Shloka 23
महाभूत–इन्द्रिय–मनस्–बुद्धि–अन्तरात्मा विवेकः | Discrimination of Elements, Senses, Mind, Intellect, and Inner Self
चतुर्थे चायुष: शेषे वानप्रस्थाश्रमं त्यजेत् । सद्यस्कारां निरूप्येष्टिं सर्ववेदसदक्षिणाम्
caturthe cāyuṣaḥ śeṣe vānaprasthāśramaṃ tyajet | sadyaskārāṃ nirūpyeṣṭiṃ sarvavedasadakṣiṇām ||
毗耶娑说道：当人的寿命只剩下第四段、亦即最后一段时，应当舍离林栖期（vānaprastha）。先安排应即刻完成的仪式，并依诸《吠陀》所规定，设立祭献，具足相应的布施供养（dakṣiṇā），然后继续前行——这标志着德行上的转向：由居家与祭仪之责，迈向彻底出离。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches āśrama-dharma: as life enters its final quarter, one should let go of the forest-dweller stage and, after duly completing necessary rites and Veda-sanctioned sacrificial obligations with proper gifts, move toward full renunciation and spiritual single-mindedness.
Vyāsa is laying down a normative guideline for the progression of life-stages. He describes the transition point late in life: completing remaining ritual responsibilities (including an iṣṭi with appropriate dakṣiṇā) and then abandoning vānaprastha, implying the next step toward a renunciate ideal.