Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 120
Jīva–Ātman Inquiry; Kṣetrajña Doctrine; Karma-based Varṇa; Four Āśramas and Sannyāsa Discipline
वानप्रस्थाः खल्वपि धर्ममनुसरंतः पुण्यानि तीर्थानि नदीप्रस्रवणानि स्वभक्तेष्वरण्येषु । मृगवराहमहिष शार्दूलवनगजाकीर्णेषु तपस्यंते अनुसंचरंति ॥ १२० ॥
vānaprasthāḥ khalvapi dharmamanusaraṃtaḥ puṇyāni tīrthāni nadīprasravaṇāni svabhakteṣvaraṇyeṣu | mṛgavarāhamahiṣa śārdūlavanagajākīrṇeṣu tapasyaṃte anusaṃcaraṃti || 120 ||
Aun quienes han entrado en la etapa de morador del bosque (vānaprastha), siguiendo el dharma, recorren los tirtha sagrados y los manantiales santos de los ríos, habitando en selvas queridas por su bhakti escogida; en parajes colmados de ciervos, jabalíes, búfalos, tigres y elefantes salvajes, practican la austeridad y prosiguen su peregrinar disciplinado.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in Moksha-dharma context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It frames the vānaprastha life as a dharma-based transition toward inner purification: pilgrimage to tīrthas, residence in sacred forests, and steady tapas despite hardship are presented as means to refine detachment and spiritual focus.
By noting “forests dear to one’s devotion,” it implies that disciplined living and pilgrimage are not merely physical austerities—they are oriented toward one’s iṣṭa (chosen devotional focus), making tapas supportive of bhakti and remembrance.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is āśrama-dharma application—how vānaprasthas regulate movement (anusaṃcara), choose tīrthas, and sustain tapas as a lived discipline.