Conti.. Spirituality of the Old..Religious- Part 11.
SPIRITUALITY OF THE OLD ESPECIALLY OF
11.Qualifications for Sanyasa
The qualifications for Vanprastha and Sanyasa are given in detail by Kane (chap. XVII & XVIII, Vol. 2, Part 2, pp. 917-975). To point out that there was not such a sharp distinction between both on the basis of Sruti and Smruti literature Kane describes these qualifications some of which we shall summarize and enumerate:
1. “In order to qualify himself for Sanyasa, a person had to perform a sacrifice to Prajapati in which whatever he had offered be distributed to priests and the poor and the helpless (Manu VI. 38, Yaj. III. 56, Visnu Dh. S. 96. 1, Sankha VII. 1).”
2. “After leaving home, wife, children and possessions, he should dwell outside the village, should be homeless and stay under a tree or in an un-inhabited house wherever he may be when the sun sets and should always wander from place to place; but he may remain in one place only in the rainy season (Manu VI. 41, 43-44, Vas. Dh. S. X. 12-15, Sankha VII. 6).”
3. “He should always wander alone without a companion, as by so doing he will be free from attachments and the pangs of separation.” Daksa (VII. 34-38) emphasizes this point very well ‘the real ascetic always stays alone; if two stay together, they form a pair; if three stay together they are like a village and if more (than three stay together) then it becomes like a town. An ascetic should not form a pair or a village or a town; by so doing he swerves from his dharma, since (if two or more stay together) they begin to exchange news about the ruling prince, about the alms obtained and by close contact, sentiments of affection, jealousy or wickedness arise between them.
4. “He should be celibate, should always be devoted to contemplation and spiritual knowledge and should be unattached to all objects of sense and pleasure (Manu VI. 41 and 49, Gaut. III. 11).”
5. “He should move about avoiding all trouble or injury to creatures, should make all creatures safe with him, he should entertain no anger towards him who is furious with him, should utter benedictions over him also who runs him down, should never utter an untruth (Manu VI. 40, 47-48, Yaj. III. 61, Gaut. III. 23).”
6. “He should beg alms from seven houses without selecting them beforehand (Vas. Dh. S. X. 7, Sankha VII. 3, Adi, 119. 12 ‘five or ten houses’)….” According to Parasara I. 51 and the Sutasamhita (Jnana-yoga-khanda 4. 15-16) the first claim on the food cooked in the house is that of an ascetic and a brahmacarin and one has to perform the Candrayana penance for taking one’s meals without giving alms to them.
7. “He should hoard nothing and he should own or possess nothing except his tattered garments, his water jar, begging bowl” (Manu VI. 43-44, Gaut. III, 10, Vas. X. 6).”
8. “He should generally observe silence except when he repeats the Vedic texts learnt by him” (Manu VI. 43, Gaut. III. 16, Baud. Dh. S. II. 10. 79, Ap. Dh. S. II. 9. 21. 10).”
9. “He should recite the vedic texts referring to yajnas or gods or texts of a metaphysical character found in the Vedanta (such as ‘satyam jnanam-anantam brahma’ in Tai. Up. 2. 1). Vide Manu VI. 83.”
10. “In order to generate the feeling of vairagya (desirelessness) and to curb his senses, he should make his mind dwell upon the body as liable to disease and old age and as packed full of impurities; and should revolve in his mind the transitory nature of all mundane things, the trouble one has to undergo in body and mind from conception to death, the incessant round of births and deaths (Manu VI. 76-77, Yaj. III. 63-63, Visnu Dh. S. 96. 25-42).”
11. “He should endeavour to purify his mind by pranayama and other practices of yoga and thereby enable himself gradually to realize the Absolute and secure final release (Manu VI. 70-75, 81, Yaj. III. 62, 64)”[i]
Kane gives the various requirements of vanaprastha which look very similar to those of Sanyasa. Of course, a man could take his wife to the forest if she desires. But the author points out that “He should live a life of complete continence, should be self-restrained, friendly (to all), collected in mind, ever liberal but never a recipient and be compassionate towards all beings (Manu VI. 8, Yaj. III. 45 and 48).”[ii]
(Coming up next III. A SEARCH FOR A SPIRITUALITY FOR THE OLD)
[i] History of Dharmasastra, Vol. II, Part II, pp. 931-938.
[ii] History of Dharmasastra, Vol. II, Part II, p. 920.
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