Varnashrama Dharma

[sarabhanga]

Namaste,

I must preface this by noting that the following is not found explicitly stated in any scripture, and those who reject the concepts of Varna and Ashrama will reject all of it.

Until the age of 5, all children are Shudra, and all spiritual responsibilities lie with their parents or guardians. And all such infants remain entirely blameless, whatever their action.

After this relatively carefree childhood, the child should receive formal instruction, and for the first time begin to take some personal responsibility for their behaviour.

The only difference between Shudra and Vaishya is this education; and no matter what the instruction (whether in some special trade or art, or in more philosophical and purely spiritual matters) the young person is regarded as a Brahmacarin and is expected to behave as such.

When education is complete (after at least 6 years, but preferably after 12 years of studentship) the fruits of their parent’s inspiration are ready for their own marriage, and Grihastha Ashrama.

Grihastha lasts for as long as is required for raising a family of children up to the time of their own introduction into the stage of Grihastha (i.e. until all children are educated and married).

Just as celibacy is the Brahmacarya Dharma, procreation (and thus sexual intercourse) is the sacred duty of Grihastha Ashrama, and the full experience and enjoyment of life is paramount during this period.

For Vaishyas, that is the full extent of their obligatory Ashramas (i.e. Brahmacarya and Grihastha) ~ and for Shudras (with no particular social or spiritual education) there is no obligatory Dharma (other than not raping or seducing the daughter of a Brahmana or Kshatriya).

For Kshatriyas, there are 3 obligatory Ashramas ~ Brahmacarya, Grihastha, and Vanaprastha.

The Vanaprasthin is an ascetic hermit, studiously withdrawing from Samsara and atoning for sins or omissions committed in the previous stages of life. Vanaprastha would generally begin after the age of 50 years; and once again, Vanaprasthas are certainly expected to remain celibate.

Only Brahmana Dharma includes 4 stages of life, with Vanaprastha (which was merely preparation for total renunciation) followed by Sannyasa Ashrama.

In the traditional system of Brahmana Ashramas, few Sannyasins would be less than about 70 years old.

It is possible for anyone to become a Sannyasin, but only after passing through all of the Samskaras proper to a Brahmana in that situation.

Anyone without knowledge is a Shudra; anyone with some Artha is a Vaishya; anyone performing Tapasya is a Kshatriya; and anyone who renounces all is a Brahmana.

[sarabhanga]

Hindu Dharma (from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan) contains English translations of two volumes of the Tamil Deivatthin Kural of Shri Candrashekharendra Sarasvati.

[Gill Harley]

Namaste Sarabhanga

You say that the system of ashramas is not found in any scripture, so I'm wondering where it came from...

To me, the ashrama of Vanaprastha feels quite a natural state for me at the age of 54. I find it relatively easy to be celibate because my sexual desire has gone. I just eat vegetarian food with very few dairy products, so perhaps that helps, and obviously don't have any stimulants like alcohol etc. On top of that I've become totally boring, being obsessed with God - so no Western man in his right mind would consider taking me on!

I often find myself feeling sorry for other women of my age in this London society that I live and work in who, because they don't have this knowledge about the ashramas, feel compelled to keep going out and looking for yet another husband (usually their second or third). And it's very hard for them because nature has arranged it so that even men of their own age are mostly only attracted to women much younger than them, and so these older women often get disappointed and hurt. And this is particularly hard for them in a society where a woman's value is still so often measured by how sexually attractive she is. They themselves buy into this belief and so feel just about ready for the scrapheap.

One of these women once asked me if my celibacy (now eight years) was because of the menopause, as she was also at this time of her life but still going out on dates. I told her that I thought that there was a reason why it's called the menopause. It means that we can then say to the opposite sex "Men! O pause!" ...although, as I say, by God's grace nature has kindly arranged matters so that I rarely have to say that these days!

[sarabhanga]

Namaste Gill,

I certainly did not intend to suggest that no part of what I said about Varna and Ashrama is found in scripture ~ indeed, all of it can be found either explicitly or implicitly.

The whole system, summarily described as above, is not explicity stated in Shruti (where it is generally assumed). In the Smriti texts, however, most of the details are revealed ~ although not all of it together.

The basic concepts of Varna and Ashrama go back to the very beginning of Hindu Dharma.