[Advaita-l] vanaprastha in community

[ymoharir at yahoo.com]

Deal List:
 
Her is some information I have in my notes and some of you may find it useful pertaining to "vaanaprata"
 
There are two laxaNaa's of the term "vaanaprasta"
 
1.  gR^ihasthaashramamapahaaya gR^ihiitamunivR^ittirasa.nnyastaH ||
 
Meaning - voluntarily renouncing gR^ihastaashrama without going through "sa.nnyaa" one lives in the forest while observes "munivR^ittii".
 
2.  putramutpaddya vanavaasaM kR^itvaa akR^iShTapacaphalaadi bhaxayitvaa iishvaraaaadhanaM karoti yaH sa vaanaprasthaH || shbdakalpadruma ||
 
Meaning - Going the forest after creating progeny and living there consuming roots & fruits from the cultivate land and continues to "iishvara aaraadhanaa" (austerities) is "vaanaprasta".
 
There is no reference of "vaanaprasta" in R^igveda per say, In taa.nDya braahmaNa (14.16) there is a reference of vaikkhaanasa munii.  He was most probably "vaanaprasta" because baudhayaana suutra (2.6.19) there it says that the one who observes vidhii-nishedha as per vaikhaanasashaastra is "vaanaprasta".
 
First clear documentation of "vaanaprasta". appears in jaabaalopaniShaada:
 
brahmacarya parisamaapya gR^ihii bhaved gR^ihii bhuutvaa vanii bhavedvanii bhuutvaa pravajet |
 
Meaning - After completing brahmacarya accept and become gR^ihasta (householder).  After completing (duties of) gR^ihasta go into the forest and finally after completing vaanaprasta take sa.nnyaasa.
 
According to Manu vaanaprasta is only for traivarNika and not for shuudra..  However, if king recommends the shuudra can take vaanaprasta. (mahaabhaarata shaanti parva 63.12).
 
It appears that vaanaprasta became popular in brahmaaNa and kshatriiya.  vyaasa, vaalmiikii, atrii, sharabha.nga, sutiixNa,  ... et. al. were all "vaanaprasta".  yayaatii, dhR^itaraaShTra, raghuu were kshatriya "vaanaprasta".  dhR^itaraaShTra entrusts the responsibility of kigndom on his children and takes "vaanaprasta". (M.B. shaa. pa. 321.38).
 
Hope this helps answer some of the question of Sri Michael.
 
Kind Regards,
 
Dr. Yadu

--- On Sun, 6/14/09, Sunil Bhattacharjya <sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com> wrote:


From: Sunil Bhattacharjya <sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] vanaprastha in community
To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009, 7:11 PM


Michaelji,
 
In the Mahabharata times there have been cases where the Vanaparasthis did go to the Vana (or forest) but I do not think that there is any such injunction that the Vanaprasthis must go to the forest. One can join some of the residential ashramas or can stay at the house itself but must  slowly withdraw from the househols responsibilities and should devote more and more time in spiritual studies and practice..
 
Sunil K. Bhattacharjya

--- On Sun, 6/14/09, Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:


From: Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] vanaprastha in community
To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009, 5:07 AM


Sunilji,

Thank you for your prompt response. In practice, does the  vanaprasthi
remain in the family home, but 'retired' -- like a Western gentleman in his
'study' room ?

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
[mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org]On Behalf Of Sunil
Bhattacharjya
Sent: 14 June 2009 12:54
To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] vanaprastha in community



Dear Michaelji,
 
Vanaprastha is the  stage of retirement from the household responsibilities
and is  the stage of trying to understand the spiritual aspects of whatever
Vaidic karma  one has been doing   as a householder, studying the sacred
texts, having spiritual discussions with the Guru and the other
Vanaprasthis.  Vanaprasthis do not have to give up the fire rituals etc.
Only in the next stage of  Sanyasha that one gives up  the  family  and the
samsara  as well as the fire rituals and  one  cannot stay in one place for
long.
 
Regards,
 
Sunil K. Bhattacharjya

--- On Sun, 6/14/09, Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk>
wrote:


From: Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: [Advaita-l] vanaprastha in community
To: "advaita vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009, 4:17 AM


Months without questions, and now two at once !

Q: does the tradition speak of  vanaprastha as entirely to do with personal
moksha; or is there a wider view of it ? i.e. does the prescribed
dissociation with institutions or organizations, still have a spiritual or
social connection with the community ?

The idea of vanaprastha as social isolation feels to me as lacking something
vital..

I hope this question makes some sense..

Michael



_______________________________________________
Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita

To unsubscribe or change your options:
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l

For assistance, contact:
listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org




_______________________________________________
Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita

To unsubscribe or change your options:
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l

For assistance, contact:
listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org




_______________________________________________
Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita

To unsubscribe or change your options:
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l

For assistance, contact:
listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org



      
_______________________________________________
Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita

To unsubscribe or change your options:
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l

For assistance, contact:
listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org