The Four Ashrams or Life StagesThe human life span is divided into four ashrams. These are Brahmacharya, Grahasta, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa. The Vedas define a specific purpose for each ashram.
According to Vedic philosophy the human life span is divided into four stages known as ‘ashrams’. The word ashram means shelter implying that the person takes shelter successively in each of the four stages during his life’s journey. These ashrams are Brahmacharya, Grahasta, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa. The Vedas define a specific purpose for each ashram and offer specific instructions to be followed in each ashram. The overall movement from ashram to ashram facilitates the merging of the jivatma (individual soul) with the paramatma (universal soul or God), which is the purpose of life.
The first ashram, Brahmacharya, is the student phase of life when the person is supposed to immerse himself or herself in learning the craft or trade in preparation for later life. During this period the person is supposed to live a celibate life (Brahmacharya means celibacy) because sexual activities were thought to have an adverse effect on the learning process. Till a few decades back, celibacy till marriage was the norm in India. In rural India it still is. However in urban areas the incidence of premarital sex is increasing, largely under the influence of the west.
Grahasta (meaning householder) ashram is the stage of family life. It begins with marriage and proceeds to raising a family. It involves earning a living through the skills acquired during Brahmacharya ashram. It encourages the enjoyment of a material life, including sexual pleasures with one’s spouse. The householders have the responsibility of bringing up their children in the same way that their parents brought them up. The householder needs to perform his religious duties as well.
Vanaprastha indicates the departure from material possessions. The person lives with the family, in society, but in a withdrawn manner. The man no longer takes part in the commercial activities and the woman leaves the running of the household to her daughter-in-law. People in this ashram play the role of mentors. The social activities become religious in nature. Celibacy is again advocated. The person is in this world but not of this world. The process of detachment from possessions, desires and relations begins in this stage. When Mr. Narayan Murthy, the founding father of Infosys, relinquished executive responsibility on turning sixty he was acting according to this philosophy.
The final stage is Sanyasa or renunciation. The person leaves society to spend the remaining part of his or her life in meditation and the contemplation of God in solitude. This is a very severe step and once upon a time was the norm. Hinduism propounds that religious and ethical values decline from age to age and hence it is not surprising that today this stage of life finds few takers.
In Hindu philosophy there exists a universal soul known as 'paramatma', which is another way of describing God. Each living being also has a soul known as 'jivatma'. The objective of existence is to try to merge the jivatma with the paramatma. This is known as moksha or salvation. The four ashrams prepare a person to undertake the process in a controlled but directed manner.
According to Vedic philosophy the human life span is divided into four stages known as ‘ashrams’. The word ashram means shelter implying that the person takes shelter successively in each of the four stages during his life’s journey. These ashrams are Brahmacharya, Grahasta, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa. The Vedas define a specific purpose for each ashram and offer specific instructions to be followed in each ashram. The overall movement from ashram to ashram facilitates the merging of the jivatma (individual soul) with the paramatma (universal soul or God), which is the purpose of life.
The first ashram, Brahmacharya, is the student phase of life when the person is supposed to immerse himself or herself in learning the craft or trade in preparation for later life. During this period the person is supposed to live a celibate life (Brahmacharya means celibacy) because sexual activities were thought to have an adverse effect on the learning process. Till a few decades back, celibacy till marriage was the norm in India. In rural India it still is. However in urban areas the incidence of premarital sex is increasing, largely under the influence of the west.
Grahasta (meaning householder) ashram is the stage of family life. It begins with marriage and proceeds to raising a family. It involves earning a living through the skills acquired during Brahmacharya ashram. It encourages the enjoyment of a material life, including sexual pleasures with one’s spouse. The householders have the responsibility of bringing up their children in the same way that their parents brought them up. The householder needs to perform his religious duties as well.
Vanaprastha indicates the departure from material possessions. The person lives with the family, in society, but in a withdrawn manner. The man no longer takes part in the commercial activities and the woman leaves the running of the household to her daughter-in-law. People in this ashram play the role of mentors. The social activities become religious in nature. Celibacy is again advocated. The person is in this world but not of this world. The process of detachment from possessions, desires and relations begins in this stage. When Mr. Narayan Murthy, the founding father of Infosys, relinquished executive responsibility on turning sixty he was acting according to this philosophy.
The final stage is Sanyasa or renunciation. The person leaves society to spend the remaining part of his or her life in meditation and the contemplation of God in solitude. This is a very severe step and once upon a time was the norm. Hinduism propounds that religious and ethical values decline from age to age and hence it is not surprising that today this stage of life finds few takers.
In Hindu philosophy there exists a universal soul known as 'paramatma', which is another way of describing God. Each living being also has a soul known as 'jivatma'. The objective of existence is to try to merge the jivatma with the paramatma. This is known as moksha or salvation. The four ashrams prepare a person to undertake the process in a controlled but directed manner.
