Shloka 25
Dharma of the Conduct of the Vānaprastha Āśrama
Forest-Dweller Discipline
पुष्पमूलफलैर्वापि केवलैर्वर्तयेत्सदा । स्वाभाविकैः स्वयंशीर्णैर्वैखानसमते स्थितः
puṣpamūlaphalairvāpi kevalairvartayetsadā | svābhāvikaiḥ svayaṃśīrṇairvaikhānasamate sthitaḥ
وَیخانَس طریقے میں قائم رہ کر، وہ ہمیشہ صرف پھولوں، جڑوں اور پھلوں پر گزارا کرے—جو فطری ہوں اور خود بخود گرے ہوئے ہوں۔
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.