27 Vānaprastha

CHAPTER XXVII

VĀNAPRASTHA (forest hermit )

Vaikbānasa appears to have been the ancient name for Vānaprastba. In the Anukramani one hundred Vaikbānasas are said to have been the seers of Rg. IX. 66 and a Vamra Vaikbānasa is the seer of Rg. X. 99. The Tai. A. I. 23 connects the word Vaikhādase with the nakhas of Prajāpati (yo nakbās te vaikhānasāḥ ), 8115 It appears that in ancient times there was some work called Vaikhānasa sāstra which treated of the rules for forest hermits. Gaut. III. 2 uses the word Vaikhānssa for this asrama. Baud. Dh. S. II, 6.19 defines a vānaprastha 116 as one who follows the practices laid down in Vaikhānasa-śāstra, Vṭddha-Gautama (chap. VIII, p. 564 ) appears to suggest that Vaikhānasas and Pancarātrikas were two schools of Vaiṣṇavas, the former calling Viṣṇu by the appellations of Puruṣa, Acyuta and Aniruddha, while the Pañoarātrikas spoke of Viṣṇu ag having the four mūrtis or vyuhas viz. Vasudeva, Saṅkarṣana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha,211? The Par. M. vol. I, part 2, p. 139 after quoting Vas. Dh. S. 9. 11 (śrāmanakenāgaimadhaya ) remarks that Srāmaṇaka is Vaikhā naga-sūtra that propounds the duties of tapasvins. Kalidasa in the Sakuntala speaks of the life led by the charming Sakuntala in Kanva’s bermitage as vaikhānasa vrata2118 (I. 27). Manu VI. 21 describes the Vānaprastha as abiding by the views ( mata ) of Vaikhānasa and Medhatihi explains that Vaikhānasa is a sāstra in which the duties of the forest hermit are expounded. The Maha.

  1. TWT: 1 Term TTATGEOT: 1. art. I. 23. 2116. sayfait farahat eqra: 1… II. 6. 19.

  2. TATAY: giust 1 4 # shararaat * # spare ti faratar # Tra Triat: I TE* TE H OUT TT I TURI

vart #rama VIII. p. 564. These and other vorses are quoted as from p rof by qtr. #T. I. part 1 p. 366. अप्पपदीक्षित in his पेदान्तकल्पतरुपरिमल (Vijianagram Series) p. 453 tells us tbat, according to the data TW, the Pañoar&tra sobool is not Vaidika.

  1. tam f or Whaty rarerrata A4 formati ART I, 27,918

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ch. XXVII

bharata?!19 (Śanti 20. 6 and 26. 6) states that the view of the Vaikhānasas is that it is better to have no desire for amassing wealth than to hanker after wealth. Saṅkarācārya on Vedānta sūtra III. 4. 20 speaks of the third asrama as vaikhānase and as indicated by the word tapas used in Chān. Up. II. 23. 1.

The word vānaprastha is according to the Mit. the same as vanaprastha, whioh means ‘one who stays in a forest in a pre-eminent way. (by observing & strict code of life ). Kṣir& svāmi derives it differently.9130

The time for becoming a forest hermit arises in two ways. According to the Jābālopaniṣad quoted above (p.421) a man may become a vānaprastha immediately after the period of student hood or after passing some years as an householder. Manu (VI.2) indicates the age by saying when & householder sees his skin wrinkled and his hair growing white and sees the sons of his sons he may betake himself to the forest’. The commentators were divided in their opinions, some holding that all three con ditions ( wrinkles, grey hair and seeing son’s sons ) must be fulfilled before one could become a forest hermit, others held that only one of them need be fulfilled and others again said that these conditions are only indicative of the age viz. that a man must be old or over 50. Kullūka on Manu III. 50 quotes a smrti’ a man may resort to a forest after 50’.

Gaut. III. 25-34, Ap. Dh. S. II. 9. 21. 18—II. 9. 23.2, Baud. Dh. S. III. 3, Vas. Dh. S. IX, Manu VI. 1-32, Yāj. III. 45-55, Viṣṇu Dh. 8. 95, Vaik. X. 5, Saṅkha-smrti VI. 1-4 (in verse ), Santiparva 245. 1-14 and Anusagana 14%, Aśramedhika-parva 46. 9-16, Laghu-Viṣṇu III, Kūrmapurana ( uttarardha chap. 27 ) contain numerous rules about forest hermits. The principal points are stated below with a few references :

(1) One may go to a forest with one’s wife or one may leave her in charge of one’s sons (Manu VI. 3, Yaj. III. 45). The wife may accompany if she desires. Medhātithi notes that some explained that if the wife was young he may place her in charge of the sons and that an old wife may accompany her husband.

2119, Tarakat m e at a Tur Tur Gartet et # ṣifa 20. 6-7.

  1. autor forgis foera preta Thu: TFT TE FUX mrat e Haro on T. III. 45. mirrurot on Tapu bowovor says ‘Ta na trh stu: pau e Trap TT."

Ch. XXVII )

Vānaprastha

919

(2) He takes with bim to tbe forest his tbree Vedic fires and his gphya fire&ial together with such sacrificial utensils as the ladles called sruc, sruva. Ordinarily the wife’s co-opera tion is required in offering sacrifices, but when the wife is given in charge of the song, ber co-operation then is supposed to be dispensed with or it may be held that she has consented to all acts by agreeing to stay with the song. On repairing to the forest he should perform the srauta sacrifices of new moon and full moon, the āgrayana iṣti, the cālurmāsyas, Turāyana and Dak. ṣāyana ( Manu VI. 4, 9-10, Yaj. III. 45). The sacrificial food was to be prepared from corn like nivāra growing in the forest. It appears that according to some writers the forest hermit was to give up his srauts and gļhya fires and kindle & new fire in accordance with rules laid down in the grāmaṇaka 2133 (i. e. the Vaikhānasa sutra) and offer sacrifices therein. Vide Gaut. III. 26, Ap. Dh. 8. II. 9. 21. 20 and Vas. Dh. S. IX. 10.2 123

  1. If he has followed the ardhadhana mode, then he bas sepa rate srauta and gžbya fires ; but if bo bas followed the sarvadhana’ mode, then he has only srauta fires, which alone ho takes with him. When a man consecrates the tree srauta fires be may do so with half of his smārta fire and keep the other balf of the smārta fire. This is ardhadbina. If he does not keep the smarta fire separate it is Bery dbāna. Vido Ap. Śr. V. 4, 12-16, V. 7. 8 and Nirnayesindhu (III purvārdha, p. 370). If he has no frauta fires then he takes only tho grbya fire. One who has no wife living can also becomo a forest hormit. Vide Mit. on Yaj. III. 45. Dokṣiyana is ‘& modifcation of the Darsapurgamtsa sacrifico (Ap. Sr. III. 17.4 and 11, Adv. Sr. II, 14. 7ff and com. on Kut. Sr. 1. 2. 11 ) and Turiyapa is an iṣgyaya na according to Afv. Sr. II. 14. 4-6 and a sattra according to Ap. XXIII. 14. 1.

  2. Medb&tithi on Manu VI, 9 states that the Srima paka fire is to be kindled by him only whose wife is dead or who becomes a forest bermit immediately after tbe close of the period of student-hood.

  3. TOETAJUTT I . III. 26; TRIPATUTTIERTA: …… FUTE I THE IX. 10. pray on ft. explains are Rome TWE’. These words occur also in Baud. Dh, S. II. 6.20. unato explains that bo is to swallow holy asbes in order to deposit fires in bis self, while Nardyaga explain that he is to do so by ropeating the mantra “Yo te agno yajõiy&’( Tai. $. III. 4. 10.5). The Baud, Dh. S. II. 10.30-31 refers to this’ 490:

F remraITCHI & STW JETTA RIB IS RATET 19. The Vaik. IX. 1-5 details how a person on entering the order of vaikbanagas is to establish the Aramapaka fire. At first it deals with the establisbment of dramapka fire by one whose wife accompanies bim and then by one whose wife does not accom pany him and winds up 4 *: MIRANDTEITERFATA UTAFÉ

TAUTAPATATE fen: tapar fra foran na SEAT … … # FREE तपसा श्रमणमेतन्मूलम् ।

920

(Ch. XXVII

Ultimately he is to leave the keeping of fires by depositing the sacred fires in his own self according to the rules prescribed (in Vaikbānasa sūtra ). Vide Manu VI. 25, Yāj. IIT. 45.

(3) He has to give up all food that he used to partake of when he was in his village and also all household parapber nalia ( cows, horses, beds &c.) and subsist on flowers, fruits, roots and vegetables growing in the forest on land or in water or on corn fit for sages such as nīvāra and syāmaka (Manu VI. 5 and 13, Gaut. III. 26 and 28). But he has to avoid partaking of honoy, flesh, mushrooms growing on the ground, and the vegetables called Bhūstṛna, Sigruka, the Sleṣmātaka fruit, though these are forest produce (Manu VI. 14). Gautama allowed him as a last resort to partake of the flesh of animals killed by carnivorous beasts. Yāj. IIC. 54-55, Manu VI. 27-28 allow him to beg for alms at the dwellings of other hermits or allow bim to go to a village and bring by begging silently eight morsels of food. He can use salt prepared by himself only ( Manu V1. 12).

(4) He has to perform the five daily sacrifices to gods, sages, Manes, men ( guests) and to bhūtas with food fit for asoetics or with fruits, roots and vegetables and give alms thereout ( Manu VI. 5 and 7, Gaut. III. 29-30, Yāj. III. 46 ).

(5) He has to bathe thrice in the day, in the morning, at noon and in the evening ( Manu VI, 22 and 24, Yāj. III. 48, Vas. IX, 9); while Manu VI. 6 appears to prescribe a bath twice a day only in the morning and in the evening. So there was an option.

(6) He was to wear & deer-skin or a tattered garment(i.e. one of bark or kuśa grass or the like ) and allow his hair and nails to grow. Vide Manu VI. 6, Gaut. III. 34, Vas. IX. 11.

(7) He should be devoted to the study of the Veda and recite it inaudibly (Ap. Dh. S. II 9. 22. 9, Manu VI. 8, Yaj, III. 48).

(8) He should live a life of complete continence, should be self-restrained, friendly ( to all), collected in mind, over liberal but never a recipient and be compassionate towards all beings (Manu VI. 8, Yāj. III. 45 and 48). In view of Yāj. III. 45, Vas. IX. 5 and Manu VI. 26, Kullūka seems 2134 to be

TETAFOT put info pre

ma I . III. 45; Fuar: 1

IX. 5.

TA

Ob. XXVII)

Vānaprastha-duties of

921

wrong in holding that if a forest hermit takes his wife with him he may cohabit with her at the prescribed times.

(9) He is not to use corn growing on ploughed land in the forest even if the owner negleots to garner it nor is he to eat fruits and roots growing in villages (Manu VI. 16 and Yāj. III. 46 ).

(10) He may cook wild corn or he may eat only what becomes naturally ripe ( like fruits ) or he may pound between stones the grain to be used by him, or may employ his teeth only as mortar and he is not to employ ghee in his cooking or religious rites but only the oil of wild fruits ( Manu VI. 17 and Yāj. III. 49 ).

(11) He is to eat only once either in the day in the 4th part ( of the day divided into eight ) or at night or he may take food every alterpate day or once after two or three days (Viṣṇu Dh. S. 95. 5-6, Manu VI. 19). He may also follow the method of the penance of Cāndrāyaṇa ( stated in Manu XI. 216) or he may subsist on wild fruits, roots and flowers only (Manu VI. 20-21, Yaj. III. 50 ) or may eat only once at the end of a fortnight ( according to one’s ability ). He may reduce gradually the quantity of food he takes, ultimately subsisting on water alone or on wind ( Ap. Dh, S. II. 9. 23. 2, Manu VI. 31). Vide Viṣṇu Dh. S. 95. 7-12 also.

(12) He may aocumulate food materials only for a day or a month or 8 year ( but never for more than a year) and should throw away his stored food material every year in the month of Aśvina (Manu VI. 15, Yāj. III. 47, Ap. Dh. 8. II. 9. 22, 24 ).2135

(13) He should practise severe austerities by standing in the midst of five fires (4 fires in the four directions and the blazing sun overhead), by standing in the open in the rains, by wearing wet garments in winter (Manu VI. 23-34, Yāj. III. 52, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 95. 2-4) and thus habituate his body to privations and niortifications.

(14) He should gradually give up residing in a house, but should stay under a tree and subsist only on fruits and roots 9126 (Manu VI. 25, Vas. IX. 11, Yaj. III. 54, Āp. Dh. 8. II. 9. 21.20 ).

MAN

2125, mit FTET I STOTT Hatora i art. y. #. II. 9. 22. 24. 2126. v orena arat HOUTS atrada: 1 ST IX. 11.

  1. D. 116

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(Ch. XXVII

(15) At night he should sleep on the bare ground, should pass the day either sitting or moving about or in the practice of Yoga and should make no effort to enjoy the things that give pleasures (Manu VI. 22 and 26, Yaj. III. 51).

(16) He should study the various texts of the Upanigads for the purity of his body, for the increase of his knowledge and ultimately for realising brahma ( Manu VI. 29-30).

(17) If the forest hermit suffers from some Inourable disease and cannot properly perform his duties or feels death to be near, he should start on the great journey (Mahāpra sthāna ) turning his face towards the north-east, subsisting on water and air only, till the body falls to rise no more (Manu VI. 31, Yaj. III. 55). The Mit. and Aparārka (p. 945) on Yaj. III. 55 quote & smṭti & forest hermit may resort to the distant journey or may enter water or fire or may throw him self from a precipice’. 9197

The Baud. Dh. S. III. 3 gives an intricate classification of vānaprasthas. They are either pacamānakas ( who take cooked or ripe food) or apacamānakas ( who do not cook thoir food). Each of these two classes is again sub-divided into five. The five pacamānakas are sarvāraṇyakas, vaituṣikas, those who subsist on fruits, roots and bulbous roots, those who subsist.on fruits only, those who subsist on vegetables only. Sarvārapyakas are of two kinds, viz. indrāvasiktas ( who bring creepers, shrubs and cook them, offer agnihotra therewith and offer it to guests and eat the rest ) and reto-vasiktas (who bring the flesh of animals killed by tigers, wolves or hawks and cook it and offer to Agni &o.). The apacamānakas are five viz. unmajjakas ( who do not employ implements of iron or stone for holding food ), pravrttāśinah (who eat food from their hands, without using any vessel ), mukhenādāyinaḥ ( who eat food with their mouth, without using their hands, as boasts do ), toyāhāras (who subsist on water only ), vāyubhaksāḥ ( who observe total fast). These are socording to Baud, the ten dikṣās of Vaikhānasas. Manu also (VI. 29 ) calls the rules to be observed by forest hermits dīkṣās.

Bphat-Parāsera ( ohap. XI. p. 290 ) speaks of four divisions of vanaprasthas viz. Vaikhānasa, Udumbara, Valakhilya and

  1. apeut Er way 797 44487 Monsai F#CONCI मिता. on पा. III. 65 (the printed toxt of मिता reads पीरावानं while अप

er roads *),

Ch. XXVII)

Vānaprasha

923

Vanevāsi; while Vaikh. VIII. y says that the vānaprasthas are either sapatnika ( who stay with their wife ) or apatnika and the first are of four varieties viz. Audumbara, Vairiños, Valakhilya and Phenapa. The Rāmāyana ( Aranya, chap. 10. 2-6 ) speaks of forest hermits under various designations such as the Valakbilyas, Aṣmakuṭtas &o.

Any person of the three higher varṇas could become a vānaprastha, but a sūdre could not do so. Manu VI. 1 when starting the topic of vānaprasthas employs the word ‘dvija’. In the Santiparva 21. 15 it is stated that a kṣatriya after trans ferring the kingdom to his son should subsist in a forest on wild food and follow the srāvaṇsoriptures. 118 In the Asya medhika-perva 35. 43 it is expressly stated that the order of vānaprasthas is meant for the three dvijātis.** The Mahābhārata cites many examples of royal personages becoming vānaprag. thes. Yayati after crowning his youngest and most dutiful son Pūru as a king is said to have become a forest hermit (Ādiparva 86.1) where he practised various austerities ( Adi. 86. 12-17) and ultimately ended his life by fasting ( Adi. 75. 58). In the Aśramavāsi-parva ( chap. 19 ) the blind king Daftarāṣtra is said to have become a forest hermit with his wife Gāndhari who put on bark garments and deer-skin. The Par, M.( I. part %, p. 139 ) relying on Manu VI.%, Yama and other sages states its view that men of the three varṇas could become forest hermits. Women also could repair to the forest. The Mausala parva (7. 74) states that when Krsna left the mortal body, Satyabhāmā and other queens of Krsna entered the forest having resolved to undergo severe austerities. The Adiparva ( 128. 12-13) narrates that, on the death of Paṇdu, Satyavati with her two daughters-in-law repaired to a forest for austerities and died there. Vide also Santi 147. 10 (for Mabāprasthāns ) and Asramavāsiparva. 37. 27-28. According to Vaik. VIII. 1 and Vāmanapurāṇa 14. 117-118 & brāhmaṇa could pass through all four asramas, a ksatriya through three ( he could not be a sannyāsin), a vaisya

  1. T FT wit sa va aratat refaeli foam aranha sufriot afra: # MTR 21. 15. Trot Booms to be a variant for Wrnor or reOr. Vido note 2123 above.

  2. Tagpu fara reftat Eriana para forrita pottat repell fout यते॥ श्राश्वमेधिकपर्व 35.43; सत्यभामा तथैवान्पा देग्यः कृष्णस्य संमत । वनं प्रविविध रास्तापरये कतनिश्चयाः॥ मोसल 7.74; जलमानिस्तथा वायुरथयापि पिकर्षणम् । ताप. सामा प्रशस्यन्ते गच्छ समयमा चिरम् ॥ आभम 37. 27-283; पाहाणश्यामाचरवार HOE OHT TEU TOTI INTEFTATO VIII. 1.

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(Ch. XXVII

through two (brahmacarya and gārbastbya) and a sūdra could resort to only one viz. the householder’s mode of life. Vide the story of Sambūka referred to above (p. 119 ).

The question whether ending one’s life by starting on the Great Journey or by falling from a precipice is sinful exercised the minds of many writers on dharmaśāstra, The Dharmaśāstra writers generally condemn suicide or an attempt to commit suicide as a great sin. Parāśara (IV. 1-2 ) states that if a man or woman hangs himself or herself through extreme pride or extreme rage or through affliction or fear he or she falls into hell for sixty thousand years.3130 Manu V. 89 says that no water is to be offered for the benefit of the souls of those who kill them selves. The Adiparva ( 179.20 ) declares that one who commits suicide does not reach blissful worlds. Vas. Dh. S. (23. 14-16) ordains “whoever kills himself becomes abhiśasta (guilty of mortal sin) and his sapindas have to perform no death rites for him; a man becomes & killer of the self when be destroys bimself by wood (i. e. by fire), water, clods and stones (i. e, by striking his head against a stone ), weapon, poison, or ropes ( i. e. by hanging ). They also quote & verse ’that dvija who through affection performs the last rites of & man who commits suicide must undergo the penance of Candrāyaṇa with Tapta-kscobra”. Vas. Dh, S. 23. 18 prescribes a prayascitta for merely resolving to kill oneself (even when no attempt is made ), Yama ( 20-21 ) prescribes that when a person tries to do away with himself by such methods as hanging, if he dies, his body should be smeared with impure things and if he lives he should be fined two hundred paṇas; his friends and sons should each be fined one pana and then they should undergo the penance laid down in the sāstra 2131

In spite of this general attitude, exceptions were made in the emptis, the epics and purāṇas. When a man was guilty of brahmana murder, he was allowed to meet death at the bands of archers in a battle who knew that the sinner wanted to be killed in that way as a pedance or the sinner may throw himself bead

  1. Ama UTFĀETET N OTTI Terarara garatuft रेषा विधीयते । पूयशोणितसंपूर्ण अन्धे तमसि मजति । पई वर्षसहस्राणि मरकं प्रतिपद्यते। TORT IV. 1-2.

  2. MART data to

: I gatsarar het punt trei नमः । वण्यास्तरावामित्राणि प्रत्येक पणिक दमम् । पापविर तवा फुपुर्पधाशासायो fm # # 20–21.

Ch. XXVII)

Vanaprastha-suicide of

925

downwards in fire (Manu XI. 73, Yaj. III. 248 ). Similarly the drinker of spirituous liquor expiated his sin by taking boiling wine, water, ghee, cow’s milk or urine and dying thereby ( Manu XI. 90-91, Yāj. III. 253, Gaut. 23. 1, Vas. Dh. 8. 20.22 ). Vide also Vas. Dh. S. 13. 14, Gaut, 23. 1, Ap. Db.$. I. 9. 25. 1-3 and 6 for similar deadly penances for incest and for drinking liquor and for theft. The Ap.Db.8. (I.10.28. 15-17) quotes Harita who condemns such penances involving death.3132 At extremely holy places like Prayāga, the Sarasvati and Benares persons were allowed to kill themselves by drowning with the desire of securing release from sarnsāra. The Salyaparva ( 39, 33-34 ) states’ whoever abandons his body at Pșthūdaka on the northern bank of the Sarasvati after repeating Vedic prayers would not be troubled by death thereafter 1183 The Anusāsanaparva (25. 62-64 ) says that if & man knowing the Vedānta and under standing the ephemeral nature of life abandons life in the holy Himālayag by fasting, he would reach the world of brahma. Vide also Vansparva 85. 83 ( about suicides at Prayāga). The Matsya-purāṇa (186. 34-35) eulogises the peak of Amarakantaka by stating’ whoever dies at Amarakantaka by fire, poison, water or by fasting enjoys the pleasures ( described in verses 28-33). He who throws himself down (from the peaks of Amarakantaka) never returns (to samsāra ).“134

There are historical examples of this practice supplied by Epigraphy. The Khairha plates of Yaśaḥkarpadeva (dated Kalacuri sainvat 823 i. e. 1073 A. D.) narrate that king Gāngeya obtained release along with his one hundred wives at the famous banyan tree of Prayāga ( E. I. vol. XII. p. 205 at p. 211 ).3185 King Dhangadeve of the Chandella dynasty is said to have lived for more than 100 years and to have abandoned his body at Prayaga while contemplating on Rudra ( E. I. vol. I. p. 140 ). The Calukya king Somesvars after performing yoga

2132, गुरुतल्पगामी सपिरा दर्मि प्रविश्योभयत आदीप्याभिवहेदात्मानम् । मिथ्य तदिति हारीतः । यो यात्मानं पर पाभिमन्यतेऽभिशस्त एवं स भवति । भाप. प. ए. I. 10. 28. 15–17.

  1. सरस्वरयुत्तरे तीरे पस्त्यजेदात्मनस्तहम् । पृथ्वके जव्यपरो नेनं बो मरणं THE TRUTH 39. 33-34

  2. qi short was gaisare i sagt foarte rarur te शके ॥ अनिषतिका गतिस्तस्प पवनस्पाम्बरे यथा । पतनं कुरुते पस्त अमरेशे नराधिप । #EFT 186. 34-35.

  3. AT T EMPUT at the trutiTTIE. I. vol. XII. 206 at p. 211.

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rites drowned himself in the Tungabhadra in 1068 A. D. (E. O. vol. II. Sk. 136). The Raghuvamsa VIII. 94 poetically describes how Aja in his old age when his health was shattered by disease resorted to fasting and drowned himself at the confluence of the holy rivers, the Ganges and the Sarayū, and immediately attained the position of a denizen of Heaven.

Apart from suicide for purposes of penance or at holy places the smrtis allowed, as said above, & forest hermit to start on the great journey to meet death and also allowed in certain circum stances death by entering fire, or by drowning or by fasting or by throwing oneself from & precipice even for those who were not hermits. Gautama (14. 11) prescribes that no mour ning need be observed for those who wilfully meet death by fasting, or by outting themselves off with & Weapon, or by fire, or poison or water or by hanging or by falling from a precipice. But Atri (218-219) states some exceptions viz. ‘if one who is very old (beyond 70), one who cannot observe the rules of bodily purification (owing to extreme weakness &c.), one who is so ill that no medical help can be given, kills himself by throwing himself from a precipice or into fire or water or by fasting, mourning should be observed for bim for three days and srāddba may be performed for him. 2136 Aparārka (p. 536 ) quotes texts of Brabmagarbha, Vivasvat and Gārgya about an householder ‘he who suffering from serious illness cannot live, or who is very old, who has no desire left for the pleasures of any of the senses and who has carried out his tasks may bring about bis death at his pleasure by resorting to mabāprasthāna, by entering fire or water or by falling from a precipice. By so doing he incurs no sin and bis death is far better than tapas, and one should not desire to live vainly (without being able to perform the duties laid down by the sāstra). “158 Aparārka (p. 877) and Par, M. (I. part %, p. 228 ) quote several verses from Adipurāṇa about dying by fasting, by entering fire or deep water or by falling from a precipice, or by going on maba

  1. F: TAREH: kureyrary: I M arrura iru मशनाम्दुभिः भरप त्रिरात्रमाशो दितीये स्पस्थिसपम् । तीये सूतक कुरषा चतुर्थे भाद माचरेत् ॥ अवि218-219 quoted by मेधातिथि on म .89, मिता. on या. III. 6, 4 p. 902 (28 from Asgiras), 41. #. I. part 2 p. 228 (as from staa).

  2. तथा चपापोजीषित न शक्नोति महापापपीषिता । सोग्ग्युवक महापात्रो कुचामन म्पति विवस्वान् । सग्निपविरक्तस्य पवस्प कतकर्मणः । ग्याषित Ficar efter apoi * aur main IFTATUS I Herramai TATTARETH 4* Ture F T * quoted by mu p. 536,

Oh. XXVII)

Vānaprastha-suicide

927

prasthāna in the Himalāyas or by abandoning life from the branch of the vata tree at Prayaga, the verses declaring that not only does such a man not incur sin but he attains the worlds of bliss. In the Ramayana (Aranya, chap. 9) Sara bhanga is said to have entered fire. We find that the Mșccha katika (1. 4) speaks of king Sūdraka as having entered fire. In the Gupta Inscriptions No. 42, the great Emperor Kumāra. gupta is said to have entered the fire of dried cowdung cakes. The editor remarks that there is necessarily no reference to the fact that the emperor voluntarily embraced death by fire. But it appears that there is no great propriety in the description if all that is meant is that the Emperor’s corpse was burnt with ‘kariṣa’.

Some put forward a Vedic passage ‘one who desires heaven should not seek to ) die before the appointed span of life is at an end (of itself)’ as opposed to the permission for suicide given by the smrtis. Medhātithi on Manu VI. 32 3138 quotes this Vedic text and explains it away by saying that if fruti intended to lay down an absolute prohibition against suioide in every 0880, it would have simply said ‘one who desires heaven should not ( seek to) die’. The Vaj. 8. ( 40. 3) contains & verse saying ‘whoever destroy their self reach after death Asura worlds that are shrouded in blinding darkness’, which really refers to persons ignorant of the correct knowledge of the Self. But this has been interpreted by many as referring to those guilty of suioide (atmahan). Vide Uttararām&carita IV, after verae 3 1188 and Br. Up. IV, 4.11 for & verse similar to that in the Vāj. S. The Rajstarangipi (VI. 1411 ) refers to officers appointed by the king to superintend prāyopavesa (resolving on death by fasting ).

Among Jains & similar rule prevailed. The Ratnakaranda grāvakācāra (chap. 5) of Samantabhadra (about 2nd century A. D.) dilates on Sallekhana, which consists in abandoning the body for the aco’imulation of merit in calamities, famines,

  1. महतस्मातुन पुरायुषः स्वाकामी प्रेपादिति शुतिस्तत्र कुतो पानप्रस्थस्य शरीरत्यागः । उच्यते । जरसा विशीर्णस्यानिष्टसन्वर्शनादिना पा विदिते प्रत्यासजे सत्यो मुमूर्षतो न अतिविरोधः। एवं हि तत्र भूयते न पुरायुष इति । भवस्थाविशेषे अनभिनेते मरणे एतावदेवावश्यम स्वःकामी मेयादिति । मेधा. on मधु VI 32. Vido कुखक on मनु VI. 31 for an explanation of the game Vodic quotation.

  2. Panhar ES ATA Antras sarrufent hera prego Tout pour I TUTTA AT IV aftor verso 3.928

(Ch. XXVII

extreme old age and inourable disease. 3140 The Kalandri (Sirohi State ) Insoription records the suioide of & Jain con gregation by fasting in samvat 1389 ( E. I. vol. XX., appendix p. 98 No. 691),

From the account of the death of Kalanos the Indian gymnosophist at 73 given by Megasthenes (Mo Crindle p. 106) we oan gather that the practice of religious suicide prevailed long before the 4th century B. C. Strabo ( XV. 1. 4 ) states that with the ambassadors that came to Augustus Cæsar from India also arrived an Indian gymnosophist who committed himself to the flames like Kalanos who exhibited the same spectacle before Alexander.

In the times of the purāṇas the method of starting on maba prasthāna and suicide by entering fire or falling from a preci. pice came to be forbidden and was included in Kalivarjya. 2141

It will be noticed that some of the duties and regulations prescribed for vanaprasthas are practically the same as those for sannyāsins. For example, the rules laid down in Manu VI. 25-29 for forest hermits are almost the same as those for parivrājakas?” (Manu VI. 38, 43, 44). The Ap. Dh. S. employs the same words twice in delineating the characteristics of both (II. 9. 21. 10 and 20). The order of hermits gradually leads on to or rather passes over into that of sannyāsins. Both have to observe celibacy and restraint of senses, both have to regulate the intake and quality of food, both have to contemplate on the passages of the Upanipads and strive for the knowledge of Brahman. There were no doubt some differences. The vāna prastha oould be accompanied by his wife at least in the begin ning, & sannyāsin could not be so. A vānaprastha had to keep fires, perform the daily and other yajñas at least in the begin. ning, the sannyāsin gave up his fires. The Tānaprastha had to concentrate upon tapas, upon inuring himself to privations, severe susterities, and self-mortification, while the sannyasin

  1. aprill Time Trier fatoreftant Air CHAT HATE: समामार्याः ॥ रत्नकरण्डभावकाचार cbap. 5. Iowe this quotation to the kind Dokt of Prof. Upadhye of Kolhapur.

  2. ETAPUTEA STATUT I GATT TART forgat patart RT N TEHETST, Tatā chap. 24. 16 ; vide also gre. I. p. 12.

T: TEFTAT Tront far f are perESTATT Tr… 274. . II. 9. 21. 10 and again THET: … … TITI 74. u.

II. 9.21. 20 (about awara).

Ch. XXVII)

vanaprastha and Sannyāsa

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was concerned principally with samyama (restraint or quies oence of senses ) and contemplation of the highest Reality, 48 stated by Samkarācārya on Vedāntasūtra III. 4. 20.348 Owing to the great similarity and virtual fusion of the two aśramas the stage of vāpaprastha came to be gradually ignored and people passed from the householder’s life directly to the life of sannyaga. Govindasvāml on Baud. Dh. S. III. 3. 14-17 remarks that the doārys (Baudhayana) should be asked why he describes the two orders of vānaprastha and sannyāsa as distinct. 2144 In course of time no one probably became a vānaprastha and therefore having recourse to the stage of vānaprastha came to be forbidden in the Kali age. 3145

a in the Kalisca les stage of vananenaprastha and

  1. metarumOTAT TOTEURI FTY ***T& T RUS WTFT U FETHU ort story: Tanacudirry on METIII. 4.20.

  2. TETEVE TEHT FHUATUTIST FRUIT FET: ITA Faroft on H. 9. III. 3. 14–17.

  3. HETTA TU TU R UTWAFUTOT I … … Para water spesso matar uttruts # TWEETY, 24. 14 ; ‘To Barytaty T TANTE:

HTC . 2, verse 17.

  1. D. 117