agni - the fire; artham - to keep; eva - only; śaraṇam - a cottage; uṭa-jam - made of grass; vā - or; adri-kandaram - a cave in a mountain; śrayeta - the vānaprastha should take shelter of; hima - snow; vāyu - wind; agni - fire; varṣa - rain; arka - of the sun; ātapa - shining; ṣāṭ - enduring; svayam - personally.

A vānaprastha should prepare a thatched cottage or take shelter of a cave in a mountain only to keep the sacred fire, but he should personally practice enduring snowfall, wind, fire, rain and the shining of the sun.