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== Greatness of a Grhastha ==

== Greatness of a Grhastha ==

Shankara of course also describes in detail the various observances and fasts that a grhastha is expected to undertake, and even the rules of personal hygiene and social practice that he is expected to scrupulously follow. But he reverts again and again to the sustenance that flows from the grhastha in all directions, and concludes by an expansive listing of the diverse people and other living beings who keep looking up to the grhastha for their livelihood. Thus, says Shankara: <blockquote>यथा मातरमाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवन्ति जन्तवः॥ तथा गृहाश्रमं प्राप्य सर्वे जीवन्ति चाश्रमाः।</blockquote><blockquote>Just as all living beings live under the protection of their mothers, so do all the asramas derive sustenance from the grhastha ashrama. And further,</blockquote><blockquote>राजानः सर्वपाषण्डाः सर्वे रङ्गोपजीविनः॥ व्यालग्रहाश्च डम्भाश्च चोरा राजभटास्तथा। सविद्याः सर्वशीलज्ञाः सर्वे वै विचिकित्सकाः॥ </blockquote><blockquote>दूराध्वानं प्रपन्नाश्च क्षीणपथ्योदना नराः। एते चान्ये च बहवः तर्कयन्ति गृहाश्रमम्॥</blockquote><blockquote>Kings, impostors, artists and acrobats, snake-charmers, cheats, thieves and officers of the king: all of them look up to the grhastha for their sustenance; so do the scholars, the wise, and the sceptics; so do the men on the road, who have travelled a great deal and have exhausted the victuals they carried for the journey; and, so do many others." (Maha. Anush. 141 p. 5924)</blockquote><blockquote>मार्जारा मूषिकाः श्वानः सूकराश्च शुकास्तथा। कपोतका कर्कटकाः सरीसृपनिषेवणाः॥ (Maha. Anush. 141 p. 5924)</blockquote><blockquote>Cats, mice, dogs, pigs, parrots, pigeons, crows, reptiles of all kinds, the bevies of birds and herds of animals that live in the forest, and also the hundreds and thousands of moving and unmoving creatures of diverse kinds that live in the house, the field or the burrow, all of them, O devi, live off what the grhastha earns through his karma, his actions. The merit of the one whose labours sustain so much of life on earth is of course great. It is no wonder that Shankara tells Uma:</blockquote><blockquote>उपयुक्तं च यत्तेषां मतिमान्नानुशोचति। धर्म इत्येव सङ्कल्प्य यस्तु तस्य फलं शृणु॥</blockquote><blockquote>सर्वयज्ञप्रणीतस्य हयमेधेन यत्फलम्। वर्षे स द्वादशे देवि फलेनैतेन युज्यते॥</blockquote><blockquote>Listen to the virtue earned by the one who does not spare a second thought for what has been used up by the men and other living beings that look up to him for sustenance, and who knows that sustaining them is indeed his dharma. Such a one, having fulfilled the dharma of grhastha ashrama for twelve years, attains the merit that accrues to those who perform an asvamedha after having first accomplished all other yajnas. Such is the glory of grhastha ashrama. And such are the yajnas of the grhastha, that sustain the whole world day after day.</blockquote>

Shankara of course also describes in detail the various observances and fasts that a grhastha is expected to undertake, and even the rules of personal hygiene and social practice that he is expected to scrupulously follow. But he reverts again and again to the sustenance that flows from the grhastha in all directions, and concludes by an expansive listing of the diverse people and other living beings who keep looking up to the grhastha for their livelihood. Thus, says Shankara: <blockquote>यथा मातरमाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवन्ति जन्तवः॥ तथा गृहाश्रमं प्राप्य सर्वे जीवन्ति चाश्रमाः।</blockquote><blockquote>Just as all living beings live under the protection of their mothers, so do all the asramas derive sustenance from the grhastha ashrama. And further,</blockquote><blockquote>राजानः सर्वपाषण्डाः सर्वे रङ्गोपजीविनः॥ व्यालग्रहाश्च डम्भाश्च चोरा राजभटास्तथा। सविद्याः सर्वशीलज्ञाः सर्वे वै विचिकित्सकाः॥ </blockquote><blockquote>दूराध्वानं प्रपन्नाश्च क्षीणपथ्योदना नराः। एते चान्ये च बहवः तर्कयन्ति गृहाश्रमम्॥</blockquote><blockquote>Kings, impostors, artists and acrobats, snake-charmers, cheats, thieves and officers of the king: all of them look up to the grhastha for their sustenance; so do the scholars, the wise, and the sceptics; so do the men on the road, who have travelled a great deal and have exhausted the victuals they carried for the journey; and, so do many others." (Maha. Anush. 141 p. 5924)</blockquote><blockquote>मार्जारा मूषिकाः श्वानः सूकराश्च शुकास्तथा। कपोतका कर्कटकाः सरीसृपनिषेवणाः॥ (Maha. Anush. 141 p. 5924)</blockquote><blockquote>Cats, mice, dogs, pigs, parrots, pigeons, crows, reptiles of all kinds, the bevies of birds and herds of animals that live in the forest, and also the hundreds and thousands of moving and unmoving creatures of diverse kinds that live in the house, the field or the burrow, all of them, O devi, live off what the grhastha earns through his karma, his actions. The merit of the one whose labours sustain so much of life on earth is of course great. It is no wonder that Shankara tells Uma:</blockquote><blockquote>उपयुक्तं च यत्तेषां मतिमान्नानुशोचति। धर्म इत्येव सङ्कल्प्य यस्तु तस्य फलं शृणु॥</blockquote><blockquote>सर्वयज्ञप्रणीतस्य हयमेधेन यत्फलम्। वर्षे स द्वादशे देवि फलेनैतेन युज्यते॥</blockquote><blockquote>Listen to the virtue earned by the one who does not spare a second thought for what has been used up by the men and other living beings that look up to him for sustenance, and who knows that sustaining them is indeed his dharma. Such a one, having fulfilled the dharma of grhastha ashrama for twelve years, attains the merit that accrues to those who perform an asvamedha after having first accomplished all other yajnas. Such is the glory of grhastha ashrama. And such are the yajnas of the grhastha, that sustain the whole world day after day.<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>

== Panchamahayajnas ==

== Panchamahayajnas ==

These are the five great yajnas that a grhastha is expected to perform everyday. In fact, it is the performance of the [[Panchamahayajnas (पञ्चमहायज्ञाः)|Panchamahayajnas]] that defines a grhastha: one who does not undertake these yajnas everyday probably does not even qualify to be called by the name of a grhastha, a householder. Thus, the householder shares his daily rituals with the representatives of different aspects of creation, and seems to remind himself afresh everyday of his responsibility towards all creation and re-dedicate himself to the sustenance of at least as much of creation as falls within his reach.  

These are the five great yajnas that a grhastha is expected to perform everyday. In fact, it is the performance of the [[Panchamahayajnas (पञ्चमहायज्ञाः)|Panchamahayajnas]] that defines a grhastha: one who does not undertake these yajnas everyday probably does not even qualify to be called by the name of a grhastha, a householder. Thus, the householder shares his daily rituals with the representatives of different aspects of creation, and seems to remind himself afresh everyday of his responsibility towards all creation and re-dedicate himself to the sustenance of at least as much of creation as falls within his reach.  

Here follows the description of brahmayajna:  <blockquote>svadhyaya, reverential and careful study of the branch of knowledge assigned for oneself, is indeed brahmayajna.</blockquote>And these five are also the mahasatras, the great sessions, because these are performed everyday till the end of one's life, by the grhastha himself, without looking for a priest to conduct them.  

Here follows the description of brahmayajna:  <blockquote>svadhyaya, reverential and careful study of the branch of knowledge assigned for oneself, is indeed brahmayajna.</blockquote>And these five are also the mahasatras, the great sessions, because these are performed everyday till the end of one's life, by the grhastha himself, without looking for a priest to conduct them.  

Incidentally, the Taittriya Aranyaka<ref>Taittriya Aranyaka ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D(%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B0)/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A8 Prapathaka 2 Anuvaka 10])</ref> lays down almost exactly the same discipline for the panchamahayajna, insisting that this is an observance that has to be initiated and accomplished every day.   

Incidentally, the Taittriya Aranyaka<ref>Taittriya Aranyaka ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D(%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B0)/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A8 Prapathaka 2 Anuvaka 10])</ref> lays down almost exactly the same discipline for the panchamahayajna, insisting that this is an observance that has to be initiated and accomplished every day.<ref name=":0" />  

== Rnam ==

== Rnam ==

Man is born in and lives in rna, debt, to all creation, and it therefore becomes his duty to recognize this debt and undertake to repay it everyday. Explaining the principle, the Satapathabrahmana says:   

Man is born in and lives in rna, debt, to all creation, and it therefore becomes his duty to recognize this debt and undertake to repay it everyday. Explaining the principle, the Shatapatha brahmana says:   

ऋणं ह वै जायते योऽस्ति । स जायमान एव देवेभ्य ऋषिभ्यः पितृभ्यो मनुष्येभ्यः - १.७.२.[१] (Shat. Brah. 1.7.2.1)<ref>Shatapatha Brahmana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A5%A7/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AD/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83 Kanda 1 Adhyaya 7])</ref>  

ऋणं ह वै जायते योऽस्ति । स जायमान एव देवेभ्य ऋषिभ्यः पितृभ्यो मनुष्येभ्यः - १.७.२.[१] (Shat. Brah. 1.7.2.1)<ref>Shatapatha Brahmana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A5%A7/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AD/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83 Kanda 1 Adhyaya 7])</ref>

Whosoever is, is born in rna. In being born, he is in rna to the devas, rsis, pitrs and manusyas.

Whosoever is, is born in rna. In being born, he is in rna to the devas, rsis, pitrs and manusyas.

He performs yagya, because he is born in rna to the devas. It is because of the rna that he does this for them; it is because of the rna that he performs yajfia for the devas and offers homa to them.   

He performs yagya, because he is born in rna to the devas. It is because of the rna that he does this for them; it is because of the rna that he performs yajfia for the devas and offers homa to them.