Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.12.21
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyThe Vānaprastha’s Simple Dress and Possessions
“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.”
What the purport teaches
- The vānaprastha should wear matted hair and allow body hair, nails and moustache to grow. The verse also directs him not to cleanse dirt from his body.
- His prescribed possessions include a waterpot, deerskin and rod.
- He should wear tree bark as a covering and garments colored like fire.
Try this today
Make a short list of the possessions and clothing prescribed here, and reflect on their simplicity.
Ask yourself
What does this description reveal about the vānaprastha’s approach to appearance and possessions?
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.