Source
Texts:
Description
of Varnâs'rama-dharma
Text
1
The Supreme
Lord said: 'In the third part of one's life desiring to enter
the forest should one, by entrusting the wife to the sons or
else being together with her in the forest, thus proceed in
peace.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One who desires to
adopt the third order of life, vânaprastha, should
enter the forest with a peaceful mind, leaving his wife with
his mature sons, or else taking her along with him.
Text
2
One should
arrange for the pure [*]
sustenance of the bulbs, roots and fruits of the forest,
putting on tree bark, grass, leaves or animal skins as
clothes.
Having
adopted the vânaprastha order of life, one should
arrange one's sustenance by eating uncontaminated bulbs,
roots and fruits that grow in the forest. One may dress
oneself with tree bark, grass, leaves or animal
skins.
Text
3
With the hair
on the head and body, the facial hair and the nails to carry
the dirt and the teeth not to be cleansed [at other
times], should one three times a day get into the water and
[at night] sleep on the ground.
The
vânaprastha should not groom the hair on his head,
body or face, should not manicure his nails, should not pass
stool and urine at irregular times and should not make a
special endeavor for dental hygiene. He should be content to
take bath in water three times daily and should sleep on the
ground.
Text
4
Ascetically
tolerating the five fires during the summer, the torrents of
rain during the rainy season and in the cold of winter up to
one's neck being submerged in the water, should one thus
engaged progress with the penance [see also
4.23:
6].
Thus
engaged as a vânaprastha, one should execute penance
during the hottest summer days by subjecting oneself to
burning fires on four sides and the blazing sun overhead;
during the rainy season one should remain outside,
subjecting oneself to torrents of rain; and in the freezing
winter one should remain submerged in water up to one's
neck.
Text
5
At
the right time to eat one should eat what's either prepared on
a fire or what's grinded with a mortar, pulverized with a stone
or grinded with one's teeth.
One
may eat foodstuffs prepared with fire, such as grains, or
fruits ripened by time. One may grind one's food with mortar
and stone or with one's own teeth.
Text
6
He himself
should, practically minded to the place and time and his
strength, gather whatever is needed for his sustenance, and not
store anything for another time [see also
7.12:
19].
The
vânaprastha should personally collect whatever he
requires for his bodily maintenance, carefully considering
the time, place and his own capacity. He should never
collect provisions for the future.
Text
7
A
vânaprastha may worship Me with oblations [of rice,
barley and dâl],
may offer rice cakes or offer fruits to the season, but never,
even though it's scriptural, be of worship with sacrificing
animals.
One
who has accepted the vânaprastha order of life should
perform seasonal sacrifices by offering oblations of caru
and sacrificial cakes prepared from rice and other grains
found in the forest. The vânaprastha, however, may
never offer animal sacrifices to Me, even those sacrifices
mentioned in the Vedas.
Text
8
As before
[when he was a grihastha] he performs the fire
sacrifice, the new moon and the full-moon sacrifice as also the
for the wise by the vedic experts enjoined vows of the four
months' sacrifice [of câturmâsya].
The
vânaprastha should perform the agnihotra, dars'a and
paurnamâsa sacrifices, as he did while in the
grihastha-âs'rama. He should also perform the vows and
sacrifices of câturmâsya, since all of these
rituals are enjoined for the vânaprastha-âs'rama
by expert knowers of the Vedas.
Text
9
Thus practicing
will the sage, of the penance as emaciated that one sees his
veins, worshiping Me, the Goal of All Penance, reach Me in the
world of the seers [see also maharloka].
The
saintly vânaprastha, practicing severe penances and
accepting only the bare necessities of life, becomes so
emaciated that he appears to be mere skin and bones. Thus
worshiping Me through severe penances, he goes to the
Maharloka planet and then directly achieves Me.
Text
10
One then who
for long is of this difficult but glorious penance which awards
liberation, but practices it for trivial sense gratification -
what greater fool would there be but him? [see also
vântâs'î]
One
who with long endeavor executes this painful but exalted
penance, which awards ultimate liberation, simply to achieve
insignificant sense gratification must be considered the
greatest fool.
Text
11
When he in his
regulated activities due to old age with his body trembling is
no longer able to carry on [before he reaches
sannyâsa], should he, fixed on Me, place the fires
within his heart and enter the fire [see also
7.12:
23].
If
the vânaprastha is overtaken by old age and because of
his trembling body is no longer able to execute his
prescribed duties, he should place the sacrificial fire
within his heart by meditation. Then, fixing his mind on Me,
he should enter into the fire and give up his body.
Text
12
When all that
is obtained from the karma, including a higher world, is
nothing but hell to him and full detachment has developed, may
he at that point give up the fire of sacrifice and take to the
renounced order [see also B.G. 18:
2 and
**].
If
the vânaprastha, understanding that even promotion to
Brahmaloka is a miserable situation, develops complete
detachment from all possible results of fruitive activities,
then he may take the sannyâsa order of life.
Text
13
Having
worshiped to the injunctions and having given all he has to the
leader of the ceremony, should he, placing the sacrificial fire
within his life breath, free from expectations take up
sannyâsa
[see also 9.6*].
Having
worshiped Me according to scriptural injunctions and having
given all one's property to the sacrificial priest, one
should place the fire sacrifice within oneself. Thus, with
the mind completely detached, one should enter the
sannyâsa order of life.
Text
14
To the learned
one truly taking up sannyâsa
do the demigods appear in the form of his original wife
[and other allurements] forming stumbling blocks;
surpassing them should the sannyâsî
go for the beyond [see also B.G. 6.25,
1.19:
2-3,
5.6:
4,
11.4:
7].
'This
man taking sannyâsa is going to surpass us and go back
home, back to Godhead.' Thus thinking, the demigods create
stumbling blocks on the path of the sannyâsî by
appearing before him in the shape of his former wife or
other women and attractive objects. But the
sannyâsî should pay the demigods and their
manifestations no heed.
Text
15
If the sage
would wear any clothes he'd cover his loin cloth [or
kaupîna]; with nothing really needed besides his
staff and water pot, has everything else to be given
up.
If
the sannyâsî desires to wear something besides a
mere kaupîna, he may use another cloth around his
waist and hips to cover the kaupîna. Otherwise, if
there is no emergency, he should not accept anything besides
his danda and waterpot.
Text
16
He should place
his foot where his eyes tell purity [viz. the absence of
living beings], he should drink water filtered by his
cloth, he should speak words true of purity; he should do what
his mind says is pure.
A
saintly person should step or place his foot on the ground
only after verifying with his eyes that there are no living
creatures, such as insects, who might be injured by his
foot. He should drink water only after filtering it through
a portion of his cloth, and he should speak only words that
possess the purity of truth. Similarly, he should perform
only those activities his mind has carefully ascertained to
be pure.
Text
17
Taciturnity,
disinclination and the arrest of breath are the strict
disciplines of the voice, of the body and of the mind; he
indeed of whom these do not exist, my dearest, is with his
bamboo rods never a real sannyâsî
[see also tridanda].
One
who has not accepted the three internal disciplines of
avoiding useless speech, avoiding useless activities and
controlling the life air can never be considered a
sannyâsî merely because of his carrying bamboo
rods.
Text
18
Begging with
the four varnas
one should reject the impure [sinful households] while
at random approaching seven different houses and be satisfied
with the amount that is obtained [see also
cakra,
compare 1.4:
8].
Rejecting
those houses that are polluted and untouchable, one should
approach without previous calculation seven houses and be
satisfied with that which is obtained there by begging.
According to necessity, one may approach each of the four
occupational orders of society.
Text
19
Somewhere
outside going to a reservoir of water should one, cleansed by
it, in silence duly distribute what was collected and next eat
the purified remnants in full.
Taking
the food gathered through begging, one should leave the
populated areas and go to a reservoir of water in a secluded
place. There, having taken a bath and washed one's hands
thoroughly, one should distribute portions of the food to
others who may request it. One should do this without
speaking. Then, having thoroughly cleansed the remnants, one
should eat everything on one's plate, leaving nothing for
future consumption.
Text
20
Moving about
alone on this earth free from attachment, with the senses fully
under control and satisfied within in the realization of the
True Self, is he, steady on the spiritual platform, of an equal
vision [B.G. 5:
18, see
bhajan].
Without
any material attachment, with senses fully controlled,
remaining enthusiastic, and satisfied in realization of the
Supreme Lord and his own self, the saintly person should
travel about the earth alone. Having equal vision
everywhere, he should be steady on the spiritual
platform.
Text
21
Dwelling in a
solitary and safe place and purified in his love for Me, should
the sage in his consciousness concentrate on the soul alone as
being non-different from Me.
Dwelling
in a safe and solitary place, his mind purified by constant
thought of Me, the sage should concentrate on the soul
alone, realizing it to be nondifferent from Me.
Text
22
Meditating on
the self being bound and being liberated [see
11.10]
is, when one steady in the knowledge has tied down the senses
distracted in sense-gratification, there the full control over
them and the liberation
By
steady knowledge a sage should clearly ascertain the nature
of the soul's bondage and liberation. Bondage occurs when
the senses are deviated to sense gratification, and complete
control of the senses constitutes liberation.
Text
23
Therefore
should the sage, completely in control with the six divisions
[the senses and the mind], detached from the futile
matters of lust having experienced the great happiness in the
soul, live by the consciousness of Me.
Therefore,
completely controlling the five senses and the mind by
Krishna consciousness, a sage, having experienced spiritual
bliss within the self, should live detached from
insignificant material sense gratification.
Text
24
He
should travel to the places of refuge the earth has and that
are pure with rivers, mountains and forests and [only]
enter the cities, towns and pasturing grounds to beg for alms
with those working for the body.
The
sage should travel in sanctified places, by flowing rivers
and within the solitude of mountains and forests. He should
enter the cities, towns and pasturing grounds and approach
ordinary working men only to beg his bare sustenance.
Text
25
The order of
life living in the forest should always take the position of
begging as by food obtained from gleaning [or living on the
dole] one quickly finds perfection, freedom from illusion
and a purified existence.
One
in the vânaprastha order of life should always
practice taking charity from others, for one is thereby
freed from illusion and quickly becomes perfect in spiritual
life. Indeed, one who subsists on food grains obtained in
such u humble manner purifies his existence.
Text
26
Never should
one consider the perishable that one sees in direct experience
as the ultimate reality; with a consciousness free from
attachment should one retire from activities to advance
materially in this world and in the next.
One
should never see as ultimate reality those material things
which obviously will perish. With consciousness free from
material attachment, one should retire from all activities
meant for material progress in this life and the
next.
Text
27
Fixed in
oneself by the power of reason giving up this universe, which
in the Self is knitted together with the mind, the speech and
the life air [see ahankâra],
should one not keep that deluding material energy in
mind.
One
should logically consider the universe, which is situated
within the Lord, and one's own material body, which is
composed of mind, speech and life air, to be ultimately
products of the Lord's illusory energy. Thus situated in the
self, one should give up one's faith in these things and
should never again make them the object of one's
meditation.
Text
28
Either as
someone dedicated to spiritual knowledge being detached from
external manifestations, or as My devotee not even desiring
liberation, should one [as a paramahamsa],
giving up on the specific outer routines relating to one's
stage of life, live beyond the range of rules and regulations
[see also 10.78:
31-32,
3.29:
25 and
5.1*].
A
learned transcendentalist dedicated to the cultivation of
knowledge and thus detached from external objects, or My
devotee who is detached even from desire for liberation -
both neglect those duties based on external rituals or
paraphernalia. Thus their conduct is beyond the range of
rules and regulations.
Text
29
Though
intelligent should he enjoy life like a child, though most
skilled should he act like a stunted person, though being most
learned should he speak as if he was absent-minded and though
very well knowing the injunctions, should he live unrestricted
['wander as a cow'].
Although
most wise, the paramahamsa should enjoy life like a child,
oblivious to honor and dishonor; although most expert, he
should behave like a stunted, incompetent person; although
most learned, he should speak like an insane person; and
although a scholar learned in Vedic regulations, he should
behave in an unrestricted manner.
Text
30
He should never
be strictly attentive to what the Veda's speak of [viz. the
fruitive sacrifices], nor should he act against them; he
shouldn't be a skeptic nor take sides simply speaking for the
sake of the argument.
A
devotee should never engage in the fruitive rituals
mentioned in the karma-kânda section of the Vedas, nor
should he become atheistic, acting or speaking in opposition
to Vedic injunctions. Similarly, he should never speak like
a mere logician or skeptic or take any side whatsoever in
useless arguments.
Text
31
The saintly
person should never be disturbed because of other people, nor
should he disturb others or ever like an animal with anyone
create a negative sphere to the interest of the body [to be
hostile on territory, food and such]; instead he should
tolerate harsh words and never belittle anyone [see also
B.G. 12:
15].
A
saintly person should never let others frighten or disturb
him and, similarly, should never frighten or disturb other
people. He should tolerate the insults of others and should
never himself belittle anyone. He should never create
hostility with anyone for the sake of the material body, for
he would thus be no better than an animal.
Text
32
The One Supreme
for certain is the Soul situated within all living beings and
within one's own body; just as the moon is in different
reservoirs of water are also all material bodies individual
sparks of the One [see also B.G. 6.29
& 13:
34].
The
one Supreme Lord is situated within all material bodies and
within everyone's soul. Just as the moon is reflected in
innumerable reservoirs of water, the Supreme Lord, although
one, is present within everyone. Thus every material body is
ultimately composed of the energy of the one Supreme
Lord.
Text
33
Fixed
in one's determination should one, at times not obtaining food,
not be depressed nor with whatever one does obtain rejoice;
both are under the control of God.
If
at times one does not obtain proper food one should not be
depressed, and when one obtains sumptuous food one should
not rejoice. Being fixed in determination, one should
understand both situations to be under the control of
God.
Text
34
One should
endeavor in order to eat and to sustain properly one's personal
life force, as by that strength the spiritual truth is
contemplated which, being understood, gives liberation [see
B.G. 6:
16].
If
required, one should endeavor to get sufficient foodstuffs,
because it is always necessary and proper to maintain one's
health. When the senses, mind and life air are fit, one can
contemplate spiritual truth, and by understanding the truth
one is liberated.
Text
35
Whatever first
class or low class food by chance the sage acquires he should
eat, and similarly he should accept whatever clothing and
bedding he acquires without effort.
A
sage should accept the food, clothing and bedding - be they
of excellent or inferior quality - that come of their own
accord.
Text
36
General
cleanliness, washing the hands, taking a bath and other regular
duties should the one of spiritual realization perform without
compulsion, just as I, the Controller, do act to My own will
[see also 7.13].
Just
as I, the Supreme Lord, execute regulative duties by My own
free will, similarly, one who has realized knowledge of Me
should maintain general cleanliness, purify his hands with
water, take bath and execute other regulative duties not by
force but by his own free will.
Text
37
Sure is for him
the perception of separateness that what is destroyed by the
realization of Me; sometimes such a vision lingers till the
body dies, but then everything will turn out well with
Me.
A
realized soul no longer sees anything as separate from Me,
for his realized knowledge of Me has destroyed such illusory
perception. Since the material body and mind were previously
accustomed to this kind of perception, it may sometimes
appear to recur; but at the time of death the self-realized
soul achieves opulences equal to Mine.
Text
38
Unhappy about
the consequences of a lusty life must the one who has not yet
seriously considered Me, with the aversion risen desiring the
spiritual perfection, be of the duty to approach a wise
[bona-fide] person [of proper reference], a
guru [see also B.G. 16:
23-24,
4.34
& 17:
14].
One
who is detached from sense gratification, knowing its result
to be miserable, and who desires spiritual perfection, but
who has not seriously analyzed the process for obtaining Me,
should approach a bona fide and learned spiritual
master.
Text
39
The devotee
should with great faith and respect free from envy that long
serve the spiritual master, who indeed is Me, until he clearly
realizes the spiritual [see also 11.
17: 27].
Until
a devotee has clearly realized spiritual knowledge, he
should continue with great faith and respect and without
envy to render personal service to the guru, who is
nondifferent from Me.
Text
40-41
He then who did
not control the group of six [also: the
anarthas],
he who as the charioteer is impetuous with the senses, he who
is bereft of knowledge and detachment, he who utilizes the
three-stick
staff for
making a living and who denies Me, himself and the godly
situated within himself, is, not having dissolved the
contamination thus spoiling the dharma, unfit for this world as
well as for the next.
One
who has not controlled the six forms of illusion [lust,
anger, greed, excitement, false pride and intoxication],
whose intelligence, the leader of the senses, is extremely
attached to material things, who is bereft of knowledge and
detachment, who adopts the sannyâsa order of life to
make a living, who denies the worshipable demigods, his own
self and the Supreme Lord within himself, thus ruining all
religious principles, and who is still infected by material
contamination, is deviated and lost both in this life and
the next.
Text
42
The nature of a
mendicant is to be equable and nonviolent; penance and
discrimination are of the one living in the forest; the
householder offers shelter and performs sacrifices and a
celibate novice serves the âcârya.
The
main religious duties of a sannyâsî are
equanimity and nonviolence, whereas for the
vânaprastha austerity and philosophical understanding
of the difference between the body and soul are prominent.
The main duties of a householder are to give shelter to all
living entities and perform sacrifices, and the
brahmacârî is mainly engaged in serving the
spiritual master.
Text
43
The celibacy,
austerity, cleanliness, contentment and being friendly towards
all living entities of all those who worship Me, are [the
duty] even of the householder who at the right time is
[supposed to be] approaching his wife [for
procreation, see also B.G. 7:
11]
A
householder may approach his wife for sex only at the time
prescribed for begetting children. Otherwise, the
householder should practice celibacy, austerity, cleanliness
of mind and body, satisfaction in his natural position, and
friendship toward all living entities. Worship of Me is to
be practiced by all human beings, regardless of social or
occupational divisions.
Text
44
The one who
thus according his nature worships Me with no other object of
devotion, will come to realize Me in all living entities and
achieves unflinching devotional service unto Me.
One
who worships Me by his prescribed duty, having no other
object of worship, and who remains conscious of Me as
present in all living entities, achieves unflinching
devotional service unto Me.
Text
45
By unrelenting
devotional service, Uddhava, comes he to Me, the Supreme
Controller of all the Worlds, the Absolute Truth and Ultimate
Cause who gives rise to and puts an end to
everything.
My
dear Uddhava, I am the Supreme Lord of all worlds, and I
create and destroy this universe, being its ultimate cause.
I am thus the Absolute Truth, and one who worships Me with
unfailing devotional service comes to Me.
Text
46
Thus to his own
sense of duty having purified his existence, fully
understanding My supreme position and endowed with spiritual
knowledge and wisdom, will he quite soon meet with
Me.
Thus,
one who has purified his existence by execution of his
prescribed duties, who fully understands My supreme position
and who is endowed with scriptural and realized knowledge,
very soon achieves Me.
Text
47
Characterized
by an established rule of conduct does this religious principle
of the followers of the varnâs'rama-system, who so are
enjoined with this devotion unto Me, award the supreme
perfection of life.
Those
who are followers of this varnâs'rama system accept
religious principles according to authorized traditions of
proper conduct. When such varnâs'rama duties are
dedicated to Me in loving service, they award the supreme
perfection of life.
Text
48
O saintly soul,
with this have I described to you, as you asked, the means by
which one as a devotee may be perfectly engaged according one's
own nature and may come to Me, the One Supreme.
My
dear saintly Uddhava, I have now described to you, just as
you inquired, the means by which My devotee, perfectly
engaged in his prescribed duty, can come back to Me, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
*
S'rîla Bhaktisiddhânta Sarasvatî
Thhâkur quoting from the Manu-samhitâ points out
that the word medhyaih or 'pure' in this context means
that while residing in the forest a sage may not accept
honey-based liquors, animal flesh, fungus, mushrooms,
horseradish or any hallucinogenic or intoxicating herbs, even
those taken as so-called medicine.
**
Shastri C.L. Goswami comments here to his translation of the
book: 'the s'ruti lays down that a brâhmana
may turn out to be a recluse whenever true
vairâgya appears in him in whatever stage of
life'.
