The origin of the asrama system can be traced back to the 5th century BCE. At the time, ‘asrama’ (source of the anglicized word ashram) referred to the hermitage of the Brahmans and more generally to their lifestyle. These hermit Brahmans were householders who lived a religious life, performing sacrifices and daily rituals in accordance with the Vedic tradition. Their dwellings were probably outside of towns and villages.
In the Dharma-sutras (composed during the Vedic period), asramas referred to permanent lifestyle possibilities open to a twice-born (one of three higher castes) male student. The male student was initiated into the Vedic tradition at childhood and lived with a teacher. Asramas referred to the four lifestyle choices available to him after completion of his studies. These choices were – brahmacharya (continue as a celibate student), grihastha (the householder), vanaprastha (the recluse) and sannyasin (the renunciate). However, by the time of Dharma-shastras (slightly later group of texts), asrama assumed a modified meaning – the same four choices mentioned above had now evolved into four successive stages of life that a twice-born should pass. The Dharma-shastras deal at length with the demands of each stage. They are summarized below:
Brahmacharya – The celibate stage of life after a male student is initiated and lives with a teacher to learn the Vedas. He begs for food, practices penances, wears an antelope skin, collects fuel, and practices heat-generating austerity.
Grihasta – This stage is attained upon marriage when the student has completed his studies and is ready to take up responsibilities of family and worldly life.
Vanaprastha – In this stage, the man (along with his wife if he so wishes) relinquishes his householder’s duties to live an ascetic life in the forest and to devote himself to ritual. He is not a complete renunciate and has not given up fire for cooking and, more importantly, for making the daily offerings into the three sacrificial fires.
Sannyasin – When a man becomes a sannyasin, he has gone beyond the Vedic injunctions of maintaining his sacred fires; living entirely by begging he does not cook his own food. He is free of all attachments and spends time in meditation. He has risen above the dualities of the world toward spiritual liberation.