्हतः ॥ २४॥[2]
ātmanyagnīn samāropya sannyasyāhaṁmamātmatām । kāraṇeṣu nyasetsamyak saṅghātaṁ tu yathārhataḥ ॥ 24॥
- A self-controlled man should merge the cavities in his bodies (eg. eyes, ears, nostrils) into the sky (the element-the mahabhuta called akasha), his exhalations (vital-breaths) into the air, the temperature of his body into the fire, (fluids like) blood, phlegm and pus into the water and the rest (hard substances like bones, muscles etc.) into the earth - thus assigning them each to its respective origin. (Thus he should merge his gross body). [1]
खे खानि वायौ निश्वासांस्तेजस्यूष्माणमात्मवान् । अप्स्वसृक्श्लेष्मपूयानि क्षितौ शेषं यथोद्भवम् ॥ २५॥[2]
khe khāni vāyau niśvāsāṁstejasyūṣmāṇamātmavān । apsvasr̥kśleṣmapūyāni kṣitau śeṣaṁ yathodbhavam ॥ 25॥
- He should consign his speech along with the organ of speech to the Fire, even his hands and handicraft to Indra, his feet along with (the power of) locomotion to Vishnu, the organ of pleasure (along with the power of procreation) to Prajapati (deity presiding over procreation).[1]
वाचमग्नौ सवक्तव्यामिन्द्रे शिल्पं करावपि । पदानि गत्या वयसि रत्योपस्थं प्रजापतौ ॥ २६॥[2]
vācamagnau savaktavyāmindre śilpaṁ karāvapi । padāni gatyā vayasi ratyopasthaṁ prajāpatau ॥ 26॥