ashrama | आश्रम

Also written as ashram, asrama

1. A place like a monastery where dedicated spiritual practitioners reside.
2. The four-aged based stages of life: brahmacharya ashram - a celibate student who is instructed to stay away from women until the age of 25 years, grihastha ashrama - one who enters family life, marries and has children, vanaprastha ashrama - at the age of 50 years, one leaves his family and children and retires to the forest with his wife, samnyasa ashrama - at the age of 75 years, one leaves his wife to lead a life of total renunciation until death.

LEARN MORE

• Four stages of Vedic life

REFERENCES

Bhagavad Gita Jnana 3, Karmayoga, Ch. 1