Text 23] The Perfect Society: Four Spiritual Classes
77
ted locks of hair;  dadhat —one should keep;  kamaṇḍalu —a waterpot;  ajine —and a deerskin;  daṇḍa —rod;  valkala —the bark of a tree;  agni —fire;  paricchadān —garments.
TRANSLATION
The vānaprastha should wear matted locks of hair on his head and let his body hair, nails and moustache grow. He should not cleanse his body of dirt. He should keep a waterpot, deerskin and rod, wear the bark of a tree as a covering, and use garments colored like fire.
TEXT 22
चरेद् वने द्वादशब्दानष्टौ वा चतुरो मुनिः । द्वावेकं वा यथा बुद्धिर्न विपद्येत कृच्छ्रतः ॥२२॥
cared vane dvādaśābdān aṣṭau vā caturo muniḥ dvāv ekaṁ vā yathā buddhir na vipadyeta kṛcchrataḥ
caret —should remain;  vane —in the forest;  dvādaśa-abdān —twelve years;  aṣṭau —for eight years;  vā —either;  caturaḥ —four years;  muniḥ —a saintly, thoughtful man;  dvau —two;  ekaṁ —one;  vā —either;  yathā —as well as;  buddhiḥ —intelligence;  na —not;  vipadyeta —bewildered;  kṛcchrataḥ —because of hard austerities.
TRANSLATION
Being very thoughtful, a vānaprastha should remain in the forest for twelve years, eight years, four years, two years or at least one year. He should behave in such a way that he will not be disturbed or troubled by too much austerity.
TEXT 23
यदाकल्पः स्वक्रियायां व्याधिमिर्जरयाथवा । आन्वीक्षिक्यां वा विद्यायां कुर्यादनशनादिकम् ॥२३॥