Mokshadharma Parva — The duties of the Vanaprastha mode of Life

Bhishma said You have been told what the duties of a householders are as ordained by the wise. Listen now, O Yudhisthira, to the next class of duties.

Gradually leading off the domestic mode, one should enter the third mode which is good. It is the mode which is followed by persons who living with their wives pain themselves by means of austerities. It is the mode followed by those who live in forest as hermits.

Blessed be you, O son, listen to the duties observed by those who follow this mode of life in which are set forth the practices of all men and all modes of life. Listen, indeed, to the duties of those who live in sacred spots and who have adopted this mode after proper consideration.

Vyasa said When the householder sees his body wrinkled and hair white on his head, and children of his children, he should then retire into the forest.

He should pass the third portion of his life as Vanaprastha. He should worship those sacred fires to which he had attended while a householder. Desirous of performing sacrifices, he should also worship the gods.

Observing vows and being sparing in diet, he should eat only once, during the sixth part of the day. He should be always careful. Adoring his fires, he should keep some kine, serving them dutifully. He should perform all the rituals of a sacrifice.

He should live upon rice and wheat which grows indigenously, and upon other sorts of grains, growing wildly. He should eat the remnant after feeding guests. In the third mode of life, he should make offerings of clarified butter in the five celebrated Sacrifices.

Four courses of conduct have been laid down for the Vanaprastha mode of life. Some gather only what is necessary for the day. Some store up things for a month.

Some collect grain and other necessaries sufficient to last for twelve years. Hermits may act thus for adoring guests and performning sacrifices.

They should during the rains, expose themselves to rain and go to water during the autumn. In summer, they should sit in the midst of four fires with the sun burning overhead. Throughout the year, however, they should be sparing in deit.

They should sit and sleep on the naked earth. They stand on only their toes. They should be satisfied with the bare earth and with small mats of grass. They perform their ablutions morning, noon, and evening.

Some amongst them use only their teeth for cleaning grain. Others use only stones for the same, Some amongst them drink, only during the light fortnight, boiled very lightly, gruel of wheat (or other, grain).

Others drink similar gruel only during the dark fortnight. Some eat what only comes of itself. Some practising rigid vows, live upon only roots, some upon only fruits, some upon only flowers, duly following the method followed by the Vaikhanashas.

These and various other observances are practised by those wise and pious men. The fourth mode of life is based upon the Upanishads. The duties prescribed for it may be observed in all the modes of life equally. Differing from the others this mode comes afler domestic and forest life.

In this very cycle, O son, many learned Brahmanas knowing the truths of all things, have been known to observe this mode. Agastya, the seven Rishis Madhuchchhandas, Aghamarshana, Sankriti, Sudivatandi who lived with her soever he pleased and was content to take what came (without ever secking for anything), Ahovirya, Kavya, Tandya, the learned medhatithi, the highly energetic Karnanirvaka, and Shunyapala who had worked hard (for acquiring Yoga powel), were the authors of this course of duties, and themselves practising them, have all gone to heaven.

Many great Rishis, O son, who had the power to see immediately the fruits of their ascetic merit, those numberless ascetics who pass by the appellation of Yayavaras, many Rishis of very austere penances and endued with accurate knowledge about distinctions of duty, and many other Brahınanas too numerous to mention, adopted the forest mode of life. The Vaikhanasas, the Valikhilyas, the Saikatas, all of whom were given to austere penances, who were firm in virtue, who had controlled their senses, and who used to see the fruits of their penances immediately, adopted this mode of life and finally went to heaven.

Freed from fear and not counted with the stars and planets, these have become visible in the sky as luminaries. When the fourth or last part of life is got at, and when one is weakened by decrepitude and possessed by disease, one should leave off the forest mode of life. Performing a sacrifice capable of being completed in a single day and in which the sacrificial fee should be everything he has, he should himself perforin his own funeral rite. Withdrawn from every other object, he should devote himself to his own self, taking pleasure in himself, and depending also on his own self. He should put up all his sacrificial fires (thenceforth) upon his ownself, and sever all sorts of bonds and attachments.

He should always celebrate such sacrifices and rites as are completed in a single day. When, however, from performance of the (ordinary) sacrifices of sacrificers, the Sacrifice in Self begins, then for liberation he should sacrifice his own self in the three fires. Without linding fault with his food he should take five or six mouthfuls, offering them duly to the five vital airs uttering Mantras of the Yajurveda.

Practising austerities while living like a forest recluse, one should shave off and having purified himself by acts, pass into the fourth and the last holy mode of life.

That twice-born one who enters the fourth mode of life, giving pledges of assurance to all creatures, succeeds in acquiring many effulgent regions hereafter and ultimately attains to the Infinite.

Of excellent disposition and conduct, with sins all purged off the person who is conversant with his own self never wished to perform any act for either this or the other world. Shorn of anger, error, anxiety and without friendship, such a person live in this world like one having nothing to do with it.

One in the (observance of Sannyasa) should not be unwilling in satisfying the duties included in Yama and those also that walk behind them. Such a person should live energetically according to the ordinances laid down his own mode, and leave off Vedic study and the sacred thread which marks his birth. Given to righteousness and having his senses under complete control, such a person endued with knowledge of self, attains forsooth, to the end for which he tries.

After the third is the fourth mode of life. It is very superior, and has numberless high virtues. In merit it reigns supreme over the three other modes of life. It is said to occupy the very highest place. Listen to me as I describe the duties belonging to that mode which is very supreme and which is the high refuge of all.