भीष्म उवाच प्रोक्ता गृहस्थवृत्तिस्ते विहिता या मनीषिभिः। तदनन्तरमुक्तं यत् तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर॥
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.
क्रमशस्त्ववधूयैनां तृतीयां वृत्तिमुत्तमाम्। संयोगव्रतखिन्नानां वानप्रस्थाश्रमौकसाम्॥
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.
श्रूयतां पुत्र भद्रं ते सर्वलोकाश्रमात्मनाम्। प्रेक्षापूर्वं प्रवृत्तानां पुण्यदेशनिवासिनाम्॥
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.
व्यास उवाच गृहस्थस्तु यदा पश्येद् वलीपलितमात्मनः। अपत्यस्यैव चापत्यं वनमेव तदा श्रयेत्॥
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.
तृतीयमायुषो भागं वानप्रस्थाश्रमे वसेत्। तानेवाग्नीन् परिचरेद् यजमानो दिवौकसः॥
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.
नियतो नियताहारः षष्ठभुक्तोऽप्रमत्तवान्। तदग्निहोत्रं ता गावो यज्ञाङ्गानि च सर्वशः॥
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.
अफालकृष्टं व्रीहियवं नीवारं विघसानि च। हींषि सम्प्रयच्छेत मखेष्वत्रापि पञ्चसु॥
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.
वानप्रस्थाश्रमेऽप्येताश्चतस्रो वृत्तयः स्मृताः। सद्य:प्रक्षालकाः केचित् केचिन्मासिकसंचयाः॥
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.
वार्षिकं संचयं केचित् केचिद् द्वादशवार्षिकम्। कुर्वन्त्यतिथिपूजार्थं यज्ञतन्त्रार्थमेव वा॥
Some collect grain and other necessaries sufficient to last for twelve years. Hermits may act thus for adoring guests and performning sacrifices.
अभ्रावकाशा वर्षासु हेमन्ते जलसंश्रयाः। ग्रीष्मे च पञ्च तपसः शश्वच्च मितभोजनाः॥
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.
भूमौ विपरिवर्तन्ते तिष्ठन्ति प्रपदैरपि। स्थानासनैर्वर्तयन्ति सवनेष्वभिषिञ्चते॥
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.
दन्तोलूखलिकाः केचिदश्मकुट्टास्तथा परे। शुक्लपक्षे पिबन्त्येके यवागू क्वथितां सकृत्॥
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).
कृष्णपक्षे पिबन्त्यन्ये भुजते वा यथागतम्। मूलैरेके फलैरेके युष्पैरेके दृढव्रताः॥ वर्तयन्ति यथान्यायं वैखानसगतिं श्रिताः।
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.
एताश्चान्याश्च विविधा दीक्षास्तेषां मनीषिणाम्॥ चतुर्थश्चौपनिषदो धर्म: साधारणः स्मृतः। वानप्रस्थाद् गृहस्थाच्च ततोऽन्यः सम्प्रवर्तते॥
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.
अस्मिन्नेव युगे तात विप्रैः सर्वार्थदर्शिभिः। अगस्त्यः सप्त ऋषयो मधुच्छन्दोऽघमर्षणः॥ सांकृतिः सुदिवा तण्डियथावासोऽकृतश्रमः। अहोवीर्यस्तथा काव्यस्ताण्ड्यो मेधातिथिर्बुधः॥ बलवान् कर्णनिर्वाक: शून्यपालः कृतश्रमः। एनं धर्म कृतवन्तस्ततः स्वर्गमुपागमन॥
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.
तात प्रत्यक्षधर्माणस्तथा यायावरा गणाः। ऋषीणामुग्रतपसां धर्मनैपुणदर्शिनाम्॥ अन्ये चापरिमेयाश्च ब्राह्मणा वनमाश्रिताः। वैखानसा वालखिल्याः सैकताश्च तथा परे॥ कर्मभिस्ते निरानन्दा धर्मनित्या जितेन्द्रियाः। गताः प्रत्यक्षधर्माणस्ते सर्वे वनमाश्रिताः॥
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.
अनक्षत्रास्त्वनाधृष्या दृश्यन्ते ज्योतिषां गणाः। जरया च परिधनो व्याधिना च प्रपीडितः॥ चतुर्थे चायुषः शेषे वानप्रस्थाश्रमं त्यजेत्। सद्यस्कारां निरूप्येष्टिं सर्व वेदसदक्षिणाम्॥ आत्मयाजी सोऽऽत्मरतिरात्मक्रीडात्मसंश्रयः। आत्मन्यग्नीन् समारोप्य त्यक्त्वा सर्वपरिग्रहान्॥
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.
साधरकांश्च यजेद् यज्ञानिष्टीश्चैवेह सर्वदा। यदैव याजिनां यज्ञादात्मनीज्या प्रवर्तते।॥ त्रींश्चैवाग्नीन् यजेत् सम्यगात्मन्येवात्ममोक्षणात्। प्राणेभ्यो यजुषः पञ्च षट् प्राश्नीयादकुत्सयन्॥
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.
केशलोमनखान् वाप्य वानप्रस्थो मुनिस्ततः। आश्रमादाश्रमं पुण्यं पूतो गच्छति कर्मभिः॥
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.
अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो दत्त्वा यः प्रव्रजेद् द्विजः। लोकास्तेजोमयास्तस्य प्रेत्य चानन्त्यमश्नुते॥
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.
सुशीलवृत्तो व्यपनीतकल्मषो न चेह नामुत्र च कर्तुमीहते। अरोषमोहो गतसंधिविग्रहो भवेदुदासीनवदात्मविन्नरः॥
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.
यमेषु चैवानुगतेषु न व्यथे स्वशास्त्रसूत्राहुतिमन्त्रविक्रमः। भवेद् यथेष्टागतिरात्मवेदिनि न संशयो धर्मपरे जितेन्द्रिये।॥
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.
रधिष्ठितं त्रीनधिवृत्तिमुत्तमम्। चतुर्थमुक्तं परमाश्रमं शृणु प्रकीर्त्यमानं परमं परायणम्॥
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.