Shloka 23
Dharma of the Conduct of the Vānaprastha Āśrama
Forest-Dweller Discipline
नक्तं चान्नं समश्नीयाद्दिवा चाहृत्य शक्तितः । चतुर्थकालको वा स्यात्किं वाप्यष्टमकालिकः
naktaṃ cānnaṃ samaśnīyāddivā cāhṛtya śaktitaḥ | caturthakālako vā syātkiṃ vāpyaṣṭamakālikaḥ
Hendaklah dia makan pada waktu malam, setelah memperolehnya pada siang hari menurut kemampuan. Atau dia boleh menjadi orang yang makan pada waktu makan keempat—bahkan pada waktu makan kelapan.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa 58)
Concept: Regulated eating (niyata-āhāra) trains the senses and stabilizes the mind for dharma and devotion.
Application: Adopt a consistent meal window (e.g., night-only or one-meal discipline) with humility and capacity-awareness; use the saved time/energy for japa, pūjā, and seva.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A quiet forest āśrama at dusk: a disciplined ascetic returns with a small bundle of gathered grains and vegetables procured by day, then eats a simple meal only at night. Nearby, a low lamp flickers before a small Viṣṇu altar, suggesting that restraint is offered as worship rather than hardship.","primary_figures":["Vaikhānasa-style ascetic","Vishnu (small altar icon or śālagrāma presence)"],"setting":"Forest hermitage with thatched hut, tulasī planter near the doorway, simple wooden bowl and water pot, deer and birds at the edge of the clearing.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["smoky umber","lamp-gold","leaf green","twilight indigo","clay red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a serene hermitage scene with a seated ascetic taking a modest night meal before a small Viṣṇu shrine, gold leaf halo around the shrine icon, rich maroon and emerald textiles, ornate brass lamp, gem-studded altar details, stylized foliage framing the composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate dusk forest with cool indigo shadows, an ascetic carrying a small bundle gathered by day, then seated with a simple bowl at night; lyrical trees, fine linework, soft gradients, refined facial features, a tiny Viṣṇu altar glowing warmly.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and earthy pigments, ascetic in disciplined posture near a lamp-lit Viṣṇu shrine, stylized forest motifs, prominent expressive eyes, red-yellow-green palette with rhythmic decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional courtyard-forest hybrid with lotus borders and peacock motifs; a small Viṣṇu/Śālagrāma shrine at center, ascetic offering his restrained meal as naivedya-like simplicity, deep blue background with gold floral filigree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","evening crickets","gentle wind in leaves","low conch in distance","lamp crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चान्नम् = च + अन्नम्; समश्नीयाद्दिवा = समश्नीयात् + दिवा; चाहृत्य = च + आहृत्य; स्यात्किं = स्यात् + किम्; वाप्यष्टमकालिकः = वा + अपि + अष्टमकालिकः
FAQs
It describes regulated eating as a form of discipline: obtaining food during the day and eating at night (nakta), with optional stricter schedules such as eating only at a prescribed ‘fourth’ or ‘eighth’ time period.
The verse emphasizes self-restraint and living within one’s means—procuring food according to one’s capacity and following a disciplined routine rather than indulgence.
It allows gradations: a practitioner may follow the night-eating discipline, or adopt stricter timing rules, suggesting a scalable approach suited to different capacities and levels of austerity.