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== Varna System ==

== Varna System ==

The Varna System, as mentioned above, is the reflection of ancient wisdom on the organisation of the society. Elaborating on this, Swami Krishnananda says, <blockquote>''"Everyone has needs, but no one has the capacity to fulfill all their needs. What I have, others may not have; and what others have, I may not have. Therefore, in order that social solidarity may be ensured so that there may be some sort of perfect image produced in the totality of the social structure, the varna system was thought to be the most advisable method to be adopted."<ref name=":0" />''</blockquote>

The Varna System, as mentioned above, is the reflection of ancient wisdom on the organisation of the society. Elaborating on this, Swami Krishnananda says, <blockquote>''"Everyone has needs, but no one has the capacity to fulfill all their needs. What I have, others may not have; and what others have, I may not have. Therefore, in order that social solidarity may be ensured so that there may be some sort of perfect image produced in the totality of the social structure, the varna system was thought to be the most advisable method to be adopted."<ref name=":0" />''</blockquote>

== Ashrama System ==

== Ashrama System ==

It has already been enumerated above that the organisation of the society took the form of the Varna System. However, it is not enough if we have an organisation of skeleton individuals. They must be powerful individuals. And so the ancient adepts did not forget the need to discipline the individual.The more the capacity of an individual, the greater also is the strength of society. Healthy, robust, well-educated, and highly idealized individuals are necessary for creating a perfect human society. So, while it is necessary to organise individuals into a society because of the partiality of endowments of different individuals, it is also necessary, at the same time, to see that the individuals themselves are disciplined and perfected to the extent possible under the circumstances available. This perfection of the individual is attempted through what is known as the ashrama system.<ref name=":0" />

It has already been enumerated above that the organisation of the society took the form of the Varna System. However, it is not enough if we have an organisation of skeleton individuals. They must be powerful individuals. And so the ancient adepts did not forget the need to discipline the individual.The more the capacity of an individual, the greater also is the strength of society. Healthy, robust, well-educated, and highly idealized individuals are necessary for creating a perfect human society. So, while it is necessary to organise individuals into a society because of the partiality of endowments of different individuals, it is also necessary, at the same time, to see that the individuals themselves are disciplined and perfected to the extent possible under the circumstances available. This perfection of the individual is attempted through what is known as the ashrama system.<ref name=":0" />

=== What is Ashrama ? ===

=== What is Ashrama ? ===

=== Importance of the Ashramas ===

=== Importance of the Ashramas ===

* Brahmacharya as the Foundation to Self-moulding

* Brahmacharya as the Foundation to Self-moulding

The Guru-Shishya relationship, which comes into relief when we think of the first stage of ashrama dharma, namely Brahmacharya, tells us much about the need for physical discipline. The Brahmachari (ब्रह्मचारी) — the lad who is just budding into youth — is given the fullest type of physical training by means of the service that he is expected to render to the master. By this discipline, he is given the very outlook of his life, not merely the opportunity of disciplining the body. He knows how he has to conduct himself before others and in respect of other things, and a sort of ground is paved in the beginning itself for the contribution that he has to make later on when he becomes an adult, a unit of human society, as a Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra.<ref name=":0" />

The Guru-Shishya relationship, which comes into relief when we think of the first stage of ashrama dharma, namely Brahmacharya, tells us much about the need for physical discipline. The Brahmachari (ब्रह्मचारी) — the lad who is just budding into youth — is given the fullest type of physical training by means of the seva (सेवा | selfless service) that he is expected to render to the master. By this discipline, he is given the very outlook of his life, not merely the opportunity of disciplining the body. He knows how he has to conduct himself before others and in respect of other things, and a sort of ground is paved in the beginning itself for the contribution that he has to make later on when he becomes an adult, a unit of human society, as a Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra.<ref name=":0" />

* Grhasthashrama as the sustainer of other Ashramas

* Grhasthashrama as the sustainer of other Ashramas

Grhasthashrama is hailed as the most important, as it carries with it onerous responsibilities of maintaining and sustaining persons belonging to the other three ashramas. Manusmrti says, <blockquote>यथा वायुं समाश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्वजन्तवः । तथा गृहस्थं आश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्व आश्रमाः । । ३.७७ । ।</blockquote><blockquote>यस्मात्त्रयोऽप्याश्रमिणो ज्ञानेनान्नेन चान्वहम् । गृहस्थेनैव धार्यन्ते तस्माज्ज्येष्ठाश्रमो गृही । । ३.७८ । ।<ref>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%A4%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 3]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>yathā vāyuṁ samāśritya vartante sarvajantavaḥ । tathā gr̥hasthaṁ āśritya vartante sarva āśramāḥ । । 3.77 । ।</blockquote><blockquote>yasmāttrayo'pyāśramiṇo jñānenānnena cānvaham । gr̥hasthenaiva dhāryante tasmājjyeṣṭhāśramo gr̥hī । । 3.78 । ।</blockquote>Meaning: Just as all Creatures subsist by deriving support from air, so do the other states subsist by deriving support from the Householder. Because men in all the three states are sustained with knowledge and food by householders only, therefore the householder’s state is the highest state. It is the householder who helps men in other stages of life with knowledge brought about by the expounding of the meaning of the Veda.<ref>Ganganath Jha (1920-39), Manusmrti ([https://ia801603.us.archive.org/33/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.46010/2015.46010.Manusmrti--Vol-4.pdf Vol.4]), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited.</ref>

Grhasthashrama is hailed as the most important, as it carries with it onerous responsibilities of maintaining and sustaining persons belonging to the other three ashramas. Manusmrti says, <blockquote>यथा वायुं समाश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्वजन्तवः । तथा गृहस्थं आश्रित्य वर्तन्ते सर्व आश्रमाः । । ३.७७ । ।</blockquote><blockquote>यस्मात्त्रयोऽप्याश्रमिणो ज्ञानेनान्नेन चान्वहम् । गृहस्थेनैव धार्यन्ते तस्माज्ज्येष्ठाश्रमो गृही । । ३.७८ । ।<ref>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%A4%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 3]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>yathā vāyuṁ samāśritya vartante sarvajantavaḥ । tathā gr̥hasthaṁ āśritya vartante sarva āśramāḥ । । 3.77 । ।</blockquote><blockquote>yasmāttrayo'pyāśramiṇo jñānenānnena cānvaham । gr̥hasthenaiva dhāryante tasmājjyeṣṭhāśramo gr̥hī । । 3.78 । ।</blockquote>Meaning: Just as all Creatures subsist by deriving support from air, so do the other states subsist by deriving support from the Householder. Because men in all the three states are sustained with knowledge and food by householders only, therefore the householder’s state is the highest state. It is the householder who helps men in other stages of life with knowledge brought about by the expounding of the meaning of the Veda.<ref>Ganganath Jha (1920-39), Manusmrti ([https://ia801603.us.archive.org/33/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.46010/2015.46010.Manusmrti--Vol-4.pdf Vol.4]), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited.</ref>

It is the foundation of family the structure based on 'Dharma'. Hence the saying, धन्यो गृहस्थाश्रमः | dhanyo gr̥hasthāśramaḥ | It is during this ashrama the husband and wife discharge both economic and social responsibilities jointly, they undertake any profession or avocation or employment private or public and through it earn money and also serve society. They bear the economic responsibility of providing maintenance to those who belong to the other three ashramas ie., financing the education of their children as well as younger brothers and sisters etc., maintaining those who have crossed the stage of Grhasthashrama and have ceased to earn income, and/or have entered 'Vanaprasthashrama' as also those who have entered the fourth stage ie., 'Sannyasa', whether they are members of their family or not. Thus, it constituted the best form of private sector social security.<ref name=":3" />  

It is the foundation of family the structure based on 'Dharma'. Hence the saying, धन्यो गृहस्थाश्रमः | dhanyo gr̥hasthāśramaḥ | It is during this ashrama the husband and wife discharge both economic and social responsibilities jointly, they undertake any profession or avocation or employment private or public and through it earn money and also serve society. They bear the economic responsibility of providing maintenance to those who belong to the other three ashramas ie., financing the education of their children as well as younger brothers and sisters etc., maintaining those who have crossed the stage of Grhasthashrama and have ceased to earn income, and/or have entered 'Vanaprasthashrama' as also those who have entered the fourth stage ie., 'Sannyasa', whether they are members of their family or not. Thus, it constituted the best form of private sector social security.<ref name=":3" />

 

== References ==

== References ==

[[Category:Dharmas]]

[[Category:Dharmas]]