World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 662

STAGES OF LIFE (ĀŚRAMA) IN JAIN TRADITION
- Dr. Dinanath Sharma Eversince the dawn of the Vedic civilization, Indians, in general, codifide the way of their life. They divided themselves into four groups according to their duties to two society so as to maintain the harmony and smooth functioning of the society. Likewise, they divided they span of their life into four stages, viz. Brahmacarya āsrama, grahastha āsrama, vānaprastha asrama and Samnyāsa aśrama. It was the natural process of life in India hence the kings and emporers were supposed to ensure it in the society, as the Raghuvamsa says.
Śaišave byastavidyanām yauvane visayaisinām, Vārdhakye munivrttīnām yogenante tanutyajām //'
(i.e. The kings of the Raghu clan used to get education in childhood, they used to strive for material gains like, marriage, earning money etc. in youth, in old age, i.e. after fifty years of age, they used to live in a hermit and in the end of their life a they used to leave their body in a state of meditation.)
In Brahmana tradition, a boy, having been purified by upanayana samskāram enters, the stage of studentship (brahmacarya). He goes to the teacher in a Gurukula and Studies Veda and others sciences upto the age of twenty five years. After the completion of education in Gurukula, he enters the life of a houseolder in which he marries and ext ends his generation ahead. After that when he reaches the age of fifty years, he assigns all the responsibilities to his son ! and goes to live like a hermit with his wife in past. Where he performs sacrifices and takes vegetables and fruits in his food till the age of 75 years. Thereby he abolishes the attachment and aversion. He, then, renounces the world for ever and becomes saint till the end of his life.
Of all these four stage of life in Vedic tradition the second stage (i.e. grahasthasrama) is most important.
Sarveşāmapi caitesām vedasmrtividhānatah/ gļhastha ucyate sresthaḥ sa trīnetān bibharti hi //
- Manusmrti - 6-88 (i.e. As Vedas and smrtis (law books) have said, the life of a housholder is the most prominent, because, a housholder takes care of the other three stage brahmacaryasrama, vānaprasthāsrama and sannyāsa āśrama,
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