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toward different goals in succession,
as they moved through four stages of
life, or ashramas: student, house-
holder, retiree, and renunciate, or
ascetic. The correct aims in life,
and correct behavior, would not
only depend on the individual’s
varna, or social class (pp.92–99),
but would also vary with the stage
reached in life.
Not everyone is thought able to
travel through these four stages.
Women are (usually) excluded, as
are Shudras (the laboring class) and
those outside the class system
(Dalits, or untouchables). Only men
from the highest three varnas—
Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas
(soldiers or protectors of the state),
and Vaishyas (merchants and
farmers)—undergo the rite, in which
they are about eight years old, known
as the sacred thread ceremony,
where they are “twice born,” and
begin their journey through life.
Learning and living
The first stage of life is that of the
brahmacharya, or student. The
boy attends a gurukula (a school)
where he studies Vedic literature
with a guru, or teacher. He learns
about dharma—right living—in an
academic way, together with history,
philosophy, law, literature, grammar,
and rhetoric. Education traditionally
continues until the age of around
25 or 30, and during this stage,
as well as showing respect to
parents and teachers, students are
expected to abstain from sexual
activity, sublimating all their
energy into their learning.
At the end of his education, a
Hindu man is expected to marry
and have a family. This is the start
of the grihastha, or householder,
stage, during which every man is
expected to be economically active,
supporting not just his wife and
children, but also elderly relatives.
Traditional Indian households often
include three or four generations
who pool their income and use a
single kitchen. This extended family
tends to be organized on hierarchical
lines, both for men and women.
Householders are also expected to
offer support to ascetics.
The householder upholds the
duties of his dharma and his varna
(class), but, unlike in the other
three stages, part of his duty is the
pursuit of artha (wealth) and kama
(desire), including sexual pleasure
and procreation. To describe this
stage of life as one in which wealth
and pleasure are the primary goals,
however, may give a distorted
view of its obligations, for it involves
caring for the extended family
and offering hospitality.Withdrawal from the world
The third stage of life of is that of
vanaprastha—retirement. This
traditionally begins with the arrival
of the first grandson. Originally,
it involved becoming a “forest
dweller,” opting for a simple life of
reflection into which a man could
retire with his wife—although, at
this stage, ceasing to have sex.Today it is generally a matter of
letting go of overall responsibility
for business and financial matters,
allowing the next generation to
take over, but also having time
to study and offer wise advice.
Most Hindus never get beyond
the retirement stage to reach that
of the ascetic; they are only allowed
to enter the fourth stage of life
once they have fulfilled all their
obligations to their family. This is
the point at which the individual
sets aside all worldly concerns and
ties, and devotes his life to the
pursuit of final release (moksha).A combined formula
The four stages of life combine
with a person’s class in a single
concept that defines morality and
lifestyle: varnashrama-dharma,
literally the right ordering of life
(dharma) according to one’s class
(varna) and stage in life (ashrama).
As a formula for prescribing how to
live correctly, it is very different to
those of other religions, where oneTHE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE
A man measures fabric in his place
of business. During the householder
phase of life a man is expected to
pursue wealth and provide for his
family and for his extended family.When one renounces all the
desires which have arisen in
the mind...and when he
himself is content within his
own self, then is he called a
man of steadfast wisdom.
The Bhagavad-Gita