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== गृहस्थाश्रमस्य महत्त्वम् ॥ Greatness of Grhasthashrama ==

== गृहस्थाश्रमस्य महत्त्वम् ॥ Greatness of Grhasthashrama ==

Of all the Ashramas, this is considered the most important, because it supports all the other ashramas. It is said that, just like all creatures live supported by the air, the other ashramas exist supported by the grhastha; like all streams and rivers flow to rest in the ocean, all the ashramas flow to rest in the grhastha.

Of all the Ashramas, the Grhasthashrama is considered the most important, because it supports all the other ashramas. It is said that, just like all creatures live supported by the air, the other ashramas exist supported by the grhastha; like all streams and rivers flow to rest in the ocean, all the ashramas flow to rest in the grhastha.<ref name=":5" /><blockquote>ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थश्च वानप्रस्थो यतिस्तथा । एते गृहस्थप्रभवाश्चत्वारः पृथगाश्रमाः । । ६.८७ । ।<ref name=":11">Manusmrti, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A0%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 6]</ref>

ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थश्च वानप्रस्थो यतिस्तथा । एते गृहस्थप्रभवाश्चत्वारः पृथगाश्रमाः । । ६.८७ । ।  

यथा वायुं समाश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्वजन्तवः । तथा गृहस्थं आश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्व आश्रमाः । । ३.७७ । ।<ref name=":0" />

सर्वेषां अपि चैतेषां वेदस्मृतिविधानतः । गृहस्थ उच्यते श्रेष्ठः स त्रीनेतान्बिभर्ति हि । । ६.८९ । ।<ref name=":11">Manusmrti, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A0%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 6]</ref>  

यथा नदीनदाः सर्वे सागरे यान्ति संस्थितिम् । तथैवाश्रमिणः सर्वे गृहस्थे यान्ति संस्थितिम् । । ६.९० । ।<ref name=":11" />

यथा वायुं समाश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्वजन्तवः । तथा गृहस्थं आश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्व आश्रमाः । । ३.७७[६७ं] । ।<ref name=":0" />

brahmacārī gr̥hasthaśca vānaprastho yatistathā । ete gr̥hasthaprabhavāścatvāraḥ pr̥thagāśramāḥ । । 6.87 । ।

यथा नदीनदाः सर्वे सागरे यान्ति संस्थितिम् । तथैवाश्रमिणः सर्वे गृहस्थे यान्ति संस्थितिम् । । ६.९० । ।<ref name=":11" />

yathā vāyuṁ samāśritya vartante sarvajantavaḥ । tathā gr̥hasthaṁ āśritya vartante sarva āśramāḥ । । 3.77 । ।

 

Greatness of the Grhasthashrama is described in the conversation between Uma and Shankara occuring in the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata.<ref name=":7">Bajaj, Jitendra and Mandayam, Srinivas (1996), Annam Bahu Kurvita, Madras:Centre for Policy Studies.</ref> In this dialogue, Uma seeks to know the dharma of ashramas, of the way one ought to lead life at different stages of a lifetime. And Shankara begins his answer to Uma's queries with the unequivocal assertion that of the four ashramas, grhasthashrama is indeed the foremost.<ref name=":8" /><blockquote>गृहस्थः प्रवरस्तेषां गार्हस्थ्यं धर्ममाश्रितः।.. १३.२०८.४२<ref name=":9" /> gr̥hasthaḥ pravarasteṣāṁ gārhasthyaṁ dharmamāśritaḥ।.. 13.208.42</blockquote>

Greatness of the Grhasthashrama is described in the conversation between Uma and Shankara occuring in the Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata.<ref name=":7">Bajaj, Jitendra and Mandayam, Srinivas (1996), Annam Bahu Kurvita, Madras:Centre for Policy Studies.</ref> In this dialogue, Uma seeks to know the dharma of ashramas, of the way one ought to lead life at different stages of a lifetime. And Shankara begins his answer to Uma's queries with the unequivocal assertion that of the four ashramas, grhasthashrama is indeed the foremost.<ref name=":8" /><blockquote>गृहस्थः प्रवरस्तेषां गार्हस्थ्यं धर्ममाश्रितः।.. १३.२०८.४२<ref name=":9" /> gr̥hasthaḥ pravarasteṣāṁ gārhasthyaṁ dharmamāśritaḥ।.. 13.208.42</blockquote>

In fact, dealing with Vanaprasthashrama and Sannyasashrama in just about six and a half verses, Shankara returns to a very detailed description of the grhasthashrama suggesting that his heart seems to be in describing the grhasthashrama dharma for Uma. He says that the core of the discipline of a grhastha is in looking after and generously providing for the sustenance of all. Especially, of the guests who arrive at his door. And this opportunity to look after and sustain others is what makes the grhasthashrama so great that the severest austerities like tapas in cold water and in heat of summer during vanaprasthashrama cannot measure up to even the one-sixteenth part of the merit acquired by properly fulfilling the duties of the grhasthashrama.<ref name=":8">Shastri, Ramnarayanadatta Pandey, Mahabharata Volume 6 (With Hindi Translation), Gorakhpur:Gita Press.</ref><blockquote>सम्यक्तपश्चरन्तीह श्रद्दधाना वनाश्रमे । गृहाश्रमस्य ते देवि कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम् ।।१३.२११.३०<ref name=":10">Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-13-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5-211 Adhyaya 211]</ref>

In fact, dealing with Vanaprasthashrama and Sannyasashrama in just about six and a half verses, Shankara returns to a very detailed description of the grhasthashrama suggesting that his heart seems to be in describing the grhasthashrama dharma for Uma. He says that the core of the discipline of a grhastha is in looking after and generously providing for the sustenance of all. Especially, of the guests who arrive at his door. And this opportunity to look after and sustain others is what makes the grhasthashrama so great that the severest austerities like tapas in cold water and in heat of summer during vanaprasthashrama cannot measure up to even the one-sixteenth part of the merit acquired by properly fulfilling the duties of the grhasthashrama.<ref name=":8">Shastri, Ramnarayanadatta Pandey, Mahabharata Volume 6 (With Hindi Translation), Gorakhpur:Gita Press.</ref><blockquote>सम्यक्तपश्चरन्तीह श्रद्दधाना वनाश्रमे । गृहाश्रमस्य ते देवि कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम् ।।१३.२११.३०<ref name=":10">Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-13-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5-211 Adhyaya 211]</ref> samyaktapaścarantīha śraddadhānā vanāśrame । gr̥hāśramasya te devi kalāṁ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm ।।13.211.30</blockquote>Shankara even provides an expansive listing of the diverse people and other living beings who keep looking up to the grhastha for their livelihood.  Thereby, emphasizing on the sustenance that flows from the grhastha in all directions. And concludes by equating the role of grhasthas in the society to protection of mothers.<ref name=":7" /> He says, <blockquote>यथा मातरमाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवन्ति जन्तवः । तथा गृहाश्रमं प्राप्य सर्वे जीवन्ति चाश्रमाः॥१३.२११.४९<ref name=":10" /> ''yathā mātaramāśritya sarve jīvanti jantavaḥ । tathā gr̥hāśramaṁ prāpya sarve jīvanti cāśramāḥ॥13.211.49''</blockquote>Meaning: Just as all living beings live under the protection of their mothers, so do all the ashramas derive sustenance from the grhasthashrama.   

 

samyaktapaścarantīha śraddadhānā vanāśrame । gr̥hāśramasya te devi kalāṁ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm ।।13.211.30</blockquote>Shankara even provides an expansive listing of the diverse people and other living beings who keep looking up to the grhastha for their livelihood.  Thereby, emphasizing on the sustenance that flows from the grhastha in all directions. And concludes by equating the role of grhasthas in the society to protection of mothers.<ref name=":7" /> He says, <blockquote>यथा मातरमाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवन्ति जन्तवः । तथा गृहाश्रमं प्राप्य सर्वे जीवन्ति चाश्रमाः॥१३.२११.४९<ref name=":10" />  

 

''yathā mātaramāśritya sarve jīvanti jantavaḥ । tathā gr̥hāśramaṁ prāpya sarve jīvanti cāśramāḥ॥13.211.49''</blockquote>Meaning: Just as all living beings live under the protection of their mothers, so do all the ashramas derive sustenance from the grhasthashrama.   

It is no wonder that the merit of a grhastha whose labour sustains so much of life on earth is of course great.<ref name=":7" /> Hence it is said, <blockquote>उपयुक्तं च यत्तेषां मतिमान्नानुशोचति ॥१३.२११.५४  

It is no wonder that the merit of a grhastha whose labour sustains so much of life on earth is of course great.<ref name=":7" /> Hence it is said, <blockquote>उपयुक्तं च यत्तेषां मतिमान्नानुशोचति ॥१३.२११.५४  

== गृहस्थधर्मः ॥ Grhastha Dharma ==

== गृहस्थधर्मः ॥ Grhastha Dharma ==

'''Mahabharata''', Anushasana Parva, Danadharma upaparva contains the details about how a grhastha in different varnas should conduct themselves and the qualities that should be cultured by every grhastha in the Uma Maheshvara Samvada.

'''Mahabharata''', Anushasana Parva, Danadharma upaparva contains the details about how a grhastha in different varnas should conduct themselves and the qualities that should be cultured by every grhastha in the Uma Maheshvara Samvada.