varnashrama dharma | वर्णाश्रम धर्म

Vedas prescribe religious practices according to ones varna and ashram. These are called varnashram dharma (Devanagari: वर्णाश्रम धर्म ISO15919: varṇāśrama dharma).

This dharma is referred to by many names

• dharma
• karma dharma
• karmakand
• apar dharma (Devanagari: अपर धर्म​ ISO15919: apara dharma) means inferior duty, 
• agantuk dharma (Devanagari: आगन्तुक​ धर्म​​ ISO15919: āgantuka dharma​) ever changing duties
• sharirik dharma (Devanagari: शारीरिक​​ धर्म​​ ISO15919: śārīrika dharma​) means physical duty.
• prakrit dharma (Devanagari: प्राकृत धर्म​ ISO15919: prākr̥ta dharma​) means material duties,

There are 4 varna and there 4 stages of life called ashram. So, total that makes 16 combinations. Those 16 combinations are listed below.  

Vedas contain 80,000 hymns which address the duties of these 16 classifications. 

The sole purpose of this classification was to enable smooth functioning of the human society while pursuing God. This dharma has also been described in great detail in scriptures like Mahabharat.

1. Brahmachari Brahmins
2. Brahmachari Kshatriyas
3. Brahmachari Vaishyas
4. Brahmachari Shoodras
5. Grihasthi Brahmins
6. Grihasthi Kshatriyas
7. Grihasthi Vaishyas
8. Grihasthi Shoodras
9. Vanaprasthi Brahmins
10. Vanaprasthi Kshatriyas
11. Vanaprasthi Vaishyas
12. Vanaprasthi Shoodras
13. Sanyasi Brahmins
14. Sanyasi Kshatriyas
15. Sanyasi Vaishyas
16. Sanyasi Shoodras

LEARN MORE

• itihas

REFERENCE

Prema Rasa Siddhanta - Philosophy of Divine Love, Ch. 8