Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 120
Jīva–Ātman Inquiry; Kṣetrajña Doctrine; Karma-based Varṇa; Four Āśramas and Sannyāsa Discipline
वानप्रस्थाः खल्वपि धर्ममनुसरंतः पुण्यानि तीर्थानि नदीप्रस्रवणानि स्वभक्तेष्वरण्येषु । मृगवराहमहिष शार्दूलवनगजाकीर्णेषु तपस्यंते अनुसंचरंति ॥ १२० ॥
vānaprasthāḥ khalvapi dharmamanusaraṃtaḥ puṇyāni tīrthāni nadīprasravaṇāni svabhakteṣvaraṇyeṣu | mṛgavarāhamahiṣa śārdūlavanagajākīrṇeṣu tapasyaṃte anusaṃcaraṃti || 120 ||
即便进入林栖期（vānaprastha）者，也遵循达摩，往来于神圣的渡口（tīrtha）与圣河泉源，住于契合自身奉爱（bhakti）之林；在遍布鹿、野猪、水牛、虎与野象的荒野中，他们修行苦行（tapas），并持续守戒而行。
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in Moksha-dharma context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It frames the vānaprastha life as a dharma-based transition toward inner purification: pilgrimage to tīrthas, residence in sacred forests, and steady tapas despite hardship are presented as means to refine detachment and spiritual focus.
By noting “forests dear to one’s devotion,” it implies that disciplined living and pilgrimage are not merely physical austerities—they are oriented toward one’s iṣṭa (chosen devotional focus), making tapas supportive of bhakti and remembrance.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is āśrama-dharma application—how vānaprasthas regulate movement (anusaṃcara), choose tīrthas, and sustain tapas as a lived discipline.