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The Duties of Vanaprasthis and Sannyasins
Agnihotra, Darsa (observances during the new moon), Purnamasya (observances during the full moon), as well as Chaturmasya sacrifices are prescribed equally for the Vanaprastha by the Vedic teachers.
With his body reduced to a skeleton by the Tapas so performed, the hermit or forest recluse worships and propitiates Me and attains to Me through Maharloka and other stages.
Who is a greater fool than he who will waste for the fulfilment of petty desires such as enjoyment in heaven etc.,such great Tapas performed with consider able difficulty and calculated to confer liberation or Moksha?
When the hermit is unable to observe his duties on account of shaking of the limbs consequent on old age, he should withdraw his sacred fires into himself, and with his mind intent on Me, enter into the fire.
When he is totally disgusted with the enjoyments of the worlds resulting from Karma, realising that they are attended with miseries, pains and sorrows and are not eternal, he should abandon the fires and become a Sannyasin.
Having worshipped Me according to precepts and sacrificed unto Me as ordained by the Vedas and given everything to the priests, he should withdraw the fire into himself and become a Sannyasin without longing and caring for anything.
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