Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15
Pratyakṣa–Āgama–Ācāra: Doubt, Proof, and the Practice of Dharma (प्रत्यक्ष–आगम–आचारविचारः)
अष्टमीयज्ञपरता चातुर्मास्यनिषेवणम् । पौर्णमासादयो यज्ञा नित्ययज्ञस्तथैव च
aṣṭamīyajñaparatā cāturmāsyaniṣevaṇam | paurṇamāsādayo yajñā nityayajñas tathaiva ca ||
ພຣະມະຫາເທວະກ່າວວ່າ: «ສຳລັບວານະປຣັສຖະ (vānaprastha) ຜູ້ຢູ່ປ່າ, ວິໄນອັນຄວນແມ່ນນີ້: ໃຫ້ໝັ້ນໃນຍັດຍະອັສຕະມີ (Aṣṭamī) —ພິທີ Aṣṭakā ທີ່ປະກອບໃນວັນຈັນທຣະຄະຕິທີ 8; ໃຫ້ຮັກສາວຣະຕະຈາຕຸຣມາສຍະ (Cāturmāsya) ຕາມລະດູ; ແລະໃຫ້ປະກອບພິທີເລີ່ມຈາກ Paurṇamāsa ຢ່າງສະໝໍ້ສະເໝີ ພ້ອມທັງຍັດຍະປະຈຳວັນອັນຈຳເປັນ. ດ້ວຍວິທີນີ້, ຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງໃນທຳມະ ແລະການນະມັດສະການທີ່ຖືກລະບຽບ ຈະເປັນຮາກຖານຈິດທຳຂອງຊີວິດວານະປຣັສຖະ».
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines vānaprastha-dharma as disciplined continuity in sacred obligations: observing periodic vows (Cāturmāsya), performing calendrical rites (like Paurṇamāsa), and maintaining daily worship/sacrifice (nitya-yajña). Ethical life here is framed as steadiness, restraint, and fidelity to prescribed duty.
Maheśvara is instructing about the duties of the forest-dweller stage of life. Rather than describing an external event, the passage lists the ritual and vow-based practices that constitute the vānaprastha’s regulated religious routine.