Shloka 23
महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self
चतुर्थे चायुष: शेषे वानप्रस्थाश्रमं त्यजेत् । सद्यस्कारां निरूप्येष्टिं सर्ववेदसदक्षिणाम्
caturthe cāyuṣaḥ śeṣe vānaprasthāśramaṃ tyajet | sadyaskārāṃ nirūpyeṣṭiṃ sarvavedasadakṣiṇām ||
Dijo Vyāsa: Cuando queda el cuarto y último tramo de la vida, uno debe abandonar la etapa de retiro en el bosque (vānaprastha). Tras disponer los ritos inmediatos y establecer una ofrenda sacrificial acompañada de los dones (dakṣiṇā) prescritos por todos los Vedas, debe proseguir su camino—señalando la transición ética desde las obligaciones domésticas y rituales hacia la renuncia completa.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches āśrama-dharma: as life enters its final quarter, one should let go of the forest-dweller stage and, after duly completing necessary rites and Veda-sanctioned sacrificial obligations with proper gifts, move toward full renunciation and spiritual single-mindedness.
Vyāsa is laying down a normative guideline for the progression of life-stages. He describes the transition point late in life: completing remaining ritual responsibilities (including an iṣṭi with appropriate dakṣiṇā) and then abandoning vānaprastha, implying the next step toward a renunciate ideal.