Manava Dharmashastra 6.33

6.33

itaḥprabhṛti caturthāśramamatiḥ | tṛtīyaṃ bhāgamiti | kañcitkālaṃ sthitvetyarthaḥ | yāvatā kālena tapaḥ sutaptaṃ bhavati viṣayābhilāṣaśca sarvo nivṛttaḥ | na hi mukhyatṛtīya āyuṣo bhāga evānena śakyeo jñātum | na hi varṣaśatāpekṣā''śramāṇāṃ, yato valīpalitapatyotpattau tṛtīyāśramapratipattau kāla uktaḥ | na ca sarvasya pañcāśadvarṣadeśīyasya tadutpadyate | uktaṃ cānyatra “tapasi ṛddhe parivrajediti” | “nanu ca yathā'nyeṣāmāśramāṇāṃ kālo vivṛteā grahaṇāntaṃ brahmacaryaṃ, valīpalittāvadhi gārhasthyam, naivamiha kaścitparicchedaheturasti | yadi yathāśrutaṃ 'tṛtīyo bhāgaḥ' samāśriyeta, yacca ‘tapasi ṛddha' iti, tatrāpi kālāpekṣā yuktaiva | na jñāyate kiyatā tapasā ṛddhirbhavati | ataḥ kālaparicchedo vacanāīḥ” | uktamatra na śatavarṣāpekṣayā tṛtīyāyurbhāganiścayaḥ saṃbhavati | uktaśca kālaḥ—'kāyapāke pravrajyā pratipattavyā' | yāvatā tapasā yāvati ca vayasi punarmadvṛddhirnāśaṃkyate tadā parivrajet | vihṛtyāsitvā yathoktaṃ vidhimanuṣṭhāyeti yāvat | saṃgatyāgaśca mamatā'parigrahaḥ ekārāmatā |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Henceforward we have the description of the fourth life-stage.

‘Third part.’—i.e, having remained, in the forest for some time; for such time as would suffice for the due performance of austerities and the proper allayment of longing for objects of enjoyment. The phrase cannot be taken as standing precisely for the exact ‘third part’ of the man’s life; because the period of the life-stage is not determined precisely with reference to one hundred years (the alleged span of man’s life); because the time for entering on the third life-stage has been indicated as that marked by the appearance of ‘wrinkles and grey hair’; and in every man these do not always appear at the completion of fifty years. Then again, elsewhere it has been declared that ‘one should go forth on the completion of his austerities’.

“In the case of the other life-stages the time has been precisely indicated—e.g. (a) Studentship shall continue till the Veda has been got up, (b) the life of the Householder shall continue till the appearance of wrinkles and grey hairs; in the present instance however no such time is indicated; whether we take it to be the ‘third part’ as asserted in the present text, or ‘on the completion of austerities,’—even so we stand in need of information regarding the exact time meant; for there is no knowing by what time one’s austerities might be completed. For these reasons it is necessary that the time should be indicated by the words of the text”

It has already been explained that the ‘third part of life’ cannot be determined with reference to ‘a hundred years’; and as regards the exact time, it has been clearly indicated by such words as—‘one should take to the life of the Wandering Mendicant after the body has fully ripened’; which means that ‘one should go forth after he has performed enough austerities, and till sufficiently advanced age, to be convinced that there is no more chance of any recrudescence of the passions.’

‘Having passed’— having lived through; i.e. having carried on the duties as detailed above.

‘Renouncing of attachment’ consists in not harbouring notions of I and mine, in resting within one’s self.—(33).