FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.18.4

గ్రీష్మే తప్యేత పఞ్చాగ్నీన్ వర్షాస్వాసారషాడ్‍జలే । ఆకణ్ఠమగ్న: శిశిర ఏవంవృత్తస్తపశ్చరేత్ ॥ ౪ ॥
grīṣme tapyeta paṣcāgnīn
[greeshme tapyeta pashchaagneen]
varṣāsv āsāra-ṣāḍ jale
[varshaasv aasaara-shaad jale]
ākaṇtha-magnaḥ śiśira
[aakantha-magnah shishira]
evaṁ vṛttas tapaś caret
[evam vrittas tapash charet]
grīṣme — in the summer tapyeta — one should accept as austerity paṣca-agnīn — five fires (the overhead sun and fires burning on four sides) varṣāsu — during the rainy season āsāra — torrents of rain ṣāṭ — tolerating jale — in water ā-kaṇṭha — up to the neck magnaḥ — submerged śiśire — in the coldest part of winter evam — thus vṛttaḥ — engaged tapaḥ — penance caret — one should execute.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
grīṣme tapyeta paṣcāgnīn
grīṣme
in the summer
tapyeta
one should accept as austerity
paṣca-agnīn
five fires (the overhead sun and fires burning on four sides)
varṣāsv āsāra-ṣāḍ jale
varṣāsu
during the rainy season
āsāra
torrents of rain
ṣāṭ
tolerating
jale
in water
ā-kaṇṭha
up to the neck
ākaṇtha-magnaḥ śiśira
magnaḥ
submerged
śiśire
in the coldest part of winter
evaṁ vṛttas tapaś caret
evam
thus
vṛttaḥ
engaged
tapaḥ
penance
caret
one should execute.
Thus engaged as a vānaprastha, one should execute penance during the hottest summer days by subjecting oneself to burning fires on four sides and the blazing sun overhead; during the rainy season one should remain outside, subjecting oneself to torrents of rain; and in the freezing winter one should remain submerged in water up to one’s neck.

One who engages in sense gratification must perform severe penances at the end of life to counteract his sinful, hedonistic activities. A devotee of the Lord, however, naturally develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness and need not subject himself to such radical penances. As stated in the Paṣcarātra:

ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kiṁ nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim antar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kiṁ nāntar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim

“If one is worshiping the Lord properly, what is the use of severe penances? And if one is not properly worshiping the Lord, what is the use of severe penances? If Śrī Kṛṣṇa is realized within and without everything that exists, what is the use of severe penances? And if Śrī Kṛṣṇa is not seen within and without everything, then what is the use of severe penances?”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
He should execute penance during the hottest summer days by subjecting himself to burning fires on four sides and the blazing sun overhead; during the rainy season he should remain outside, subjecting himself to torrents of rain; and in the winter he should remain submerged in water up to his neck.
📝 My note

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