Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.12.17
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyRetired Life Requires Spiritual Discipline
“O King, I shall now describe the qualifications for a vānaprastha, one who has retired from family life. By rigidly following the rules and regulations for the vānaprastha, one can easily be elevated to the upper planetary system known as Maharloka.”
What the purport teaches
- A vānaprastha is one who has retired from family life.
- This stage of life has specific qualifications, rules and regulations. Retirement here involves disciplined practice.
- By strictly following these rules, a vānaprastha can easily be elevated to the upper planetary system called Maharloka.
Try this today
Write one sentence describing the disciplined purpose of vānaprastha life given here.
Ask yourself
Do I think of retirement only as leisure, or also as a time for spiritual discipline?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.