ASHRAMA SYSTEM IN INDIA

THE ASHRAMA / ASRAMA SYSTEM IN INDIA

The Ashramas consists of the stages which a man goes through during the process of physically growing up. In the Indian context, there are four stages: Brahmacharyashrama, Grahastahrama, Vanaprasthashrama and Sannyasashrama.

Each of these is stages have been prescribed certain do’s and don’ts and certain disciplines, appropriate to the spiritual progress of the individual.

Brahmacharya is the first stage in the life of an individual. It is the stage from childhood to premarital youth stage. This is the learning stage of life when the entire focus is only transformational education involving learning multiple skills and developing oneself to facing life after. Usually this stage is spent at the Gurukul under a competent master, the Guru.

Grahastashrama is the stage when the grown up and learned youth enters into family life by getting married and raising a family and nurturing the children. The upkeep and the well being of the family is reinforced by the individual at this stage of life, so as to make the family members self sufficient and confident to face life.

Vanaprashthashrama is the stage where the individual having done his basic duties for the family, prepares to withdraw from active involvement into passive presence. This stage is prescribed for various deeper reasons. Firstly, to make the individual develop a detachment towards worldly attachments. It starts with mental processes of detaching through reducing involvement in family and social life. Secondly, Vanaprasthashrama prepares the individual to face the imminent separation from the material world – for death. Thirdly, this stage takes the individual through mentorship and from an adviser to the family to a detached individual.

Sannyashrama is the stage when the individual physically withdraws from all family and social ties and goes to seclusion of the forest. The purpose is to introspect and prepare him to “meet the Creator” and make the transition from living world to the next world.

These stages are prescribed to have a disciplined progress towards our only Goal of life, viz. returning to the Source from where we all emerge.