Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 5
Vānaprastha-vidhi and Sannyāsa-dharma: Austerity, Detachment, and the Paramahaṁsa Ideal
अग्निपक्वं समश्नीयात् कालपक्वमथापि वा । उलूखलाश्मकुट्टो वा दन्तोलूखल एव वा ॥ ५ ॥
agni-pakvaṁ samaśnīyāt kāla-pakvam athāpi vā ulūkhalāśma-kuṭṭo vā dantolūkhala eva vā
Er kann Speisen essen, die im Feuer gegart wurden, wie Getreide, oder Früchte, die durch die Zeit gereift sind. Er kann seine Nahrung mit Mörser und Stein zerstoßen oder sogar mit den eigenen Zähnen, als wären sie ein Mörser.
In Vedic civilization it is recommended that at the end of one’s life one should go to a holy place or forest for spiritual perfection. In sacred forests one does not find restaurants, supermarkets, fast-food chains and so on, and thus one must eat simply, reducing sense gratification.
FAQs
In this verse, Kṛṣṇa explains that a renunciant should accept extremely simple food—either cooked by fire or naturally ripened—minimizing dependence on complex preparation and living with austerity.
Kṛṣṇa is teaching Uddhava the conduct of renunciation and self-control—how an aspirant reduces bodily demands and cultivates detachment while remaining focused on spiritual realization.
Adopt voluntary simplicity: reduce unnecessary consumption, prefer plain and wholesome food, and cultivate gratitude and restraint so the mind can stay steady in devotion and self-discipline.