Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
तीर्थान्यनुवसेच्चैव पुण्याश्चावाश्रमांस्तथा । यदि वन्यैर्न जीवेत ग्रामे भिक्षां समाचरेत् ॥ ११ ॥
tīrthānyanuvaseccaiva puṇyāścāvāśramāṃstathā | yadi vanyairna jīveta grāme bhikṣāṃ samācaret || 11 ||
Er soll in heiligen Tīrthas und ebenso in frommen Āśramas verweilen. Kann er nicht von Waldfrüchten leben, so gehe er ins Dorf und erhalte sich ordnungsgemäß durch Almosen (bhikṣā).
Sanatkumāra (in instruction to Nārada on dharma/āśrama conduct)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It outlines a disciplined, non-possessive lifestyle: staying in sanctified places (tīrthas/āśramas) and sustaining the body with minimal dependence, using alms only when forest sustenance is insufficient.
By prescribing simple living and holy residence, it supports a mind free from acquisition and distraction—conditions that make steady remembrance and worship of Bhagavān easier, even though the verse speaks primarily of conduct.
It implies Kalpa/Dharma-śāstra practicality: the proper rule of subsistence (vanya first, then bhikṣā) and appropriate conduct for an āśrama-based life.