Namaste.
Varnashrama Dharma is the four stages of life according to the Hindu scriptures.
It may be an old concept, but people with families always tell me "I really
love this whole meditation/spirituality trip, but c'mon - I work 2 jobs, have 3 kids under 5 and play football on weekends..."
Yeah, there's a reason for that.
This is a thread for newbies to Hinduism, or just for people who don't know anything about it:
It is said only to apply to Brahmins (higher caste only) and not to women, but it applies to me by default, as I am in the third stage - fully immersed in the third stage, whether the Vedas like it or not. Each stage leads on to the next. So without further ado:
1. Brahmacharya (Celibacy/Student/Youth)
Age: 0-20 (Childhood)
Deities: Brahma and Sarasvati (goddess of learning)
Brahman Aspect: Viraja
Knowledge: Book/scripture knowledge
Sacrifice/Worship time: Mornings
Reward: Knowledge
Purushatha (path): Dharma
Resting place: Gurukula (school)
Main duty: Study of the scriptures
Supporting organs: Mind and senses
Parts of the Vedas: Samhitas
Type of chanting: Prastava (introduction)
2. Grihastha (householder/married/adulthood)
Age: 20-40 (Adulthood)
Deities: Vishnu and Lakshmi (goddess of wealth and prosperity)
Brahman aspect: Hiranyagarbha (the golden womb)
Knowledge: Wordly/experiential knowledge
Sacrifice/worship time: Midday sacrifice
Reward: Wealth and progeny
Purushatha (path): Artha and Kama (purpose and desire)
Resting place: Svagriha (home/employment)
Main duty: Sacrifice (self-sacrifice for family benefit)
Supporting organs: Brain and intelligence
Parts of the Vedas: Brahmanas
Type of chanting: Udgitha (chanting 'Vedic style')
Now we come to my age and the similarities are massively incredulous:
3. Vanaprastha (hermit/withdrawal from social obligation)
Age: 40-60 (middle-age)
Deities: Shiva and Parvati (YES!!!) <3
Brahman Aspect: Ishvara (personal God - YES!!)
Knowledge: Higher knowledge (Yeppo)
Type of sacrifice: Evening sacrifice (ummm yup)
Reward/gain: Wisdom (yes)
Purushartha (path): Moksha (liberation/enlightenment)
Resting place: Secluded dwelling (forest)
Main duty: Contemplation and meditation (yep, I does it)
Supporting organs: Breath - pranayama
Parts of Vedas: Aranyakas
Type of chanting: Pratihara (personal breath chanting)
4.Sanyas
Age: 60-80+
Deities: Ishwara (personal Deity)
Brahman aspect: Brahman itself
Knowledge: Knowledge of Self
Type of sacrifice: Internal sacrifice
Reward/gain: Liberation of spirit
Purushartha (path): Moksha (liberation/enlightenment)
Resting place: The whole world
Main duty: Renunciation
Supporting organs: The Self/soul
Parts of the Vedas: Upanishads
Type of chanting: Nidhana (original form or essence).
Thank you so much for reading.
Aum Namah Shivaya
Linear Mode
