Grihastha

Etymology

The Sanskrit word grhastha (गृहस्थ) is a composite grha-stha of two root words grha (गृह) and stha (स्थ). Grha means "home, family, house", while sth means "devoted to, occupied with, being in". Gṛhastha means that which "being in and occupied with home, family" or simply "householder".

Discussion

Gṛhastha is part of the ancient Hindu concept called Chaturashrama, which identified four stages of a human life, with distinct differences based on natural human needs and drives, as well as how these stages integrated with fulfilling, joyful four goals of life called Purushartha - Dharma (piety, morality, duties), Artha (wealth, health, means of life), Kama (love, relationships, emotions) and Moksha (liberation, freedom, self-realization). In contrast, Sannyasa is the stage where the individual renounces Artha and Kama, and pursues Moksha with a single minded pursuit.

The stage "Gṛhastha" is preceded by Brahmacharya (student) stage of life, and followed by Vanaprastha (retirement, forest dweller, still an advisor to the next generation) stage. In ancient texts, Gṛhastha stage of life is said to extend from the age of about 25 to about 50.

A man or woman entered the Gṛhastha stage after a Hindu wedding [sacred ceremony]. They would build a home, raise a family, earn wealth, enjoy worldly life and give donations to needy people, poor families, orphans, etc... They also have to follow the 5 great rituals ( Pancha Maha Yajnas) as follow:

1. Brahma yajna~ Study of vedas, meditation, prayers
2. Deva yajna~ Offering of clarified butter (ghee) in fire
3. Pitr yajna~ Care of parents, aged and old people
4. Bhuta yajna~ Service to poor, needy, handicapped and animals
5. Atithi yajna~ Hospitality to guest, saints, sages. It is said "Guest is God." We must take good care of our guest to get good deeds in our life.

Literature

The Chandogya Upanishad and Vedānta Sūtras discuss all four stages of life - student, householder, retired/hermit and ascetic. However they hold Gṛhastha āśrama as the highest because, explains verse III.4.48, not only does the householder performs the duties recommended for all four asramas, they have to produce food and goods on which people in other ashramas survive. The shared duties of four ashramas are - tenderness for all living creatures (ahimsa), self-restraints, and others.

Some chapters of the Upanishads, for example hymn 4.4.22 of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, specify only three stages of human life – Brahmacharya, Gṛhastha and Vanaprastha. They make no mention of gender, class restrictions on these stages of life. All three stages are recommended as path to Brahman (inner Self, Soul). In contrast, later texts specify four stages of human life.

;Dharmasutras and Dharmasmritis Grihastha ashrama, declares Gautama Dharmasutra in verses 3.2 and 3.3, is the foundation of all the ashramas, and essential to the existence and continuation of society because the other three ashramas do not produce offspring.Sanskrit Original: Gautama Dharma Sutra page 3;

English Translation: UC Pandey, Gautama Dharma Sutra, with the Mitaksara' Sanskrit commentary of Haradatta, 1966,

Manusmriti, similarly states in Sections VI.87 through VI.90, that it is the householders who feed all those in other three stages of life, and those who seek spiritual pursuits live on, attain fulfillment because of those who accept and prosper in Gṛhastha ashrama. Manusmriti uses the concept of ashrama broadly, and in verses III.77 to III.80, declares Gṛhastha stage as noble, excellent and that "just like all beings need air to survive, so do all beings take life from the Gṛhastha Āśrama because of the food they produce and knowledge they apply".

In Sections IV.1 through IV.6, Manusmriti states a Brahmana, after being twice-born and completing his studies with his teacher, should marry and live in his house. five appropriate sources of income or means for survival for the educated Brahmana - Ṛta (ऋत, lawful gleaning and gathering, proper natural work), Amrta (अमृत, accepting gifts and charity), Mrta (मृत, begging), Pramrta (प्रमृत, agriculture, tillage) and Satyanrta (सत्यानृत, trade, commerce, money lending). The text disapproves of one means of survival for the householder - Shvavritti (श्ववृत्ति, dog-like subsistence, servitude, slavery).

;Puranas The Vishnu Purana in Book 3 Chapter IX, states

When the scriptural studies appropriate to the student have been completed, and he has received blessings of his Guru, let him enter into the order of the Gṛhastha (householder). Let him pursue and obtain, by ethical ways, home, wife, and wealth, discharge to the best of his ability the duties of his life's stage. He should satisfy the soul of his ancestors with funeral cakes; the gods with oblations; guests with hospitality; the sages with holy study; the progenitors of mankind with progeny; the spirits with reverence; and all the world with words of truth.|Vishnu Purana|3.IX.1 - 3.IX.31}}

;Epics The Indian Epics have extensive debates on Gṛhastha stage of life, offering a contrasting spectrum of views on its merits and nature. An illustrative recommended guidelines for conduct in householder stage of life is stated in Book 1, the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, as follows,

It hath been said in the oldest Upanishad that a Grihastha (householder), acquiring wealth by honest means, should perform sacrifices; he should always give something in charity, should perform the rites of hospitality unto all arriving at his abode, and should never use anything without giving a portion thereof to others. He should abstain from all vicious acts, should never inflict pain on any creature. It is then only that he can achieve success.|Adi Parva|The Mahabharata, Chapter 91}}

References

References

1. It refers to the second phase of an individual's life in the four age-based stages of the [[Hindus. Hindu]] [[Āśrama (stage). asrama system]].S Radhakrishnan (1922), The Hindu Dharma, International Journal of Ethics, 33(1): 1-22
2. Sahebrao Genu Nigal. (1986). "Axiological approach to the Vedas". Northern Book Centre.
3. Manilal Bose. (1998). "Social and cultural history of ancient India". Concept Publishing Company.
4. L Mullatti (1995), Families in India: Beliefs and Realities, Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 26(1): 11-25
5. RK Sharma (1999), Indian Society, Institutions and Change, {{ISBN. 978-8171566655, page 28
6. Mazumdar and Mazumdar (2005), Home in the Context of Religion, in Home and Identity in Late Life: International Perspectives (Editor: Graham D. Rowles et al.), Springer, {{ISBN. 978-0826127150, pages 81-103
7. What is Hinduism? (Editors of Hinduism Today), {{Google books. 9XC9bwMMPcwC. Two noble paths of Dharma
8. [http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=stha+&trans=Translate&direction=AU gRha] Sanskrit English Dictionary, Koeln University
9. [http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=stha+&trans=Translate&direction=AU stha] Sanskrit English Dictionary, Koeln University
10. [http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=gRhastha&direction=SE&script=HK&link=yes&beginning=0 gRhastha] Sanskrit English Dictionary, Koeln University
11. 978-8120800786, page 435
12. Sundareswaran, N.K.. (2019). "The concept of Pañca mahāyajña : Origin and transformation". The Adyar Library and Research Centre.
13. Max Muller, The [[Sacred Books of the East]]: The Vedanta-Sutras, Pt. 2, Vol. XXXVIII, Oxford University Press, pages 324-325
14. [[Paul Deussen]] (1906), The Philosophy of the Upanishads, T&T Clark, Edinburgh, pages 54-61
15. See the following Upanishads: Brahma, Sannyasa, Aruneya, Kantha, Paramahamsa, Jabala and Ashrama; For English translations and secondary source - see Paul Deussen (1906), The Philosophy of the Upanishads, T&T Clark, Edinburgh, pages 374-377
16. Original: [https://archive.org/stream/ManuSmritHindi-GpDwivedi#page/n343/mode/2up ManuSmriti] Chapter 6, Verses 87-90 (in Sanskrit);
    English Translation: Max Muller, {{Google books. VAobAAAAYAAJ. The Laws of Manu. 978-8171566655, page 28
17. VAobAAAAYAAJ. The Laws of Manu
18. Muller translates it as gleaning of corn, William Jones as lawful gleaning and gathering, Prasad translates it as proper natural work
19. [http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=pramrita+&trans=Translate&direction=AU pramRta] Koeln University, Germany
20. [http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=Satyanrita+&trans=Translate&direction=AU satyAnRta] Koeln University, Germany
21. [http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=zvavRtti&direction=SE&script=HK&link=yes&beginning=0 zvavRtti] Koeln University, Germany
22. Muller translates it as dog-like menial subsistence, William Jones translates this as service for hire, Prasad translates it as slavery
23. Original: [https://archive.org/details/Vishnu_Purana_with_Vishnuchittiyam_-_PB_Annangaracharya_1972 Vishnu Purana] pages 209-211 (in Sanskrit);
    English Translation: HH Wilson (Translator) [https://archive.org/stream/worksbylatehorac08wils#page/92/mode/2up Vishnu Purana, Volume 3] Book III, Chapter IX, pages 93-94
24. See, for example, Adi Sankara's commentary on The Bhagavad Gita of the Mahabharata, AM Sastri (Translator), at [https://archive.org/stream/Bhagavad-Gita.with.the.Commentary.of.Sri.Shankaracharya#page/n97/mode/2up pages 83-95] and [https://archive.org/stream/Bhagavad-Gita.with.the.Commentary.of.Sri.Shankaracharya#page/n193/mode/2up 179-182];
    For another example, see [https://archive.org/stream/mahabharataofkri08royp#page/330/mode/2up Chapter 63], Book 13 of the Mahabharata, KM Ganguli (Translator)
25. J. A. B Van Buitenen (1974), The Book of the Beginning, University of Chicago Press, {{ISBN. 978-0226846484
26. KM Ganguli (Translator), [https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-mahabharata-first-book/d/doc4084.html The Mahabharata - First Book Adi Parva] Section XCI
27. MN Dutt (Translator), [https://archive.org/stream/aproseenglishtr00duttgoog#page/n143/mode/2up Sambhava Parva - Adi Parva] The Mahabharata, verse 3, page 132