Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.18.8
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutySimply Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa
“The vānaprastha should perform the agnihotra, darśa and paurṇamāsa sacrifices, as he did while in the gṛhastha-āśrama. He should also perform the vows and sacrifices of cāturmāsya, since all of these rituals are enjoined for the vānaprastha-āśrama by expert knowers of the Vedas.”
What the purport teaches
- The vānaprastha is instructed to continue agnihotra, darśa and paurṇamāsa sacrifices, as in the gṛhastha-āśrama.
- Expert knowers of the Vedas also prescribe the vows and sacrifices of cāturmāsya for the vānaprastha.
- The purport’s conclusion is that everyone should simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and avoid the difficult entanglement of Vedic rituals. It strongly warns against neglecting both chanting and the prescribed rituals.
Try this today
Chant attentively: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Ask yourself
How can I give sincere chanting a regular place in my day?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.