The åaśrama system : the history and hermeneutics of a religious institution

The lesser known and explored of the two pillars of Hinduism-- =a'srama and var.na -- =a'srama is the name given to a system of four distinct and legitimate ways of leading a religious life: as a celibate student, a married householder, a forest hermit, and a world renouncer. In this, the first full-length study of the =a'srama system, Olivelle uncovers its origin and traces its subsequent history. He examines in depth its relationship to other institutional and doctrinal aspects of the Brahmanical world and its position within Brahmanical theology, and assesses its significance within the history of Indian religion. Throughout, he argues that the =a'srama system is primarily a theological construct and that the system and its history should be carefully distinguished from the socio-religious institutions comprehended by the system and from their respective histories. Contents......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 12 Prologue......Page 18 I. INTRODUCTION......Page 20 1. Meaning and Method......Page 22 1.1 The Meaning of Āśrama......Page 23 1.2 The Meaning of the Āśrama System......Page 39 1.3 Issues of Method......Page 43 2.1 The Vedic Ideal of Religious Life......Page 50 2.2 The Socio-Economic Context......Page 70 2.3 Rival Views of Religious Life......Page 73 II. THE EARLY PERIOD......Page 86 3.1 The Original Formulation......Page 88 3.2 Controversy and Debate......Page 98 3.3 Authorship......Page 109 3.4 Date......Page 116 3.5 The Pre-History of the Āśrama System and the Question of the Three Āśramas......Page 121 4.1 The Third Āśrama and the Problem of the Hermit......Page 127 4.2 The Fourth Āśrama and the Time of Renunciation......Page 132 4.3 Ritual Appropriations of Renunciation......Page 137 4.4 The Āśramas and the Rites of Passage......Page 141 III. THE CLASSICAL PERIOD......Page 144 5.1 Description of the Classical System......Page 146 5.2 The Hermeneutics of the Classical System......Page 149 5.3 The Classical System in the Smrtis......Page 151 5.4 The Original System in the Classical Period......Page 166 6.1 Classifications of the Āśramas......Page 176 6.2 Modifications of the Classical System......Page 188 7.1 Gender and Āśrama......Page 198 7.2 Varna and Āśrama......Page 205 7.3 The Āśramas and Civil Authority......Page 216 7.4 Parisad and Āśrama......Page 225 7.5 Āśrama and Other Aspects of Dharma......Page 229 7.6 Sets of Four: The Purusārthas and the Āśramas......Page 231 8.1 Anāśramin: Obligation to Live in an Āśrama......Page 235 8.2 Atyāśramin: Transcendence of the Āśramas......Page 237 8.3 The Question of a Fifth Āśrama......Page 247 8.4 Āśrama and the Doctrine of Yuga......Page 249 8.5 The Legitimacy of the Āśrama System: The Continuing Debate......Page 252 Epilogue......Page 259 Bibliography......Page 262 A......Page 278 B......Page 279 D......Page 280 G......Page 281 I......Page 282 M......Page 283 P......Page 284 S......Page 285 V......Page 287 Y......Page 288 Z......Page 289 Contents 8 Abbreviations 12 Prologue 18 I. INTRODUCTION 20 1. Meaning and Method 22 1.1 The Meaning of Āśrama 23 1.2 The Meaning of the Āśrama System 39 1.3 Issues of Method 43 2. Background and Context 50 2.1 The Vedic Ideal of Religious Life 50 2.2 The Socio-Economic Context 70 2.3 Rival Views of Religious Life 73 II. THE EARLY PERIOD 86 3. The Origins 88 3.1 The Original Formulation 88 3.2 Controversy and Debate 98 3.3 Authorship 109 3.4 Date 116 3.5 The Pre-History of the Āśrama System and the Question of the Three Āśramas 121 4. Ingredients of Change 127 4.1 The Third Āśrama and the Problem of the Hermit 127 4.2 The Fourth Āśrama and the Time of Renunciation 132 4.3 Ritual Appropriations of Renunciation 137 4.4 The Āśramas and the Rites of Passage 141 III. THE CLASSICAL PERIOD 144 5. The Classical Āśrama System 146 5.1 Description of the Classical System 146 5.2 The Hermeneutics of the Classical System 149 5.3 The Classical System in the Smrtis 151 5.4 The Original System in the Classical Period 166 6. Development of the Classical System 176 6.1 Classifications of the Āśramas 176 6.2 Modifications of the Classical System 188 7. The Āśramas and Other Brāhmanical Institutions 198 7.1 Gender and Āśrama 198 7.2 Varna and Āśrama 205 7.3 The Āśramas and Civil Authority 216 7.4 Parisad and Āśrama 225 7.5 Āśrama and Other Aspects of Dharma 229 7.6 Sets of Four: The Purusārthas and the Āśramas 231 8. The Āśrama System in Medieval Theology 235 8.1 Anāśramin: Obligation to Live in an Āśrama 235 8.2 Atyāśramin: Transcendence of the Āśramas 237 8.3 The Question of a Fifth Āśrama 247 8.4 Āśrama and the Doctrine of Yuga 249 8.5 The Legitimacy of the Āśrama System: The Continuing Debate 252 Epilogue 259 Bibliography 262 Index 278 A 278 B 279 C 280 D 280 E 281 F 281 G 281 H 282 I 282 J 283 K 283 L 283 M 283 N 284 O 284 P 284 R 285 S 285 T 287 U 287 V 287 W 288 Y 288 Z 289 The lesser known and explored of the two pillars of Hinduism--āśrama and varṇa--āśrama is the name given to a system of four distinct and legitimate ways of leading a religious life: as a celibate student, a married householder, a forest hermit, and a world renouncer. In this, the first full-length study of the āśrama system, Olivelle uncovers its origin and traces its subsequent history. He examines in depth its relationship to other institutional and doctrinal aspects of the Brahmanical world and its position within Brahmanical theology, and assesses its significance within the history of Indian religion. Throughout, he argues that the āśrama system is primarily a theological construct and that the system and its history should be carefully distinguished from the socio-religious institutions comprehended by the system and from their respective histories. A study of the Asrama system, a Hindu construct consisting of four legitimate ways of leading a religious life. The author traces its early history and explains how Asrama gradually established connections with other Hindu religious institutions to emerge as a central tenet of the Hindu dharma. Patrick Olivelle. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 247-262) And Index.