Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 22

Brahmacarya and Vānaprastha Duties; Gradual Dissolution of Bodily Identity

Devanagari script

चरेद्वने द्वादशाब्दानष्टौ वा चतुरो मुनि: । द्वावेकं वा यथा बुद्धिर्न विपद्येत कृच्छ्रत: ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

cared vane dvādaśābdān aṣṭau vā caturo muniḥ dvāv ekaṁ vā yathā buddhir na vipadyeta kṛcchrataḥ

Translation

Com grande ponderação, o vānaprastha deve permanecer na floresta por doze anos, oito, quatro, dois, ou ao menos um. Deve conduzir-se de modo que sua mente não seja perturbada nem afligida por austeridade excessiva.

Synonyms

• caret: should wander/practice
• caret: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (चर्-धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (वन-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• dvādaśa-abdān: twelve years
• dvādaśa-abdān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (द्वादश-प्रातिपदिक, संख्या) + abda (अब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वादश अब्दाः)

• aṣṭau: eight (years)
• aṣṭau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (अष्ट-प्रातिपदिक, संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (संख्याशब्दः)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• caturo: four (years)
• caturo: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (चतुर्-प्रातिपदिक, संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (संख्याशब्दः)

• muniḥ: the sage
• muniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (मुनि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dvau: two (years)
• dvau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (द्वि-प्रातिपदिक, संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (संख्याशब्दः)

• ekam: one (year)
• ekam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (एक-प्रातिपदिक, संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (संख्याशब्दः)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• yathā: as/according to
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: यथार्थक-अव्यय (according as)

• buddhiḥ: (one's) understanding
• buddhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (बुद्धि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• vipadyeta: should fall into distress/should fail
• vipadyeta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-pad (वि-पद्-धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kṛcchrataḥ: from hardship / with difficulty
• kṛcchrataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛcchra (कृच्छ्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेतौ/अपादाने (from hardship; with difficulty)

Characters & Entities

• Nārada Muni
• Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about how long one should practice forest life (vanaprastha)?

In this verse, Nārada says a sage may stay in the forest for 12, 8, 4, 2, or 1 year—adjusting the duration to one’s capacity so austerity does not cause collapse or distress.

Why did Narada Muni say this to Yudhishthira Mahārāja?

Nārada is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on practical varṇāśrama-dharma, emphasizing that spiritual discipline should be sincere yet sustainable, not self-destructive.

How can this teaching on sustainable austerity be applied in modern devotional life?

Choose vows and practices (japa, fasting, service, simplicity) that you can maintain steadily; increase gradually rather than taking extreme steps that lead to burnout and discouragement.