at the will of the rider).
Even that is the delightful heaven indicated in the Vedas. For all
householders of restrained souls, the regions of heaven constitute the
high reward. The Self-born Brahman ordained that the domestic mode of
life should be the productive cause of heaven. And since it has been so
ordained, a person, by gradually attaining to the second mode of life,
obtains happiness and respect in heaven. After this comes that high and
superior mode of life, called the third, for those that are desirous of
casting off their bodies. Superior to that of householders, that is the
life of forest recluses,--of those, that is, who waste their bodies (by
diverse kinds of austerities) into skeletons overlaid with dried skins.
Listen as I discourse to thee upon it.'"'"

SECTION CCXLIV

"'Bhishma said, "Though hast been told what the duties of domesticity are
as ordained by the wise. Listen now, O Yudhishthira, to what those duties
are that have been next spoken of. Gradually abandoning the domestic
mode, one should enter the third mode which is excellent. It is the mode
in which wives afflict themselves by means of Austerities. It is the mode
practised by those that live as forest recluses. Blessed be thou, O son,
listen to the duties observed by those that lead this mode of life in
which occur the practices of all men and all modes of life. Listen,
indeed, to the duties of those that are denizens of sacred spots and that
have resorted to this mode after proper deliberation!

"'"Vyasa said, 'When the householder beholds wrinkles on his body and white
hair on his head, and children of his children, he should then retire
into the forest. The third part of his life he should pass in the
observance of the Vanaprastha mode. He should attend to those fires to
which he had attended as a householder. Desirous of sacrificing, he
should adore the deities (according to the rituals ordained). Observant
of vows and abstemious in diet, he should eat only once, the time thereof
being the sixth part of the day. He should be always heedful. Attending
to his fires, he should keep some kine, waiting upon them
dutifully.[1005] He should attend to all the rituals of a sacrifice. He
should live upon rice growing indigenously, upon wheat growing under
similar circumstances, upon grain of other kinds, growing wildly (and
belonging to none). He should eat what remains after feeding guests. In
this the third mode of life, he should prese