Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 18
Brahmacarya and Vānaprastha Duties; Gradual Dissolution of Bodily Identity
न कृष्टपच्यमश्नीयादकृष्टं चाप्यकालत: । अग्निपक्वमथामं वा अर्कपक्वमुताहरेत् ॥ १८ ॥
na kṛṣṭa-pacyam aśnīyād akṛṣṭaṁ cāpy akālataḥ agni-pakvam athāmaṁ vā arka-pakvam utāharet
A person in vānaprastha life should not eat grains grown by tilling of the fields. He should also not eat grains that have grown without tilling of the field but are not fully ripe. Nor should a vānaprastha eat grains cooked in fire. Indeed, he should eat only fruit ripened by the sunshine.
FAQs
This verse advises regulated acceptance of food—avoiding improper or untimely eating—and taking only properly prepared food (cooked, suitably raw, or sun-ripened) as part of dharmic self-control.
In this chapter he outlines varṇāśrama-based conduct and restraints that support purity, sense control, and steadiness—favorable for progress in devotion.
Eat at appropriate times, avoid impulsive or irregular eating, choose clean and wholesome food, and keep the purpose spiritual—supporting clarity, restraint, and devotion.