चरेद्वने द्वादशाब्दानष्टौ वा चतुरो मुनि: । द्वावेकं वा यथा बुद्धिर्न विपद्येत कृच्छ्रत: ॥ २२ ॥
cared vane dvadasabdan astau va caturo munih dvav ekam va yatha buddhir na vipadyeta krcchratah
- caret
- should remain
- vane
- in the forest
- dvadasa-abdan
- twelve years
- astau
- for eight years
- va
- either
- caturah
- four years
- munih
- a saintly, thoughtful man
- dvau
- two
- ekam
- one
- va
- either
- yatha
- as well as
- buddhih
- intelligence
- na
- not
- vipadyeta
- bewildered
- krcchratah
- because of hard austerities.
Being very thoughtful, a vanaprastha should remain in the forest for twelve years, eight years, four years, two years or at least one year. He should behave in such a way that he will not be disturbed or troubled by too much austerity.