Component-I (A) – Personal details:

Vedic, Epic and Puranic Culture of India

ASHRAMA SYSTEM IN PURANAS

Prof. P. Bhaskar Reddy

Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.

Prof. Korada Subrahmanyam

University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad

Prof.Rani Sadasiva Murty,

Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tiruapati

Prof. Korada Subrahmanyam

University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad

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Component-I (B) – Description of module:

Subject Name Indian Culture

Paper Name Vedic, Epic and Puranic Culture of India

Module Name/Title Ashrma System in Puranas

Module Id IC / VEPC / 27
Knowledge of the nature, origin and
Pre requisites
Characteristics of Puranas from Module 31
To introduce the systematic social principles
Objectives
under four stages as described in the puranas
Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and
Keywords
Sanyasa

E-Text (Quadrant-I):
ASHRAMA SYSTEM IN PURANAS
In ancient Indian society as per various puranic instructions was divided into four
stages of life. Ashram system (Hermitage system) also was well prevailing in those
days. Asramites (Inmates of an Āśrama) have to pass through four stages. The four
stages of Brahmacarya (Celibacy), Gārhasthya (House holders’ life), Vānaprastha
(Stage of spending time in forests by aged couples) and Sannyāsa (Monkhood) are
known as the four Āśramas. It is really a wonderful Life Management Principle of
Indian way of living. In the 9th chapter of the third Amsa of Viṣṇu Purāṇa, a detailed
description of each of the Ashrams is available.
BRAHMACHARYA (Celibacy)
For a better livelihood everybody has to get education. The right age of learning
should commence at the age of 8 including the months of a boy being in his mother’s
womb (Garbhashtama) soon after his Upanayana ceremony. Normally every boy
has to spend 12 to 16 years time in the hermitage of his Guru along with his co-
brahmacharins. During this stage a Brahmacharin is educated in 18 areas of learning
majorly. Four Vedas – Rgveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda, Six Angas
– Phonetics, Grammar, Etymology, Astronomy, The science of laying bricks and
structuring the Sacrificial Altars etc. and Prosody, 18 puranas in the name of Purana,
Mimamsa, Nyaya (Indian logic), Dharmasastra, Ayurveda (Indian medicine),
Dhanurveda (Archery), Gandharva (The science of fine arts) and State craft (Artha
Sastra).
Education with good character useful for both individual’s personal life and nation’s
interest was the target of the Brahmacharya. A student should take his Guru or
preceptor as his role model. He should grown on spiritual path with good ethical
base. All the students or brahmcharins should be considered as if they were the own

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children of their Guru. The students also should consider the ashram of their Guru as
their own house. Money was never an element in the process of learning. Hence
the knowledge was never available in those days as a commodity in the commercial
market. The students have to should never be a burden to their teacher. So the king
is assigned with the responsibility of looking after all the needs of the ashrams in his
kingdom. The students should spend a luxury free life fixing all their concentration on
learning.
During the stay of a Brahmacharin in the ashram of his guru he has to follow the
following principles:

Celibacy is the first stage of Indian life. During this stage a celibate should get
admitted in Gurukulam. There he should maintain control over all his senses. He
should do whichever is favorable to Guru. He has to perform rituals in both morning
and evening. He should worship Guru in the first place then the Sun and then
Brahmins. Then he should proceed to learn the Vedas. At the beginning and end of
the day’s learning he has to bow down before his Guru’s feet. He should hold
Mekhala (The waist tag), Ajina (Black Antelope’s skin) as garment, Matted hair and
Kamandulu (Clay pot).

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He should also wear Yajnopavita, should hold handful of Darbhas always and should
go around the ashram for alms both in the morning and evening. He should not eat
such collected alms but should offer them all to his Guru. If his Guru permits he
should eat otherwise should observe fasting. His character should be good. He
should eat less and be efficient in deeds. He should have faith and concentration,
sense-control and should not have interest in women and even their association. The
senses are that dangerous that they can steal even the heart of a monk.

He should not comb his hair. He should not take head bath. He should not take the
help of the women of Guru’s family while taking bath. A woman is Fire and a man is
Ghee pot. A man should leave even his own daughter if she is alone. He should not
try to spend his time in her presence. That may lead to any unwanted
consequences.

A celibate should never put on garlands, ornaments etc. as long as he is in Brhad

Vrata (The great ritual of celibacy). He, staying in the Guru’s house should learn
Vedas along with 6 ancillary texts and Upanishads according to his strength and
interest. In his fresh youth having taken the permission of his Guru he should accept
either Grhastha stage (House Holder hood ) or Parivrajaka (Wandering Monk’s life)

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life. He should see Vishnu in the worshipping Fire, Guru and in all the creatures. In
all the creatures he should see himself.
This is in brief the course of behaviour of a Brahmachari in Gurukulam or Ashram.
One who completes his education for 12 to 16 years in Guru’s ashram is called a
Snatakin and will be allowed to become either a Grihastha or a Parivrajaka
(Wandering monk).
GRIHASTHA ASHRAMA
This is the second stage of a human being’s social life commencing with marriage.
Soon after returning from the house of his teacher a boy can get married. The boy is
allowed to marry a girl of his own caste but not of his Gotra. Thus svagotra vivaha is
prohibited. This life of householder is much praised in the puranas. Grihastha
Ashrama is praised as the Base Ashrama or the source of all other ashramas. A
house holder should hold the responsibility of a comfortable social living. A house
holder should protect holy Agnihotra in the Yajnasala of his house performing all the
prescribed daily rituals. He has to worship some prime God like Vishnu or Siva or
Sakti or Ganesha or Kumara or Surya. He should give noble hospitality to the guests
who visit from distant places even if they are not his relatives. Every house holder
should respect women both of his own family and those who are in the society.
Puranas trust one basic principle that if women are insulted that society will ruin.
The wife and husband are directed to lead an ideal house holders’ life following the
following principles.

Grhastha Ashrama or the Householderhood is the second stage of life. This is the
married life. A householder should follow all the prescribed rituals with all care and
attention showing his utmost devotion to Vasudeva. He should worship all the great
people. He should spend his time in the association of good people. He should show
interest in wealth to a limited extent. He can have interest in his body and house to a
permitted extent. He can have passion for living as a good householder.

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A householder should approve whatever his relatives, parents, brothers and friends
say or expect from him. The wealth is of three types for him. One is Earthly one. The
second one is atmospheric and the third one is Divine. He should use all these three
kinds of wealth to please others. He should maintain only to that extent by which he
can feed himself and his family. If he preserves more than that he is as bad as a thief
and should be punished. He should consider the beasts like deer, camel, donkey,
monkey, mouse, snake and even flies and birds as his own children.
With great effort he should try for Dharma, Artha and Kama.

He should survive with whatever is readily available for him. The balance of his
earnings should be left by him to his dependents. His earnings should please Gods,
Sages, Creatures, His Forefathers and his servants. He should devotedly perform
rituals. He should worship of the Fire God.
He should perform sacrifices to meet the expectations of Brahmins, Gods and other
dependent servants. He is called Kshetrajna by learned people.

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VANAPRASTHA
According to Puranas, when householders grow enough old should take a vow to go
to the forests to lead ascetics life. This is the third stage of puranic social life. The
following are said to be the duties of an aged to couple to lead their Vanaprastha life.
The word VANAPRASTHA means “Going to Forest”.

Vanaprastha is the third stage of Indian living. The age old couple having given up
their interest in householderhood and having handed over the responsibilities to
their grown up children enter the forest. They should not cultivate the land for their
food. They should not even eat the non-seasonal natural food. They should not cook
for themselves. Which ever is dried up under the sun can be eaten by them. They
should always eat fresh food and should leave the stored food for more than half a
day. A Vanaprasthin should bear with any kind of natural extremity. He should not
remove his hair, bodily hair, nails and beard. He should hold, a stick, Kamandulu and
should put on the skin of black deer.
SANYASA
From the third stage of social life i.e. Vanaprastha the aged person embraces very
naturally the fourth stage of monkhood. According the puranas : a celibate can
directly become a monk. A childless householder can become a Sanyasin. A
widower also can become a monk. One who crosses a good amount of
householder’s life also can embrace Sanyasa. Once a person becomes a monk he
doesn’t belong to his own family in which he was born. He should not possess any
personal assets. Just a piece of cloth (Kaupina) to cover himself only is allowed. He
belongs to the entire Universe. He should not continue to have any personal
earnings. He has to follow all the noble principles essential to attain moksha. The
following are his duties.

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This is the fourth and the last stage of life. A monk should be a wanderer. He should
not maintain anything except his body. He should not stay for more than a day in
any village and should move on the earth from one place to the other. He should put
on a garment with aKaupina (a piece of cloth inside). He should always go alone
satisfying his Atmarama. He should be friendly with all animals and beings. He
should always fix his mind in worshipping Narayana. He should realize that he is the
Brahman.
Summary
Thus the Four Ashramas have their respective duties to be performed by the people
of those respective ashramas. This shows the well organized social life and its
success in Indian Soil.