Shloka 25
Dharma of the Conduct of the Vānaprastha Āśrama
Forest-Dweller Discipline
पुष्पमूलफलैर्वापि केवलैर्वर्तयेत्सदा । स्वाभाविकैः स्वयंशीर्णैर्वैखानसमते स्थितः
puṣpamūlaphalairvāpi kevalairvartayetsadā | svābhāvikaiḥ svayaṃśīrṇairvaikhānasamate sthitaḥ
เมื่อดำรงอยู่ในวินัยไวขานสะ พึงยังชีพอยู่เสมอด้วยดอกไม้ ราก และผลไม้เท่านั้น—ที่เป็นของตามธรรมชาติและร่วงหล่นเอง
Unspecified (context not provided; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma instruction section typical of Svargakhaṇḍa)
Concept: Sustenance taken without harm—only naturally fallen flowers/fruits/roots—cultivates ahiṃsā, aparigraha, and inner purity.
Application: Practice ‘non-extractive’ living: reduce waste, avoid needless harm, choose simple sattvic foods, and offer what you eat to Viṣṇu mentally (or ritually) before consumption.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A tranquil forest floor strewn with naturally fallen blossoms and ripe fruits; an ascetic gently gathers only what has dropped, leaving the tree untouched. In the background, a small Vaikhānasa-style Viṣṇu shrine stands beneath a sacred tree, with offerings arranged in a leaf-bowl—nature’s gifts returned to the Divine.","primary_figures":["Vaikhānasa ascetic","Vishnu (shrine icon or śālagrāma)"],"setting":"Dense forest hermitage with flowering trees, leaf-littered ground, simple stone altar, deer watching calmly, a tulasī plant near the shrine.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["moss green","lotus pink","bark brown","sunlit gold","sky teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vaikhānasa ascetic collecting self-fallen flowers and fruits, offering them at a gold-leaf Viṣṇu shrine under a stylized sacred tree; rich reds/greens, embossed gold for garlands and halo, ornate lamp and arch, jewel-like detailing on the shrine.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical forest with delicate foliage, ascetic bending to gather fallen blossoms, a small shrine in the mid-ground; cool greens and soft gold light, refined faces, gentle animals, poetic naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, patterned forest backdrop, ascetic with leaf-bowl of offerings, Viṣṇu shrine with lamp; earthy pigments, strong reds/yellows/greens, decorative borders and stylized flora.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: floral abundance with lotus and creeper borders, central offering scene of fallen flowers and fruits before a Viṣṇu/Śālagrāma shrine; deep blue-green ground, gold highlights, peacocks and cows as auspicious witnesses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["birds at dawn","rustling leaves","soft bell at shrine","flowing breeze","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: फलैर्वापि = फलैः + वा + अपि; केवलैर्वर्तयेत्सदा = केवलैः + वर्तयेत् + सदा; स्वयंशीर्णैर्वैखानसमते = स्वयम्-शीर्णैः + वैखानस-मते
FAQs
It recommends subsisting on simple forest produce—flowers, roots, and fruits—specifically those that are natural and self-fallen, as part of the Vaikhānasa discipline.
It implies a non-injurious, non-grasping mode of living: taking what comes without harming plants or aggressively collecting, aligning with restraint and ahiṁsā.
The verse teaches restraint, contentment, and minimizing harm—supporting spiritual life through simple, ethically obtained sustenance.