Vānaprastha
Vānaprastha (
Vānaprastha is part of the
Vānaprastha stage is considered as a transition phase from a householder's life with greater emphasis on Artha and Kama (pursuits related to wealth and pleasures) to one with greater emphasis on Moksha (spiritual liberation).[4]
Etymology
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Vānaprastha (वानप्रस्थ) is a composite word with the roots vana (वन) meaning "forest, distant land",[7] and prastha (प्रस्थ) meaning "going to, abiding in, journey to".[8] The composite word literally means "retiring to forest".[9]
Widgery[10] states that Vānaprastha is synonymous with Aranyaka (Sanskrit: आरण्यक) in historic Indian literature discussing four stages of human life.
Discussion
Vānaprastha is part of the ancient Indian concept called
Vānaprastha, according to
Nugteren[4] states that Vānaprastha was, in practice, a metaphor and guideline. It encouraged gradual transition of social responsibility, economic roles, personal focus towards spirituality, from being center of the action to a more advisory peripheral role, without actually requiring someone to actually moving into a forest with or without one's partner.[4] While some literally gave up their property and possessions to move into distant lands, most stayed with their families and communities but assumed a transitioning role and gracefully accept an evolving role with age.[4] Dhavamony[13] identifies Vānaprastha stage as one of "detachment and increasing seclusion" but usually serving as a counselor, peace-maker, judge, teacher to young and advisor to the middle-aged.
While Grihastha and Vānaprastha stages of life were recommended, they were not a requirement. Any Brahmacharya may, if he or she wants, skip householder and retirement stage, go straight to Sannyasa stage of life, thereby renouncing worldly and materialistic pursuits and dedicating their lives to spiritual pursuits.[12]
Literature
- History
Jamison and
The
Olivelle[19] posits that the older Dharmasūtras present the Ashramas as four alternative ways of life and options available, but not as sequential stage that any individual must follow.[17] Olivelle also states that Vānaprastha along with the Ashrama system gained mainstream scholarly acceptance about 2nd century BC.[20]
- Spectrum of views
Numerous ancient and medieval texts of India discuss the four stages of a human being. Each offers different perspective. Some are strict and literal, while others discuss the concept in contextual and metaphorical terms. For example, Manusmriti offers elaborate prescriptions for drastic kind of renunciation, describing in verse 6.21 what the retiree in the forest should eat.[4] In contrast, the Mahabharata suggests Vānaprastha is a symbolic metaphor and declares that a king may achieve the "object of Vānaprastha" by certain actions, without retiring into the forest. For example, Shanti Parva (the Book of Peace) of the Hindu Epic, states,[21]
That king, O Yudhishthira, who rescues from distress, to the best of his power, his kinsmen and relatives and friends, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king who on every occasion honours those that are foremost among men attains the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king, O Partha, who daily makes offerings unto all living creatures including men, attains to the object of the same mode of life. That king, who grinds the kingdoms of others for protecting the righteous, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king who engages in battle with the resolve of protecting his kingdom or meeting with death, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life.
— The Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, Section LXVI [21]
Markandeya Purana suggests that a householder, after he has taken care of his progeny, his parents, his traditions and cleansed his mind is ready to enter the third stage of life, or Vānaprastha. He must lead a frugal life during this stage, sleeping on floor, eating only fruits and bulbs. The more he gives up the worldly delights, the closer he gets to the knowledge of his spirit, and more ready he is for the last stage – the Sannyasa asrama, where he renounces everything and focuses entirely on spiritual pursuits.[22]
Vānaprastha appears in many major literary works from ancient India. For example, many chapters of the Hindu Epic
Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad identifies four characteristics of a Vānaprastha stage of life as Audumbara (threshold of house, woods), Vaikhanasa (anchorite), Samprakshali (cleansing rituals) and Purnamanasa (contented mind).[25]
Nigal[11] states Vānaprastha stage to be a gradual evolution of a "family man" to a "society man", from one seeking "personal gain" to one seeking a "better world, welfare of his community, agapistic altruism".
See also
- Ashrama (stage)
- Brahmacharya
- Grihastha
- Sannyasa
References
- ISSN 2249-1937.
- ISBN 978-8171566655, pages 28, 38–39
- ISBN 978-1783507955, page 346
- ^ ISBN 978-9004146013, pages 13–21
- ISBN 81-85119-18-X.
- ISBN 81-7022-598-1.
- ^ vana Koeln University, Germany
- ^ prastha Koeln University, Germany
- ^ vanapastha Koeln University, Germany
- ^ Alban G. Widgery (1930), The Principles of Hindu Ethics, International Journal of Ethics, 40(2): 232–245
- ^ ISBN 81-85119-18-X.
- ^ a b What is Hinduism? (Editors of Hinduism Today), Two noble paths of Dharma, p. 101, at Google Books, Family Life and Monastic Life, Chapter 10 with page 101, in particular,
- ISBN 978-8876524820, page 355
- ^ a b Jamison and Witzel (1992), Vedic Hinduism, Harvard University Archives, page 47
- ^ JF Sprockhoff (1981), Aranyaka und Vanaprastha in der vedischen Literatur, Neue Erwägungen zu einer alten Legende und ihren Problemen. Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde Südasiens und Archiv für Indische Philosophie Wien, 25, pages 19–90
- OCLC 644380709
- ^ ISBN 0-415-21527-7, page 231
- ^ Olivelle translates them as classes over pages 25–34, e.g. see footnote 70; while other authors translate them as castes
- ^ ISBN 978-0195344783
- ISBN 978-0195344783, page 94
- ^ a b KM Ganguli (Translator), Santi Parva The Mahabharata, Section LXVI, pages 211–214
- ISBN 81-288-0577-0.
- ISBN 978-94-010-8482-6, pages 177–187
- ^ NL Dey, The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval India at Google Books, W Newman & Co, pages 2, 7, 9, 15, 18, 20, 30, 52, etc
- OCLC 23013613
Further reading
- Walter Kaelber (2004), Āśrama, in The Hindu World (Eds: Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby), Routledge, ISBN 978-0415772273, Chapter 17
- Patrick Olivelle (1993), The Ashrama System: The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution, Oxford University Press, OCLC 466428084