Gradual Withdrawal
Vānaprastha ('one going to the forest,' from vana = forest + prastha = gone to) is the third āśrama. After fulfilling gṛhastha duties — raising children, performing the prescribed rituals, supporting society — the couple (or individual) gradually withdraws from active social and domestic life, entrusting the household to the next generation and focusing increasingly on contemplation and spiritual practice.
Not Always Literal Forest
While the āśrama is named for the forest, the tradition understands the 'forest' symbolically — it represents withdrawal from the dense network of social obligations and sensory engagements of the householder, not necessarily physical relocation. The spirit of vānaprastha is the turning of attention from the world toward the eternal.
Practice in Vānaprastha
During vānaprastha, the couple continues the sacred fire (Āhavanīya) but simplifies diet, reduces social engagements, increases meditation and study, and practices greater detachment. The goal is to cultivate the inner orientation of renunciation without yet formally adopting the sannyāsa āśrama.
Transition to Sannyāsa
Vānaprastha is the preparation for sannyāsa — the complete formal renunciation of worldly life. In Sri Vaishnava understanding, the deepening of prapatti and the natural diminishment of worldly engagement that comes with age and wisdom are the authentic expressions of the vānaprastha spirit, whether or not the person formally adopts the āśrama in its traditional Vedic form.