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膧艣谤补尘补 is an important feature of the Indian society. The word 腻艣谤补尘补 is derived from the root 艣谤补尘, i.e. to expert oneself. Thus the word 腻艣谤补尘补 means a place where austerities are performed, a hermitage.^[1]

Human life is divided into four stages called 腻艣谤补尘补s, viz.

1. Brahmacarya,
2. 骋腻谤丑补蝉迟丑测补,
3. 痴腻苍补辫谤补蝉迟丑补 and
4. 厂补苍测腻蝉补.

Each 腻艣谤补尘补 has some specific duties like duties of a student, of a householder, of a recluse and of an ascetic to be performed. These are like four steps of ladder leading to spiritual progress of a person.

In the early Vedic period we get the description about the first two 腻艣谤补尘补s, relating to 叠谤补丑尘补肠腻谤墨^[2] and 骋峁沨补辫补迟颈^[3]. Sage 痴补颈办丑腻苍补蝉补, in the 罢腻峁囜笉测补尘补丑腻产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺^[4], suggests the existence of the third stage i.e. 痴腻苍补辫谤补蝉迟丑补. In the 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉, we get the mention of four 腻艣谤补尘补s.^[5] The duties and values of the 腻艣谤补尘补s are refered by the 颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲 very clearly.^[6] In the Pur膩峁噄c period we find vivid descriptions of the four 腻艣谤补尘补s.^[7] In the 厂尘峁泃颈 literature, specially in the 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, also we find the description of the duties ascribed to the people in different 腻艣谤补尘补s in life.^[8]

In general there are four divisions of 腻艣谤补尘补 蝉迟补驳别鈥�

1. Brahmacarya (student life),
2. 骋腻谤丑补蝉迟丑测补 (life of house-holder i.e. life of a married man),
3. 痴腻苍补辫谤补蝉迟丑补 (spending life in the forest, a life away from the locality, in a selected grove in the forest),
4. 厂补苍苍测腻蝉补 (life of a recluse, of wandering mendicant, having discarded everything).

The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 contains some verses relating to 惫补谤峁嚹伵沘尘补诲丑补谤尘补. Here it is stated that after the creation of the world, 叠谤补丑尘腻 had separated off the 惫补谤峁嘺蝉 and the four periods of life i.e. 腻艣谤补尘补s.^[9] Then he establishes bounds for them and establishes laws of the castes and the four 腻艣谤补尘补s according to justice and qualities^[10] and their specific world (loka) after death.^[11] The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, again mentions different spheres for different creations after their death. Accordingly the spheres, viz. 辫谤腻箩腻辫补迟测补, aindra,^[12] 尘腻谤耻迟补 and 驳腻苍诲丑补谤惫补 are assigned to the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉, the 碍峁�a迟谤颈测补蝉, the 痴补颈艣测补蝉 and the 艢奴诲谤补蝉 respectively.^[13] The sphere of eighty eight thousand 峁涐梗is, are declared to be that of the inhabitants of Jupiter. Next the sphere of the seven 峁氠梗is is declared to be that of hermits or vanaukasas, the 辫谤腻箩腻辫补迟测补 is the sphere of householders and the abode of 叠谤补丑尘腻 is assigned to the ascetics or 蝉补苍测腻蝉颈苍蝉.^[14]

As stated in the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, the var峁嚹迮洶�补尘补dharma is followed in the five 诲惫墨辫补蝉, viz.

1. 辫濒补办峁�a,
2. 艣腻丑苍补濒颈,
3. 办耻艣补,
4. 办谤补耻帽肠补 and
5. 艣腻办补.^[15]

In this book we find other denominations also to denote the people in four different stages of life.

These are as follows鈥�

1. 叠谤补丑尘补肠腻谤颈苍^[16] or 骋耻谤耻惫腻蝉颈苍^[17] for 叠谤补丑尘补肠腻谤颈苍,
2. 骋峁沨补蝉迟丑补^[18] or 骋峁沨墨^[19] for 骋峁沨补蝉迟丑补,
3. 痴腻苍补辫谤补蝉迟丑补^[20] or Vanaukasa^[21] for 痴腻苍补辫谤补蝉迟丑补,
4. 狈测腻蝉颈苍^[22], 叠丑颈办峁�u^[23], 笔补谤颈惫谤腻迟^[24] for 厂补苍测腻蝉颈苍.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Ghana Kanta Bhagavati, The Bh膩gawat 笔耻谤腻峁嘺, A Socio-Cultural Study, p.52

[2]:

brahmacar墨 carativevi峁�advi峁�a岣� sadev膩na峁� bhavatiyeka峁僡ngan /
tena j膩y膩manvavindadb峁沨aspati岣� so鈥�mena n墨ta峁� juhvam na 诲别惫补岣� // 峁欢惫别诲补, 10.109.5

[3]:

迟补惫腻驳苍别 丑辞迟谤补峁� tava potram峁泃viya峁� tava ne峁ａ弓ra峁� tvamagnidritayata岣� /
tava pra艣膩stra峁� tvamadhvar墨yasi brahm膩 c膩si g峁沨apati艣va no dame // Ibid., 2.1.2

[4]:

罢腻峁囜笉测补尘补丑腻产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, 14.4.7

[5]:

叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲, 4.5.2; 惭耻峁囜笉补办辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲, 1.2.11; 3.2.6; 艢惫别迟腻艣惫补迟补谤辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲,
4.21

[6]:

trayo dharmaskandha岣� yajno鈥檇hyayana峁� d膩namiti 辫谤补迟丑补尘补岣� tapa eva dvit墨yo, brahmacary膩c膩ry膩kulav膩si t峁泃墨yo atyantam膩t峁僡nam膩c膩rya kule av膩sadayam 艣补谤惫补 ete p奴峁噛olok膩 bhavanti, brahmasamstho鈥檓rtatvameti / 颁丑腻苍诲辞驳测辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲, 2.23.1

[7]:

碍奴谤尘补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 1.2.74-83; 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 144.23-24; 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 11.17-18

[8]:

惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, 4.1; 5.169; 6.1-2; 6.33

[9]:

惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 101.1

[10]:

Ibid., 46.76

[11]:

Ibid., 46.77

[12]:

Ibid., 46.77

[13]:

Ibid, 46.78

[14]:

Ibid., 46.78-80; 痴腻测耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 8.185-189; 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 1.6.36.-39

[15]:

Ibid., 50.31.39

[16]:

Ibid, 46.79

[17]:

Ibid, 25.11; 26.36

[18]:

Ibid., 92.4

[19]:

Ibid., 25.21; 48.80

[20]:

Ibid., 46.80

[21]:

Ibid., 25.23

[22]:

Ibid., 46.80

[23]:

Ibid., 25.27

[24]:

Ibid., 26.36