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
અગ્નિથી પકાવેલું ધાન્ય વગેરે ખાઈ શકાય, અથવા સમયથી પકેલા ફળ વગેરે ભોગવી શકાય. ભોજનને ઉખળ-પથ્થરથી કૂટીને, અથવા પોતાના દાંતને જ ઉખળ સમજી ચાવીને ગ્રહણ કરવું.
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.