Shloka 26
Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge
पुष्पमूलफलैर्वापि केवलैर्वर्तयेत् सदा / स्वाभाविकैः स्वयं शीर्णैर्वैखानसमते स्थितः
puṣpamūlaphalairvāpi kevalairvartayet sadā / svābhāvikaiḥ svayaṃ śīrṇairvaikhānasamate sthitaḥ
वैखानस शिस्तीत स्थित होऊन तो सदैव केवळ पुष्प, मूळ व फळ यांवरच निर्वाह करावा—जे स्वाभाविकरीत्या मिळतात व आपोआप गळून पडलेले असतात।
Narrator (Purāṇic instruction to the aspirant within the Vaikhānasa/vanaprastha context)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By prescribing restraint, non-appropriation, and simplicity, the verse supports inner purification—an essential prerequisite for steady contemplation of the Self beyond bodily cravings and possessiveness.
It emphasizes yama-like disciplines—especially aparigraha (non-possessiveness) and ahiṃsā (non-harming)—through a forest-dweller’s diet of naturally fallen, minimally taken foods, which stabilizes the mind for japa, dhyāna, and tapas.
While not naming either deity directly, it reflects the Purāṇa’s shared Shaiva–Vaishnava ethic: disciplined conduct and tapas are common gateways to realizing the one Lord (Īśvara) taught across both traditions.