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SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
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The sylvan abode has been referred to having been resorted to by the Vidyādharas for the sake of accomplishment.' They have been called falling within the pale of all the Varnas or orders, immune from all the undertakings, having purity of minds (lit. intentions) acquired by abstaining from all the objects of senses. They were jamjapūkas, vācamyamas i.e. muttering holy syllables repeatedly and keeping their tongues tied. They had worn deer hide, matted locks etc. Some wielded terrific bows and yet refrained from killing of life. Some had paramours or spouses close to them and yet were abstaining from sexual sport. Apart from this Dhanapāla's reference to enhTHYGI" Malayasundarī taking to sylvan resort in her prime of youth, all alone in the huge hilly forest void of any movement of human being, having paid goodbye to attachment of all types, a source of great chagrin, a freak of Destiny who had made her the prey to mental agony having made her concentrate on solitary aim -refers to Vānaprastha and Samnyāsa under pressure of trying circumstances.
Regarding the prevalence of the Aśramas or stages of life there has started a great controversy among scholars of repute. Some postulate that only two Aśramas Brahmacarya and Gịhastha were the most popular while the Vānaprastha and Samnyāsa were resorted to by people of certain categories who were either constrained to take to them by the force of circumstances or under certain professional exigency. Some, however, believe that there were only three, Vānaprastha and Samnyāsa being the two stages of one and the same period. It could be an exception with the Royal persons on account of their much married life to go to the wilds after handing over the reins of kingdom to the crown prince or sometimes to avoid conflicts among the kins born from different queens they could take to such a life. Such an instance is even seen in the BỊhadāranyakopanişad wherein Yājñavalkya in order to settle the disputes between Maitreyi and Kātyāyani loves to go to the wilds to lead a life of a recluse. Bhāsa's allusion
__ "सुखं खुलु निष्कलत्राणां कान्तारप्रवेश: रमणीयतरः खलु प्राप्तमनोरथानां विनिपातः, अपश्चात्तापकरः खलु HEDEHU I:"S
makes it evident that it was more convenient for the unmarried or widowers or those who could get no progeny to go to the wilds in the earlier
1. PIGHT OUT: ITM Vol. III p. 132. 2. TM. Vol. II pp. 132-33. 3. ibid. Vol. II p. 169. 4. Ibid. Vol. II pp. 169-170. 5. Pr. Yang Act IV p. 167 ( my sell)
