Shloka 7

Devanagari script

उन्हें दिनमें तीन बार स्नान, पितरों और देवताओंका पूजन, अग्निहोत्र तथा विधिवत्‌ यज्ञ करने चाहिये ।। नीवारग्रहणं चैव फलमूलनिषेवणम्‌ | इड्डुदैरण्डतैलानां स्नेहार्थे च निषेवणम्‌,वानप्रस्थको जीविकाके लिये नीवार (तिन्नीका चावल) और फल-मूलका सेवन करना चाहिये तथा शरीरमें स्निग्धता लाने या तेलसे होनेवाले कार्योंके निर्वाहके लिये इंगुद और रेड़ीके तेलका सेवन करना उचित है

Transliteration

nivāragrahaṇaṃ caiva phalamūlaniṣevaṇam | iṅgudairaṇḍatailānāṃ snehārthe ca niṣevaṇam ||

Translation

त्रिकालस्नानं पितृदेवार्चनं च, अग्निहोत्रं यथाविधि यज्ञकर्म च समाचरेत्। जीविकायै निवाराṇां ग्रहणं फलमूलनिषेवणं च कुर्यात्; देहस्नेहार्थं चावश्यककर्मार्थं च इङ्गुदतैलं एरण्डतैलं च यथोचितं प्रयुञ्जीत—भोगाय न, धर्माधाराय।

Word by Word

नीवारग्रहणम्taking (accepting) nivāra-rice

चand

एवindeed/just

फलमूलनिषेवणम्subsisting on fruits and roots

इङ्गुदैरण्डतैलानाम्of inguda-oil and castor-oil

स्नेहार्थेfor the purpose of unction/oiliness

चand

निषेवणम्use/consumption

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Maheśvara (Mahādeva/Śiva)

vānaprastha (forest-dweller)

nivāra (grain)

fruits (phala)

roots (mūla)

iṅguda oil

castor oil (eraṇḍa-taila)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A vānaprastha should live on simple, non-indulgent foods available in the forest—nivāra grains, fruits, and roots—while allowing minimal, purposeful use of oils (iṅguda/castor) for health and necessary duties. Dharma here is disciplined sufficiency, not luxury.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Maheśvara is instructing about proper conduct for the forest-dweller stage of life, specifying what may be consumed and used so that one can sustain the body and continue prescribed religious duties without falling into sensual excess.