Narasimha Purana — Chapter 59

NsP 59.1

अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि वानप्रस्थस्य लक्षणम् धर्मम् अग्र्यं महाभागाः कथ्यमानं निबोधत

ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi vānaprasthasya lakṣaṇam dharmam agryaṃ mahābhāgāḥ kathyamānaṃ nibodhata

Next I shall declare the characteristics of the forest-dweller; hear, O greatly fortunate ones, the foremost duty as it is being told.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

NsP 59.2

गृहस्थः पुत्रपौत्रादीन् दृष्ट्वा पलितम् आत्मनः स्वभार्यां तनये स्थाप्ये स्वशिष्यैः प्रविशेद् वनम्

gṛhasthaḥ putrapautrādīn dṛṣṭvā palitam ātmanaḥ svabhāryāṃ tanaye sthāpye svaśiṣyaiḥ praviśed vanam

The householder, having seen sons and grandsons and his own grey hair, should place his wife in his son's charge and enter the forest with his own pupils.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

NsP 59.3

जटाकलापचीराणि नखगात्ररुहाणि वा धारयञ् जुहुयाद् अग्नौ वैतानविधिना स्थितः

jaṭākalāpacīrāṇi nakhagātraruhāṇi vā dhārayañ juhuyād agnau vaitānavidhinā sthitaḥ

Wearing masses of matted hair and bark garments, or (letting grow) the nails and the hair of the body, he should offer in the fire, abiding by the rule of the three sacred fires.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

NsP 59.4

भृतपर्णैर् मृत्संभूतैर् नीवाराद्यैर् अतन्द्रितः कन्दमूलफलैर् वापि कुर्यान् नित्यक्रियां बुधः

bhṛtaparṇair mṛtsaṃbhūtair nīvārādyair atandritaḥ kandamūlaphalair vāpi kuryān nityakriyāṃ budhaḥ

Untiring, the wise man should perform his daily rites with borne leaves, with things produced from the earth, with wild rice and the like, or else with bulbs, roots and fruits.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

NsP 59.5

त्रिकालं स्नानयुक्तस् तु कुर्यात् तीव्रं तपः सदा पक्षे गते वा अश्नीयान् मासान्ते वा पराककृत्

trikālaṃ snānayuktas tu kuryāt tīvraṃ tapaḥ sadā pakṣe gate vā aśnīyān māsānte vā parākakṛt

Bathing at the three times, he should always practise fierce austerity; or he may eat when a fortnight has passed, or at the end of a month, performing the parāka fast.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

NsP 59.6

चतुःकाले ऽपि चाश्नीयात् काले ऽप्य् उत तथाष्टमे षष्ठाह्नकाले ह्य् अथवा अथवा वायुभक्षकः

catuḥkāle 'pi cāśnīyāt kāle 'py uta tathāṣṭame ṣaṣṭhāhnakāle hy athavā athavā vāyubhakṣakaḥ

Or he may eat at the fourth mealtime, or indeed at the eighth, or at the mealtime of the sixth day, or else he may live on air.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

NsP 59.7

घर्मे पञ्चाग्निमध्यस्थो धारावर्षासु वै नयेत् हैमन्तिके जले स्थित्वा नयेत् कालं तपश् चरन्

gharme pañcāgnimadhyastho dhārāvarṣāsu vai nayet haimantike jale sthitvā nayet kālaṃ tapaś caran

In the hot season he should pass the time standing in the midst of five fires, in the rains under the streaming downpours; in the winter season he should pass the time standing in water, practising austerity.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

NsP 59.8

एवं स्वकर्मभोगेन कृत्वा शुद्धिम् अथात्मनः अग्निं चात्मनि वै कृत्वा व्रजेद् वाथोत्तरां दिशम्

evaṃ svakarmabhogena kṛtvā śuddhim athātmanaḥ agniṃ cātmani vai kṛtvā vrajed vāthottarāṃ diśam

Thus, having achieved purification of himself by undergoing his own observances, and having placed the fire within himself, he may go to the northern quarter.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

NsP 59.9

आदेहपाताद् वनगो मौनम् आस्थाय तापसः स्मरन्न् अतीन्द्रियं ब्रह्म ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

ādehapātād vanago maunam āsthāya tāpasaḥ smarann atīndriyaṃ brahma brahmaloke mahīyate

The ascetic dwelling in the forest until the falling of the body, keeping silence, remembering the Brahman that is beyond the senses, is honoured in the world of Brahman.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

NsP 59.10

तपो हि यः सेवति काननस्थो वसेन् महत्सत्त्वसमाधियुक्तः विमुक्तपापो हि मनःप्रशान्तः प्रयाति विष्णोः सदनं द्विजेन्द्रः

tapo hi yaḥ sevati kānanastho vasen mahatsattvasamādhiyuktaḥ vimuktapāpo hi manaḥpraśāntaḥ prayāti viṣṇoḥ sadanaṃ dvijendraḥ

He who, dwelling in the forest, practices austerity, living joined to concentration on the great Being — that best of twice-born ones, freed from sin and stilled in mind, goes to the abode of Viṣṇu.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition