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 ||
Même ceux qui sont entrés dans l’état de vānaprastha, fidèles au dharma, vont de tirtha sacrés en sources saintes des rivières, demeurant dans des forêts chères à leur bhakti choisie ; dans les solitudes peuplées de cerfs, sangliers, buffles, tigres et éléphants sauvages, ils pratiquent la tapasya et poursuivent leur marche réglée.
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.