The four Ashrams

The four Ashrams
Ashram refers to a stage or phase in the life of a "twice-born" Hindu.There are four accepted ashrams.These are Brahmacharya, for studying; Grihastha as a married man and householder; Vanaprastha, for performing penance in a forest;and Sanyasa,for renouncing worldly attachments.According to the Manusmriti, the span of a human life is 100 years. Every Hindu man was to spend a part of his life in each of the four ashrams to fulfill his obligations: to the sages by studying, to his ancestors by raising male progeny, to the gods by performing penance and sacrifices, and for the salvation of his soul by renouncing the world. This was assuming, of course that he lived his full life span.In the Brahmacharya ashram, the adolescent is a celibate, religious student, called a brahmachari. After his. Ashram Upanayanam, a boy should live with and be devoted to his guru, and study the Vedas. He should live simply and humbly, follow the requisite customs, fast , and worship the gods. A student should study, practice penance, and tend the sacrificial fire . This stage lasts for 12 years after the Upanayanam. However, if a student wishes to attain higher knowledge, he can continue in this stage until he is 31 years old. After completing his studies, the student gives guru dakshina and enters the next stage: the Grihastha ashram.Grihastha means "householder". This stage begins with marriage.The duties of a man in this phase of life include raising children, caring for the family, performing the five daily sacrifices and being a responsible member of society. He remains a Grihastha until his son's son is born, his hair has turned grey, or when he is about 50 years of age. Thereafter he enters the Vanaprastha.As a Vanaprastha, a man lives in the forest, away from society, and prepares to renounce the world.

Vanaprastha means, " forest dweller". This stage indicates the beginning of old age. Living away from society in the forest, he should live simply, perform sacrifices, and prepare to renounce all worldly associations. These austerities are treated as penance for the sins committed, knowingly and unknowingly, as a householder. A man may take his wife to live with him in the Vanaprastha ashram, in which he stays until he is 70 years of age. He then returns from the forest and a purification ceremony initiates him into the Sanyasa ashram.

In this last phase, a man renounces wealth and worldly pleasures, and is called a sanyasi. He is completely detached from the rest of the world giving up even those family ties allowed in Vanaprastha. Instead, he seeks alms from householders and spends his time meditating, in an effort to achieve salvation (see Moksha). This division of a man's life into different

Ashram phases followed a practical rationale. In the earlier
part of his life, a man is more open to ideas and instruction, since his
thoughts have not yet taken a definite shape. His energies and capabilities are
unused and can be best-channeled into learning, as in the Brahmacharya ashram.
The next 25 years are spent in the Grihastha ashram, where a man uses the
knowledge he gained as a student to live a complete life and enjoys worldly
pleasures without a sense of guilt. After 50 years, the physical senses become
weaker but inner strength increases. Satiated with the world, a man turns to the
spiritual aspects of life in the Vanaprastha ashram. He goes on pilgrimages and
slowly detaches himself from worldly affairs. After a point, he realizes that
all attachments, even to his wife, are no longer necessary, and he has the
ability to completely isolate himself mentally from the world. This marks the
Sanyasa ashram, which is the last stage in a man's life.