Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच प्रोक्ता गृहस्थवृत्तिस्ते विहिता या मनीषिणाम् तदनन्तरमुक्तं यत्तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर
M. N. Dutt: 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.
Supplementary Passages:
12.236.1 After 1, T2 Kumbh. ed. ins.: *686 व्यासेन कथितं पूर्वं पुत्राय सुमहात्मने
क्रमशस्त्ववधूयैनां तृतीयां वृत्तिमुत्तमाम् संयोगव्रतखिन्नानां वानप्रस्थाश्रमौकसाम्
M. N. Dutt: 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 पार्थ भद्रं ते सर्वलोकाश्रयात्मनाम् प्रेक्षापूर्वं प्रवृत्तानां पुण्यदेशनिवासिनाम्
M. N. Dutt: 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 पश्येद्वलीपलितमात्मनः अपत्यस्यैव चापत्यं वनमेव तदाश्रयेत्
M. N. Dutt: 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 तानेवाग्नीन्परिचरेद्यजमानो दिवौकसः
M. N. Dutt: 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 षष्ठभक्तोऽप्रमादवान् तदग्निहोत्रं ता गावो यज्ञाङ्गानि च सर्वशः
M. N. Dutt: 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.
अकृष्टं वै व्रीहियवं नीवारं विघसानि च हवींषि संप्रयच्छेत मखेष्वत्रापि पञ्चसु
M. N. Dutt: 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 सद्यःप्रक्षालकाः केचित्केचिन्मासिकसंचयाः
M. N. Dutt: 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 केचित्केचिद्द्वादशवार्षिकम् कुर्वन्त्यतिथिपूजार्थं यज्ञतन्त्रार्थसिद्धये
M. N. Dutt: 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 पञ्चतपसः शश्वच्च मितभोजनाः
M. N. Dutt: 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 तिष्ठेद्वा प्रपदैरपि स्थानासनैर्वर्तयन्ति सवनेष्वभिषिञ्चते
M. N. Dutt: 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.
दन्तोलूखलिनः केचिदश्मकुट्टास्तथापरे शुक्लपक्षे पिबन्त्येके यवागूं क्वथितां सकृत्
M. N. Dutt: 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 पिबन्त्येके भुञ्जते च यथाक्रमम् मूलैरेके फलैरेके पुष्पैरेके दृढव्रताः
M. N. Dutt: 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.
वर्तयन्ति यथान्यायं वैखानसमतं श्रिताः एताश्चान्याश्च विविधा दीक्षास्तेषां मनीषिणाम्
AI Translation: They practice the Vaisnava way of life according to the rules. These and other various initiations are performed for those wise men.
चतुर्थश्चौपनिषदो धर्मः साधारणः स्मृतः वानप्रस्थो गृहस्थश्च ततोऽन्यः संप्रवर्तते
M. N. Dutt: 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
AI Translation: In this very age, O son, by the Brahmanas who are seers of all things, Agastya, the seven sages, Madhucchada, and Aghamarshaṇa,
सांकृतिः सुदिवा तण्डिर्यवान्नोऽथ कृतश्रमः अहोवीर्यस्तथा काव्यस्ताण्ड्यो मेधातिथिर्बुधः
AI Translation: Sankṛti, Sudiva, Taṇḍi, Yavanna, Kṛtaśrama, Ahovīrya, Kāvya, Tāṇḍya, Medhātithi, and Buddha.
शलो वाकश्च निर्वाकः शून्यपालः कृतश्रमः एवंधर्मसु विद्वांसस्ततः स्वर्गमुपागमन्
AI Translation: Śala, Vāk, Nirvāka, Śūnyapāla, and Kṛtaśrama These wise ones, knowing the Dharma, then went to heaven.
तात प्रत्यक्षधर्माणस्तथा यायावरा गणाः ऋषीणामुग्रतपसां धर्मनैपुणदर्शिनाम्
AI Translation: Father, the Pratyakṣadharman, the Yāyāvaras, the groups of sages, of fierce austerities, who see the skill in Dharma,
अवाच्यापरिमेयाश्च ब्राह्मणा वनमाश्रिताः वैखानसा वालखिल्याः सिकताश्च तथापरे
AI Translation: The Brahmanas who are not to be spoken of, the immeasurable ones, and those who have resorted to the forest, The Vaikhanasas, the Valakhilyas, and the Sikatas.
कर्मभिस्ते निरानन्दा धर्मनित्या जितेन्द्रियाः गताः प्रत्यक्षधर्माणस्ते सर्वे वनमाश्रिताः अनक्षत्रा अनाधृष्या दृश्यन्ते ज्योतिषां गणाः
AI Translation: Those who are free from desire, who are always engaged in Dharma, who have conquered the senses, Those who have attained direct knowledge of Dharma, all of them have resorted to the forest. The groups of luminaries are seen to be without stars, without obstruction.
जरया च परिद्यूनो व्याधिना च प्रपीडितः चतुर्थे चायुषः शेषे वानप्रस्थाश्रमं त्यजेत् सद्यस्कारां निरूप्येष्टिं सर्ववेदसदक्षिणाम्
AI Translation: Afflicted by old age and oppressed by disease, And with only a fourth of his life remaining, he should abandon the stage of forest hermit. Having performed the Sadyaskara Iṣṭi with all the sacrificial fees prescribed in the Vedas,
आत्मयाजी सोऽऽत्मरतिरात्मक्रीडात्मसंश्रयः आत्मन्यग्नीन्समारोप्य त्यक्त्वा सर्वपरिग्रहान्
AI Translation: He is the self-sacrificer, the self-enjoyer, the self-player, the self-refuge. Having deposited the fires in the self, having abandoned all possessions,
सद्यस्क्रांश्च यजेद्यज्ञानिष्टीश्चैवेह सर्वदा सदैव याजिनां यज्ञादात्मनीज्या निवर्तते
AI Translation: One should always perform the Sadyaskraṃ and the Iṣṭi sacrifices. The sacrifice of the sacrificer always returns to the self from the sacrifice.
त्रींश्चैवाग्नीन्यजेत्सम्यगात्मन्येवात्ममोक्षणात् प्राणेभ्यो यजुषा पञ्च षट्प्राश्नीयादकुत्सयन्
AI Translation: And he should offer the three fires properly, for the liberation of the self. He should eat five or six times with the Yajus, not despising the vital airs.
केशलोमनखान्वाप्य वानप्रस्थो मुनिस्ततः आश्रमादाश्रमं सद्यः पूतो गच्छति कर्मभिः
M. N. Dutt: 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 यो दत्त्वा प्रव्रजेद्द्विजः लोकास्तेजोमयास्तस्य प्रेत्य चानन्त्यमश्नुते
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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 चैवात्मगतेषु न व्यथे;त्स्वशास्त्रसूत्राहुतिमन्त्रविक्रमः भवेद्यथेष्टा गतिरात्मयाजिनो; न संशयो धर्मपरे जितेन्द्रिये
M. N. Dutt: 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.
ततः परं श्रेष्ठमतीव सद्गुणै;रधिष्ठितं त्रीनधिवृत्तमुत्तमम् चतुर्थमुक्तं परमाश्रमं शृणु; प्रकीर्त्यमानं परमं परायणम्
M. N. Dutt: 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.