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There are four Ashramas or stages in life. Namely, Brahmacharyashrama or the period of studentship, Grhasthashrama or the stage of the householder, Vanaprasthashrama or the stage of the forest-dweller or hermit, and Sannyasashrama or the life of renunciation or asceticism. Each stage has its own duties. These stages help the evolution of man. The four Asramas take man to perfection by successive stages. The practice of the four Ashramas regulates the life from the beginning to the end. The first two Ashramas pertain to Pravrtti Marga or the path of work and the two later stages—the life of Vanaprastha and that of Sannyasa—are the stages of withdrawal from the world. They pertain to Nivrtti Marga or the path of renunciation.<ref>Swami Sivananda (1999), [http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf All About Hinduism], Uttar Pradesh: The Divine Life Society.</ref>

Ashrama Dharma (Samskrit: आश्रमधर्मः) refers to the duties specified for the four stages in life. The four Ashramas are,  

# [[Brahmacharyashrama (ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमः)|Brahmacharyashrama]] or the period of studentship

# [[Grhasthashrama (गृहस्थाश्रमः)|Grhasthashrama]] or the stage of the householder

# [[Vanaprasthashrama (वानप्रस्थाश्रमः)|Vanaprasthashrama]] or the stage of the forest-dweller or hermit

# [[Sannyasashrama (सन्न्यासाश्रमः)|Sannyasashrama]] or the life of renunciation or asceticism.  

These stages help in the evolution of a person. They take one to perfection in successive stages. In fact, the practice of the four Ashramas regulates the life from the beginning to the end. Among them, the first two Ashramas pertain to Pravrtti Marga or the path of work. While, the two later stages ie. the life of Vanaprastha and that of Sannyasa, pertain to Nivrtti Marga or the path of renunciation.<ref>Swami Sivananda (1999), [http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf All About Hinduism], Uttar Pradesh: The Divine Life Society.</ref>

==परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==

==परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==