History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c45.10

v3.c45.10

The time for becoming a forest hermit arises in two ways. According to the Jābālopaniṣad quoted above (p. 421) a man may become a vānaprastha immediately after the period of studenthood or after passing some years as an householder. Manu (VI. 2) indicates the age by saying 'when a householder sees his skin wrinkled and his hair growing white and sees the sons of his sons he may betake himself to the forest'. The commentators were divided in their opinions, some holding that all three conditions (wrinkles, grey hair and seeing son's sons) must be fulfilled before one could become a forest hermit, others held that only one of them need be fulfilled and others again said that these conditions are only indicative of the age viz. that a man must be old or over 50. Kullūka on Manu III. 50 quotes a smṛti 'a man may resort to a forest after 50'.