Conti.. Spirituality of the Old.. Religious- Part 1.D. 

 Bandhu Ishanand Vempeny, S. J.

SPIRITUALITY OF THE OLD ESPECIALLY OF

THE RELIGIOUS -- Part 1

D.  Old Age in the Indian Religious Context

In India the different stages of a person’s life are put under the ashrama system. There is no direct reference to this system in the Vedas though in the Rigveda (10:136:2 & 4) there are references to the last stage where the sanyasins are called munis. In the Vedic literature one who belongs to the fourth stage has various names: “It would thus be seen that a person who belongs to the last ashrama is variously called parivrat or parivrajaka (one who does not stay in one place but wanders from place to place), bhikshu (one who begs for his livelihood), muni (one who ponders over the mysteries of life and death), yati (one who controls his senses). These words suggest the various characteristics of the man who undertakes the fourth ashrama.”[i]

Kane summarizes what is said about these ashramas in Manu Smŗti: “The theory of Manu about these ashramas is as follows. The span of human life is one hundred years (satayur vai purusah). All do not live to that age, but that is the maximum age one can expect to reach. This should be divided into four parts. As one cannot know beforehand what age one is going to reach, it is not to be supposed that these four parts are each of 25 years. They may be more or less. As stated in Manu IV.1 the first part of man’s life is brahmacarya in which he learns at his teacher’s house and after he has finished his study, in the second part of his life he marries and becomes a house-holder, discharges his debts to his ancestors by begetting sons and to the gods by performing yajnas (Manu V.169). When he sees that his head has grey hair and that there are wrinkles on his body he resorts to the forest i.e. becomes a vanaprastha (Manu VI.1-2). After spending the third part of his life in the forest for sometime he spends the rest of his life as a samnyasin (Manu VI.33).”[ii]

Though it is difficult to find out the distinction between vanaprastha and sanyasa from our point of view, it seems to have been clear for the ancients. Quoting Manu, Kane describes the situation of a person who becomes a forest dweller: “Manu (VI.2) indicates the age by saying ‘when a householder sees his skin wrinkled and his hair growing white and sees the sons of his sons he may betake himself to the forest. The commentators were divided in their opinions, some holding that all three conditions (wrinkles, grey hair and seeing son’s sons) must be fulfilled before one could become a forest hermit, others held that only one of them need be fulfilled and others again said that these conditions are only indicative of the age viz., that a man must be old or over 50.”[iii] 

In the Br. Up. (II. 4. 1) we see that Yajnavalkya when about to become a parivrajaka (a wandering ascetic) tells his wife Maitreyi: “Maitreyi, said Yajnavalkya, verily, I am about to go forth from this state (of householder). Look, let me make a final settlement between you and Katyayani” (p. 195). Kane comments: “This shows that a parivrajkaka had been then to leave home and wife and to give up all belongings. The same Upanishad in another place (III.5.1) states ‘those who realize Atman give up the hankering after progeny, possessions and heavenly worlds and practice the beggar’s mode of life; therefore the brahmana, having completely mastered (and so risen beyond) mere learning, should seek to be like a child (i.e. should not make a parade of his latent capacities or knowledge) and having completed (gone beyond) knowledge and balya (child-like behaviour) he should attain to the position of a muni, and having risen beyond the stage of a muni or non-muni, should become a real brahmana (one who has realized Brahman).”[iv]

( Coming up next ... Part II.Qualifications for Sanyasa)

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[i] History of Dharmasastra, Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. II, Part I, 1974, p. 417.

[ii] History of Dharmasastra, Vol. II, Part I, p. 417.

[iii] History of Dharmasastra, Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. II, Part II, 1974, p. 918.

[iv] History of Dharmasastra, Vol. II, Part II, pp. 930-931.