26. Forest Hermits
i. General
Āpastamba
अथ वानप्रस्थः ॥18 अत एव ब्रह्मचर्यवान् प्रव्रजति ॥19 तस्यौपदिशन्ति एकअग्निर् अनिकेतः स्याद् अशर्मअशरणो मुनिः स्वाध्याय एवौत्सृजमानो वाचम् ॥20–21 तस्यअरण्यम् आच्छादनं विहितम् ॥1 ततो मूलैः फलैः पर्णैः तृणैर् इति वर्तयंश् चरेत् ॥2 अन्ततः प्रवृत्तानि ॥3 ततो ऽअपो वायुम् आकाशम् इत्य् अभिनिश्रयेत् ॥4 तेषाम् उत्तर उत्तरः संयोगः फलतो विशिष्टः ॥5 अथ वानप्रस्थस्यएवअनुपूर्व्यम् एके उपदिशन्ति ॥6 विद्यां समाप्य दारं कृत्वाअग्नीन् आधाय कर्माण्य् आरभते सोमअवरार्ध्यानि यानि श्रूयन्ते ॥7 गृहान् कृत्वा सदारः सप्रजः सहअग्निभिर् बहिर् ग्रामाद् वसेत् ॥8 एको वा ॥9 शिलोञ्छेन वर्तयेत् ॥10 न चअत ऊर्ध्वं प्रतिगृह्णीयात् ॥11 अभिषिक्तश् च जुहुयात् ॥12 शनैर् अपो ऽअभ्यवेयाद् अभिघ्नन्न् अभिमुखम् आदित्यम् उदकम् उपस्पृशेत् ॥13 इति सर्वत्रौदकौपस्पर्शनविधिः ॥14 तस्य द्वंद्वं द्रव्याणाम् एके उपदिशन्ति पाकअर्थभोजनअर्थवासिपरशुदात्रकाजानाम् ॥15 द्वंद्वानाम् एकएकम् आदायैतराणि दत्वाअरण्यम् अवतिष्ठेत ॥16 तस्यअरण्येनएवअत ऊर्ध्वं होमो वृत्तिः प्रतीक्षात्छादनं च ॥17 येषु कर्मसु पुरोडाशाश् चरवः तेषु कार्याः ॥18 सर्वं चौपांशु सह स्वाध्यायेन ॥19 नअरण्यम् अभिआश्रावयेत् ॥20 अग्निअर्थं शरणम् ॥21 आकाशे स्वयम् ॥22 अनुपस्तीर्णे शय्याआसने ॥23 नवे सस्ये प्राप्ते पुराणम् अनुजानीयात् ॥24 भूयांसं वा नियमम् इच्छन्न् अन्वहम् एव पात्रेण सायं प्रातर् अर्थम् आहरेत् ॥1 ततो मूलैः फलैः पर्णैः तृणैर् इति वर्तयंश् चरेद् अन्ततः प्रवृत्तानि ततो ऽअपो वायुम् आकाशम् इत्य् अभिनिश्रयेत् तेषाम् उत्तर उत्तरः संयोगः फलतो विशिष्टः ॥2
18 Next, the forest hermit. 19 From that very state, remaining chaste, he goes forth. With regard to him they admonish: 21 "He should live as a silent sage with a single fire, but without house, shelter, or protection." 21 Let him speak only when he is engaged in the recitation of his Veda. Clothes made of materials from the wild are prescribed for him. 2 Thereafter, he should roam about, living on roots, fruits, leaves, and grasses, 3 and finally on what he happens to find lying about. 4 After that he should sustain himself on water, air, and space. 5 Among these, each subsequent pursuit is more exceptional in terms of its reward. 6 Now, some teach an orderly sequence limited to the forest hermit. 7 After completing his vedic studies, a man should marry a wife, set up the sacred fires, and begin to perform the rites taught in the Vedas, at a minimum the Soma sacrifice. 8 Then he should build a dwelling outside the village and live there either with his wife, children, and sacred fires, 9 or alone. 10 He should live by gleaning 11 and from that time onwards never accept gifts. 12 Only after he has bathed should he offer oblations in the fire, 13 He should enter the water slowly and bathe facing the sun, without splashing. 14 This procedure of bathing is applicable to all. 15 Some say that he should prepare two sets of utensils for cooking and eating, as well as two sets of knives, axes, sickles, and mallets. 16 He should give one of the two sets, take the other, and set out to the wilderness. 17 From then on he should use only wild produce to offer fire sacrifices, to sustain himself, to attend to guests, and to clothe himself. 18 He should use rice porridge in rites that call for cakes. 19 And he should recite everything, including the recitation of his Veda, in an inaudible voice, 20 never permitting wild animals to hear him. 21 He should have a shelter only for his sacred fires, 22 while he himself lives in the open 23 sitting and sleeping on the bare ground. 24 When he has obtained a new stock of grain, he should get rid of the old. 1 Alternatively, if he desires greater severity, he should gather food with his bowl each and every day both in the morning and in the evening. 2 Thereafter, he should roam about, living on roots, fruits, leaves, and grasses, and finally on what he happens to find lying about. After that he should sustain himself on water, air, and space. Among these, each subsequent pursuit is more exceptional in terms of its reward. [A 2.21.18–21; 2.22.1–24; 2.23.1–2]
Gautama
bark or skin 35 and never eat anything that has been stored for more than a year. [G 3.26–35]
Baudhāyana
अथ वानप्रस्थद्वैविध्यम् ॥1 पचमानका अपचमानकाश् चैति ॥2 तत्र पचमानकाः पञ्चविधाः सर्वआरण्यका वैतुषिकाःकन्दमूलभक्षाः फलभक्षाः शाकभक्षाश् चैति ॥3 तत्र सर्वआरण्यका नाम द्विविधा द्विविधम् आरण्यमाश्रयन्त इन्द्रअवसिक्ता रेतोवसिक्ताश् चैति ॥4 तत्रैन्द्रअवसिक्ता नाम वल्लीगुल्मलतावृक्षाणामानयित्वा श्रपयित्वा सायंप्रातरग्निहोत्रं हुत्वायत्यतिथिव्रतिभ्यश् च दत्त्वाअथैतरत्शेषभक्षाः ॥5 रेतोवसिक्ता नाम मांसंव्याघ्रवृकश्येनआदिभिर् अन्यतमेन वा हतम् आनयित्वा श्रपयित्वासायंप्रातरग्निहोत्रं हुत्वा यत्यतिथिव्रतिभ्यश् चदत्त्वाअथैतरत्शेषभक्षाः ॥6 वैतुषिकाः तुषधान्यवर्जं तण्डुलान् आनयित्वा श्रपयित्वासायंप्रातरग्निहोत्रं हुत्वा यत्यतिथिव्रतिभ्यश् चदत्त्वाअथैतरत्शेषभक्षाः ॥7 कन्दमूलफलशाकभक्षाणाम् अप्य् एवम् एव ॥8 पञ्चएवअपचमानका उन्मज्जकाः प्रवृत्ताशिनो मुखेनादायिनस्तोयाहारा वायुभक्षाश् चैति ॥9 तत्रौन्मज्जका नाम लोहअश्मकरणवर्जम् ॥10 हस्तेनआदाय प्रवृत्ताशिनः ॥11 मुखेनादायिनो मुखेनआददते ॥12 तोयआहाराः केवलं तोयाहाराः ॥13 वायुभक्षा निराहाराश् च ॥14 इति वैखानसानां विहिता दश दीक्षाः ॥15 यः स्वशास्त्रम् अभ्युपेत्य दण्डं च मौनं चअप्रमादं च ॥16 वैखानसाः शुध्यन्ति निराहाराश् चैति ॥17 शास्त्रपरिग्रहः सर्वेषां ब्रह्मवैखानसानाम् ॥18 न द्रुह्येद् दंशमशकान् हिमवांः तापसो भवेत् ॥19 वनप्रतिष्ठः संतुष्टश् चीरचर्मजलप्रियः ॥19 अतिथीन् पूजयेत् पूर्वं काले त्व् आश्रमम् आगतान् ॥20 देवविप्रअग्निहोत्रे च युक्तः तपसि तापसः ॥20 कृच्छ्रां वृत्तिम् असंहार्यां सामान्यां मृगपक्षिभिः ॥21 तद् अहर् जनसंभारां कषायकटुकआश्रयाम् ॥21 परिगृह्य शुभां वृत्तिम् एतां दुर्जनवर्जिताम् ॥21 वनवासम् उपाश्रित्य ब्राह्मणो नअवसीदति ॥21 मृगैः सह परिस्पन्दः संवासः तेभिर् एव च ॥22 तैर् एव सदृशी वृत्तिः प्रत्यक्षं स्वर्गलक्षणम् ॥22 प्रत्यक्षं स्वर्गलक्षणम् इति ॥22
1 Next, the two types of forest hermits: 2 those who cook and those who do not cook. 3 Of these, the hermits who cook are of five types: Sarvaranyaka-eating Vaituṣika-eating only husked grain; Kandamūlabhakṣa-eating only bulbs and roots; Phalabhaksa-eating only fruits; and Sakabhaksa-eating only leafy vegetables. 4 Of these, the Sarvāraṇyakas are of two types, using two kinds of forest produce. They are the Indravasiktas-those who use plants produced by rain; and the Retovasiktas-those who use animals produced from semen. 5 Of these, the Indrāvasiktas collect the produce of vines, shrubs, creepers, and trees; cook it; offer the daily fire sacrifice with it morning and evening; give portions of it to ascetics, guests, and students; and eat what remains. 6 The Retovasiktas collect the flesh of animals killed by tigers, wolves, hawks, or other predators; cook it; offer the daily fire sacrifice with it morning and evening; give portions of it to ascetics, guests, and students; and eat what remains. 7 Vaituṣikas, avoiding grains with husks, collect husked rice kernels; cook it; offer the daily fire sacrifice with it morning and evening; give portions of it to ascetics, guests, and students; and eat what remains. 8 Those who eat only bulbs and roots, or only fruits, or only leafy vegetables, also do likewise. 9 There are, likewise, five types of hermits who do not cook: Unmajjakas-the submerged; Pravrttāśins-eating what is found; Mukhenadayins-taking with the mouth; Toyaharas-subsisting on water; and Vayubhakṣas—subsisting on air. 10 Of these, Unmajjakas avoid using iron and stone implements. 11 Pravrttasins take food in their hands. 12 Mukhenadayins take food with their mouths. 13 Toyaharas subsist only on water. 14 Vāyubhakṣas do not eat at all. 15 Accordingly, ten observances are prescribed for anchorites (Vaikhānasas). 16 After subscribing to the treatise meant for him, he shall carry a staff, keep silence, and be vigilant. 17 Anchorites abstain from food and become purified. 18 Here is the gist of what the treatise prescribes for all Brahmaanchorites: 19 "Let him not hurt even gnats or mosquitoes. Let him suffer cold and undertake ascetic practices. Residing in the forest, let him be content and find delight in bark garments, skins, and water. 20 When guests arrive during a meal time, he should first receive them hospitably. Let him be intent on honoring gods and Brahmins, offering daily fire sacrifices, and performing ascetic practices. 21 This is a difficult mode of life—it cannot be given up; it is similar to that of animals and birds; it involves collecting what one needs for that day and eating acrid and bitter food. Having embarked on this splendid path far away from wicked men and undertaken the forest life, a Brahmin never comes to ruin. 22 To move around with animals, to dwell with them alone, and to sustain oneself just like them-that is the visible token of heaven." [B 3.3.1–22]
Vasiṣṭha
10 After establishing the sacred fire according to the hermit procedure, he should become a person who maintains the sacred fire. 11 He lives at the foot of a tree. After six months, he lives homeless and without a fire. 12 He should make offerings to gods, ancestors, and men. He will thus attain an endless all forest produce; heavenly abode. [Va 9.1–12]