12.236
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
proktā gṛhasthavṛttis te vihitā yā manīṣiṇām। tadanantaram uktaṃ yat tan nibodha yudhiṣṭhira ॥12-236-1॥
The duties of a householder, which have been prescribed for the wise, have been explained to you. Now, O Yudhishthira, listen to what comes next.
kramaśas tv avadhūyaināṃ tṛtīyāṃ vṛttim uttamām। saṃyoga-vrata-khinnānāṃ vānaprasthāśramaukasām॥12-236-2॥
But then, in due order, having given up this third excellent way of life, for those forest-dwelling hermitage dwellers who are wearied by union and vows.
śrūyatāṃ pārtha bhadraṃ te sarvalokāśrayātmanām। prekṣāpūrvaṃ pravṛttānāṃ puṇyadeśanivāsinām ॥12-236-3॥
Listen, O Pārtha, may you be blessed. This concerns those whose selves are the refuge of all worlds, who have gone before, and who dwell in holy places, having observed (the proper rites).
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said.
gṛhasthastu yadā paśyed valīpalitam ātmanaḥ। apatyasyaiva cāpatyaṃ vanam eva tad āśrayet ॥12-236-4॥
When a householder perceives wrinkles and grey hair on himself, and sees his own child’s child, then he should retire to the forest.
tṛtīyam āyuṣo bhāgaṃ vānaprasthāśrame vaset। tān evāgnīn paricared yajamāno divaukasah ॥12-236-5॥
For a third of his life, one should reside in the hermitage of forest-dwellers; the sacrificer should properly tend those sacred fires of the gods.
niyato niyatāhāraḥ ṣaṣṭhabhakto'pramādavān। tadagnihotraṃ tā gāvo yajñāṅgāni ca sarvaśaḥ ॥12-236-6॥
A person who is self-controlled, regulated in food, who eats the sixth meal and is vigilant—such a person is equivalent to Agnihotra, to cows, and to all the limbs of sacrifice in every respect.
akṛṣṭaṃ vai vrīhiyavaṃ nīvāraṃ vighasāni ca। havīṃṣi samprayacchet makheṣv atrāpi pañcasu ॥12-236-7॥
One should offer uncultivated grains, rice and barley, wild rice, and leftover food as oblations in sacrifices, even here in these five (types of sacrifices).
vānaprasthāśrame'py etāś catasro vṛttayaḥ smṛtāḥ। sadyaḥprakṣālakāḥ kecit kecin māsikasañcayāḥ ॥12-236-8॥
In the hermitage of forest-dwellers, four modes of life are recognized: some cleanse immediately, while others accumulate (offerings or actions) monthly.
vārṣikaṃ sañcayaṃ kecit kecid dvādaśa-vārṣikam। kurvanti atithi-pūjārtham yajña-tantra-artha-siddhaye ॥12-236-9॥
Some people make an annual collection, while others do so every twelve years, for the purpose of guest worship and to accomplish the aims of sacrificial ritual procedures.
abhrāvakāśā varṣāsu hemante jalasaṃśrayāḥ। grīṣme ca pañcatapasaḥ śaśvacca mitabhojanāḥ ॥12-236-10॥
During the rainy season, they dwell in the open; in winter, they resort to water; in summer, they practice the five-fire austerity; and always, they eat moderately.
bhūmau viparivartante tiṣṭhedvā prapadairapi| sthānāsanairvartayanti savaneṣvabhiṣiñcate ||12-236-11||
They turn around on the ground, or may stand even with their feet; by means of standing and sitting postures, they move, and in the sacrifices, he anoints.
dantolūkhalinaḥ kecidaśmakuṭṭāstathāpare| śuklapakṣe pibantyeke yavāgūṃ kvathitāṃ sakṛt ॥12-236-12॥
Some use their teeth as mortars, some pound with stones, and others likewise; during the bright fortnight, some drink barley gruel that has been boiled once.
kṛṣṇapakṣe pibantyeke bhuñjate ca yathākramam। mūlaireke phalaireke puṣpaireke dṛḍhavratāḥ ॥12-236-13॥
During the dark fortnight, some drink, some eat, each in due order; some steadfast in their vows subsist on roots, some on fruits, and some on flowers.
vartayanti yathā-nyāyaṃ vaikhānasamataṃ śritāḥ। etāś ca anyāś ca vividhā dīkṣās teṣāṃ manīṣiṇām ॥12-236-14॥
They follow the Vaikhānasa doctrine as prescribed, and these and other various initiations belong to those sages.
caturthaś caupaniṣado dharmaḥ sādhāraṇaḥ smṛtaḥ। vānaprastho gṛhasthaś ca tato'nyaḥ sampravartate ॥12-236-15॥
The fourth, namely the Upaniṣads, is remembered as a common duty. From that, the forest-dweller and the householder, and then another, proceed.
asminneva yuge tāta vipraiḥ sarvārthadarśibhiḥ। agastyaḥ sapta ṛṣayo madhucchando’ghamarṣaṇaḥ ॥12-236-16॥
O dear one, in this very age, Agastya, the seven sages, Madhucchandas, and Aghamarṣaṇa were recognized by the Brāhmaṇas who perceive all meanings.
sāṅkṛtiḥ sudivā taṇḍiryavānno'tha kṛtaśramaḥ। ahovīryastathā kāvyastāṇḍyo medhātithirbudhaḥ ॥12-236-17॥
Saṅkṛti, Sudivā, Taṇḍiryavān, and our accomplished one; then Ahovīrya, likewise Kāvya, Tāṇḍya, Medhātithi, and Budha.
śalo vākaś ca nirvākaḥ śūnyapālaḥ kṛtaśramaḥ। evaṃ dharmasu vidvāṃs tataḥ svargam upāgaman ॥12-236-18॥
Thus, the learned ones, having made effort in virtues, whether weak, eloquent, or silent, protectors of emptiness, then attained heaven.
tāta pratyakṣadharmāṇas tathā yāyāvarā gaṇāḥ। ṛṣīṇām ugratapasāṃ dharmanaipuṇadarśinām ॥12-236-19॥
O father, likewise, the groups of wandering ascetics—those whose dharma is evident, the sages, those of intense austerity, and those who perceive the subtleties of dharma.
avācyāparimeyāś ca brāhmaṇā vanam āśritāḥ। vaikhānasā vālkhilyāḥ sikatāś ca tathāpare ॥12-236-20॥
There were Brāhmaṇas of unspeakable and immeasurable qualities who had taken refuge in the forest; among them were the Vaikhānasa, Vālkhilya, Sikatā sages, and others as well.
karmabhis te nirānandā dharmanityā jitendriyāḥ। gatāḥ pratyakṣadharmāṇas te sarve vanamāśritāḥ॥ anakṣatrā anādhṛṣyā dṛśyante jyotiṣāṃ gaṇāḥ॥12-236-21॥
By their actions, those who are without joy, always righteous, and have conquered their senses, all those whose dharma is manifest have gone and taken refuge in the forest. Groups of luminaries, without stars and unassailable, are seen.
jarayā ca paridyūno vyādhinā ca prapīḍitaḥ। caturthe cāyuṣaḥ śeṣe vānaprasthāśramaṃ tyajet॥ sadyaskārāṃ nirūpyeṣṭiṃ sarvavedasadakṣiṇām॥12-236-22॥
When one is afflicted by old age and oppressed by disease, in the fourth and remaining part of life, one should abandon the stage of the forest-dweller. Having performed the immediate rite, one should offer a sacrifice with gifts to all the Vedas.
ātmayājī so''tmaratirātmakrīḍātmasaṃśrayaḥ। ātmagyāninsamāropya tyaktvā sarvapari-grahān ॥12-236-23॥
He who offers sacrifice to the self, delights in the self, plays in the self, and takes refuge in the self, having established the sacrificial fires within himself and having renounced all possessions.
sadyaskrāṃś ca yajed yajñāniṣṭīś caiva iha sarvadā। sadaiva yājināṃ yajñād ātmanījyā nivartate ॥12-236-24॥
One should always perform sacrifices and oblations immediately here; for the sacrificers, the worship that is performed through sacrifice ultimately ceases in the self.
trīṃścaivāgnīnyajetsamyagātmanyevaātmamokṣaṇāt। prāṇebhyo yajuṣā pañca ṣaṭprāśnīyādakutsayan ॥12-236-25॥
One should properly worship thirty fires within oneself for self-liberation; and, using the Yajus, one should partake of five or six offerings from the vital breaths, without any contempt.
keśalomnakhānvāpy vānaprastho munistataḥ। āśramādāśramaṃ sadyaḥ pūto gacchati karmabhiḥ ॥12-236-26॥
The forest-dweller sage, even with hair, body hair, and nails, immediately becomes purified by his actions as he moves from one hermitage to another.
abhayaṃ sarvabhūtebhyo yo dattvā pravrajed dvijaḥ। lokās tejomayās tasya pretya cānantyam aśnute॥12-236-27॥
If a twice-born, having given fearlessness to all beings, renounces, he attains worlds full of brilliance and endlessness after death.
suśīlavṛtto vyapanītakalmaṣo; na ceha nāmutra ca kartumīhate. aroṣamoho gatasandhivigraho; bhavedudāsīnavadātmavinnarah ॥12-236-28॥
A man of good conduct, whose impurities are removed, who does not desire to act either here or hereafter, who is free from anger and delusion, who has transcended alliance and conflict, should remain like an indifferent person, as a knower of the self.
yameṣu caivātmagateṣu na vyathe; tsvaśāstrasūtrāhutimantravikramaḥ. bhavedyathetṣṭā gatirātmayājino; na saṃśayo dharmapare jitendriye ॥12-236-29॥
There is no disturbance in the Yamas and in those who have realized the Self; for one who follows his own scripture, aphorisms, offerings, mantras, and efforts, the self-sacrificer attains the desired goal; there is no doubt for one devoted to dharma and who has mastered his senses.
tataḥ paraṃ śreṣṭham atīva sadguṇaiḥ; rādhiṣṭhitaṃ trīn adhivṛttam uttamam। caturtham uktaṃ paramāśramaṃ śṛṇu; prakīrtyamānaṃ paramaṃ parāyaṇam ॥12-236-30॥
Thereafter, listen about the fourth, the supreme āśrama, which is established with excellent virtues, surpassing the other three, and is praised as the highest and ultimate goal.
