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id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><i>Vānaprastha</i></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 18 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-18" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">18 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A5" title="বানপ্রস্থ – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="বানপ্রস্থ" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanaprastha" title="Vanaprastha – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Vanaprastha" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C4%81naprastha" title="Vānaprastha – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Vānaprastha" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE" title="वानप्रस्थाश्रम – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="वानप्रस्थाश्रम" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanaprastha" title="Vanaprastha – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Vanaprastha" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kn mw-list-item"><a href="https://kn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B2%B5%E0%B2%BE%E0%B2%A8%E0%B2%AA%E0%B3%8D%E0%B2%B0%E0%B2%B8%E0%B3%8D%E0%B2%A5" title="ವಾನಪ್ರಸ್ಥ – Kannada" lang="kn" hreflang="kn" data-title="ವಾನಪ್ರಸ್ಥ" data-language-autonym="ಕನ್ನಡ" data-language-local-name="Kannada" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ಕನ್ನಡ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanaprastha" title="Vanaprastha – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Vanaprastha" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ml mw-list-item"><a href="https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%B5%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%A8%E0%B4%AA%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%B0%E0%B4%B8%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%A5%E0%B4%82" title="വാനപ്രസ്ഥം – Malayalam" lang="ml" hreflang="ml" data-title="വാനപ്രസ്ഥം" data-language-autonym="മലയാളം" data-language-local-name="Malayalam" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>മലയാളം</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mr mw-list-item"><a href="https://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE" title="वानप्रस्थाश्रम – Marathi" lang="mr" hreflang="mr" data-title="वानप्रस्थाश्रम" data-language-autonym="मराठी" data-language-local-name="Marathi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>मराठी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ne mw-list-item"><a href="https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5" title="वानप्रस्थ – Nepali" lang="ne" hreflang="ne" data-title="वानप्रस्थ" data-language-autonym="नेपाली" data-language-local-name="Nepali" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>नेपाली</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanaprastxa" title="Vanaprastxa – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Vanaprastxa" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanaprastha" title="Wanaprastha – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Wanaprastha" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%85%D0%B0" title="Ванапрастха – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Ванапрастха" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sa mw-list-item"><a href="https://sa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%83" title="वानप्रस्थाश्रमः – Sanskrit" lang="sa" hreflang="sa" data-title="वानप्रस्थाश्रमः" data-language-autonym="संस्कृतम्" data-language-local-name="Sanskrit" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>संस्कृतम्</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%B8%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D" title="வானப்பிரஸ்தம் – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="வானப்பிரஸ்தம்" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-te mw-list-item"><a href="https://te.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B0%B5%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%A8%E0%B0%AA%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B0%E0%B0%B8%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%A5%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%B6%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B0%E0%B0%AE%E0%B0%82" title="వానప్రస్థాశ్రమం – Telugu" lang="te" hreflang="te" data-title="వానప్రస్థాశ్రమం" data-language-autonym="తెలుగు" data-language-local-name="Telugu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>తెలుగు</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%96%E0%B9%8C" 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ashramas</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:V%C4%81naprastha,_a_painting_by_Niharranjan_Sen_Gupta.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/V%C4%81naprastha%2C_a_painting_by_Niharranjan_Sen_Gupta.jpg/220px-V%C4%81naprastha%2C_a_painting_by_Niharranjan_Sen_Gupta.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="143" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/V%C4%81naprastha%2C_a_painting_by_Niharranjan_Sen_Gupta.jpg/330px-V%C4%81naprastha%2C_a_painting_by_Niharranjan_Sen_Gupta.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/V%C4%81naprastha%2C_a_painting_by_Niharranjan_Sen_Gupta.jpg/440px-V%C4%81naprastha%2C_a_painting_by_Niharranjan_Sen_Gupta.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2292" data-file-height="1487" /></a><figcaption>Vānaprastha, a painting by Niharranjan Sen Gupta</figcaption></figure> <p><i><b>Vānaprastha</b></i> (<a href="/wiki/Sanskrit_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Sanskrit language">Sanskrit</a>: <span lang="sa">वानप्रस्थ</span>) literally meaning 'way of the forest' or 'forest road', is the third stage in the 'Chaturasrama'<sup id="cite_ref-sgc_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sgc-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> system of Hinduism. It represents the third of the four <i>ashramas</i> (stages) of human life, the other three being <a href="/wiki/Brahmacharya" title="Brahmacharya">Brahmacharya</a> (bachelor student, 1st stage), <a href="/wiki/Grihastha" class="mw-redirect" title="Grihastha">Grihastha</a> (married householder, 2nd stage) and <a href="/wiki/Sannyasa" title="Sannyasa">Sannyasa</a> (renunciation ascetic, 4th stage).<sup id="cite_ref-rks_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rks-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><i>Vānaprastha</i> is part of the <a href="/wiki/Ashrama_(stage)" class="mw-redirect" title="Ashrama (stage)">Vedic ashrama system</a>, which starts when a person hands over household responsibilities to the next generation, takes an advisory role, and gradually withdraws from the world.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-alnu_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-alnu-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This stage typically follows <i>Grihastha</i> (householder), but a man or woman may choose to skip householder stage, and enter <i>Vānaprastha</i> directly after Brahmacharya (student) stage, as a prelude to Sannyasa (ascetic) and spiritual pursuits.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Vānaprastha stage is considered as a transition phase from a householder's life with greater emphasis on <a href="/wiki/Artha" title="Artha">Artha</a> and <a href="/wiki/Kama" title="Kama">Kama</a> (pursuits related to wealth and pleasures) to one with greater emphasis on <a href="/wiki/Moksha" 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title="Itihasa-Purana">Itihasa-Purana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Epic-Puranic_royal_genealogies" title="Epic-Puranic royal genealogies">Epic-Puranic royal genealogies</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Epic-Puranic_chronology" title="Epic-Puranic chronology">Epic-Puranic chronology</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/Sampradaya" title="Sampradaya">Sampradaya (Traditions)</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9"> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Major Sampradaya (Traditions)</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Vaishnavism" title="Vaishnavism">Vaishnavism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pancharatra" title="Pancharatra">Pancharatra</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shaivism" title="Shaivism">Shaivism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Kapalika" title="Kapalika">Kapalika</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pashupata_Shaivism" title="Pashupata Shaivism">Pashupata</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pratyabhijna" title="Pratyabhijna">Pratyabhijña</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shaktism" title="Shaktism">Shaktism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Smarta_tradition" title="Smarta tradition">Smartism</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><i><a href="/wiki/Hindu_denominations" title="Hindu denominations">Other Sampradaya (Traditions)</a></i></div></dt></dl></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid 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title="Rigvedic deities">Other Vedic Deities</a></li></ul> <dl><dd><i>Post-Vedic:</i></dd></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Avatar" title="Avatar">Avatar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dashavatara" title="Dashavatara">Dashavatara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Durga" title="Durga">Durga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Navadurga" title="Navadurga">Navadurga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mahavidya" title="Mahavidya">Mahavidya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kartikeya" title="Kartikeya">Kartikeya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ganesha" title="Ganesha">Ganesha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hanuman" title="Hanuman">Hanuman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Radha" title="Radha">Radha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shakti" title="Shakti">Shakti</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sita" title="Sita">Sita</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Devata" title="Devata">Devatas</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Vishvakarma" title="Vishvakarma">Vishvakarma</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kubera" title="Kubera">Kubera</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/Hindu_philosophy" title="Hindu philosophy">Concepts</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9"> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Worldview</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_cosmology" title="Hindu cosmology">Cosmology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_mythology" title="Hindu mythology">Mythology</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Ontology</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Tattva" title="Tattva">Tattvas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tanmatras" title="Tanmatras">Subtle elements</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Panchikarana" title="Panchikarana">Panchikarana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pancha_Bhuta" title="Pancha Bhuta">Gross elements</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gu%E1%B9%87a" title="Guṇa">Guṇas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Purusha" title="Purusha">Purusha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prak%E1%B9%9Bti" title="Prakṛti">Prakṛti</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Para_Brahman" title="Para Brahman">Supreme reality</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Brahman" title="Brahman">Brahman</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Nirguna_brahman" class="mw-redirect" title="Nirguna brahman">Nirguna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saguna_brahman" title="Saguna brahman">Saguna</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Om" title="Om">Om</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saccid%C4%81nanda" title="Saccidānanda">Saccidānanda</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">God</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ishvara" title="Ishvara">Ishvara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deva_(Hinduism)" title="Deva (Hinduism)">Devas</a> / <a href="/wiki/Devi" title="Devi">Devi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Devata" title="Devata">Devatas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/God_in_Hinduism" title="God in Hinduism">God in Hinduism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/God_and_gender_in_Hinduism" title="God and gender in Hinduism">God and gender</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Puru%E1%B9%A3%C4%81rtha" title="Puruṣārtha">Puruṣārtha (Meaning of life)</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dharma" title="Dharma">Dharma</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Artha" title="Artha">Artha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kama" title="Kama">Kama</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Moksha" title="Moksha">Moksha</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/%C4%80%C5%9Brama_(stage)" title="Āśrama (stage)">Āśrama (Stages of life)</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Brahmacharya" title="Brahmacharya">Brahmacharya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/G%E1%B9%9Bhastha" title="Gṛhastha">Gṛhastha</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Vānaprastha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sannyasa" title="Sannyasa">Sannyasa</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Three_Yogas" title="Three Yogas">Three paths to liberation</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bhakti_yoga" title="Bhakti yoga">Bhakti yoga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jnana_yoga" title="Jnana yoga">Jnana yoga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Karma_yoga" title="Karma yoga">Karma yoga</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Moksha" title="Moksha">Liberation</a></div></dt></dl> <dl><dd><i>Mokṣa-related topics:</i></dd></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Paramatman" title="Paramatman">Paramātman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maya_(religion)" title="Maya (religion)">Maya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Karma" title="Karma">Karma</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra" title="Saṃsāra">Saṃsāra</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Mind</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/%C4%80tman_(Hinduism)" title="Ātman (Hinduism)">Ātman (self)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/An%C4%81tman_(Hinduism)" title="Anātman (Hinduism)">Anātman (non-self)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Three_bodies_doctrine" title="Three bodies doctrine">Sūkṣma śarīra (subtle body)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Antahkarana" title="Antahkarana">Antaḥkaraṇa (mental organs)</a><br /></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Praj%C3%B1%C4%81_(Hinduism)" title="Prajñā (Hinduism)">Prajña (wisdom)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C4%80nanda_(Hindu_philosophy)" title="Ānanda (Hindu philosophy)">Ānanda (happiness)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Viveka" title="Viveka">Viveka (discernment)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vairagya" title="Vairagya">Vairagya (dispassion)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Samatva" title="Samatva">Sama (equanimity)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Temperance_(virtue)#Hinduism" title="Temperance (virtue)">Dama (temperance)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Uparati" title="Uparati">Uparati (self-settledness)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Titiksha" title="Titiksha">Titiksha (forbearance)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Faith_in_Hinduism" title="Faith in Hinduism">Shraddha (faith)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sam%C4%81dh%C4%81na" title="Samādhāna">Samadhana (concentration)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Arishadvargas" title="Arishadvargas">Arishadvargas (six enemies)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ahamkara" title="Ahamkara">Ahamkara (attachment)</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Ethics</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ethics_in_religion#Hindu_ethics" title="Ethics in religion">Niti śastra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yamas" title="Yamas">Yamas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Niyama" title="Niyama">Niyama</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ahimsa" title="Ahimsa">Ahimsa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Achourya" title="Achourya">Achourya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Non-possession" title="Non-possession">Aparigraha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Brahmacharya" title="Brahmacharya">Brahmacharya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Satya" title="Satya">Satya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Temperance_(virtue)#Hinduism" title="Temperance (virtue)">Damah</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Compassion#Hinduism" title="Compassion">Dayā</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Akrodha" title="Akrodha">Akrodha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Arjava" title="Arjava">Arjava</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Santosha" title="Santosha">Santosha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tapas_(Indian_religions)" title="Tapas (Indian religions)">Tapas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sv%C4%81dhy%C4%81ya" title="Svādhyāya">Svādhyāya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shaucha" title="Shaucha">Shaucha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mitahara" title="Mitahara">Mitahara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/D%C4%81na" title="Dāna">Dāna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C5%9A%C4%81stra_pram%C4%81%E1%B9%87am_in_Hinduism" class="mw-redirect" title="Śāstra pramāṇam in Hinduism">Sources of dharma</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Pramana" title="Pramana">Epistemology</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pratyaksha" title="Pratyaksha">Pratyakṣa (perception)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pramana#Anumāṇa" title="Pramana">Anumāṇa (inference)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Upam%C4%81%E1%B9%87a" title="Upamāṇa">Upamāṇa (comparison, analogy)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pramana#Arthāpatti" title="Pramana">Arthāpatti (postulation, presumption)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pramana#Anupalabdi" title="Pramana">Anupalabdi (non-perception, negation)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shabda" title="Shabda">Śabda (word, testimony)</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)">Practices</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9"> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Worship_in_Hinduism" title="Worship in Hinduism">Worship</a>, sacrifice, and charity</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Puja_(Hinduism)" title="Puja (Hinduism)">Puja</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Arti_(Hinduism)" title="Arti (Hinduism)">Ārtī</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prayer_in_Hinduism" title="Prayer in Hinduism">Prarthana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C5%9Arauta" title="Śrauta">Śrauta</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_temple" title="Hindu temple">Temple</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Murti" title="Murti">Murti</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bhakti" title="Bhakti">Bhakti</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Japa" title="Japa">Japa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bhajan" title="Bhajan">Bhajana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kirtan" title="Kirtan">Kīrtana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yajna" title="Yajna">Yajna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Homa_(ritual)" title="Homa (ritual)">Homa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tarpana" title="Tarpana">Tarpana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vrata" title="Vrata">Vrata</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pr%C4%81ya%C5%9Bcitta" title="Prāyaścitta">Prāyaścitta</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tirtha_(Hinduism)" title="Tirtha (Hinduism)">Tirtha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yatra" title="Yatra">Yatra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_pilgrimage_sites_in_India" title="Hindu pilgrimage sites in India">Tirthadana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Matha" title="Matha">Matha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indian_classical_dance" title="Indian classical dance">Nritta-Nritya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/D%C4%81na" title="Dāna">Dāna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sev%C4%81" title="Sevā">Sevā</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yoga" title="Yoga">Yoga</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Meditation</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Tapas_(Indian_religions)" title="Tapas (Indian religions)">Tapas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dhyana_in_Hinduism" title="Dhyana in Hinduism">Dhyana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sam%C4%81dh%C4%81na" title="Samādhāna">Samādhāna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nididhy%C4%81sana" title="Nididhyāsana">Nididhyāsana</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Yoga" title="Yoga">Yoga</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sadhu" title="Sadhu">Sadhu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yogi" title="Yogi">Yogi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yogini" title="Yogini">Yogini</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Asana" title="Asana">Asana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/S%C4%81dhan%C4%81" title="Sādhanā">Sādhanā</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hatha_yoga" title="Hatha yoga">Hatha yoga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jnana_yoga" title="Jnana yoga">Jnana yoga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bhakti_yoga" title="Bhakti yoga">Bhakti yoga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Karma_yoga" title="Karma yoga">Karma yoga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/R%C4%81ja_yoga" title="Rāja yoga">Rāja yoga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kundalini_yoga" title="Kundalini yoga">Kundalini yoga</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Hindu_art" title="Hindu art">Arts</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bharatanatyam" title="Bharatanatyam">Bharatanatyam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kathak" title="Kathak">Kathak</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kathakali" title="Kathakali">Kathakali</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kuchipudi" title="Kuchipudi">Kuchipudi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Manipuri_dance" title="Manipuri dance">Manipuri</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mohiniyattam" title="Mohiniyattam">Mohiniyattam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Odissi" title="Odissi">Odissi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sattriya" title="Sattriya">Sattriya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bhagavata_Mela" title="Bhagavata Mela">Bhagavata Mela</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yakshagana" title="Yakshagana">Yakshagana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dandiya_Raas" title="Dandiya Raas">Dandiya Raas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carnatic_music" title="Carnatic music">Carnatic music</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pandav_Lila" title="Pandav Lila">Pandav Lila</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kalaripayattu" title="Kalaripayattu">Kalaripayattu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Silambam" title="Silambam">Silambam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Adimurai" title="Adimurai">Adimurai</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Samskara_(rite_of_passage)" title="Samskara (rite of passage)">Rites of passage</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Garbhadhana" title="Garbhadhana">Garbhadhana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pumsavana" title="Pumsavana">Pumsavana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pumsavana_Simantonayana" title="Pumsavana Simantonayana">Pumsavana Simantonayana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Simantonnayana" title="Simantonnayana">Simantonnayana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jatakarma" title="Jatakarma">Jatakarma</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/N%C4%81makara%E1%B9%87a" title="Nāmakaraṇa">Nāmakaraṇa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nishkramana" title="Nishkramana">Nishkramana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Annaprashana" title="Annaprashana">Annaprashana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chudakarana" title="Chudakarana">Chudakarana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Karnavedha" title="Karnavedha">Karnavedha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vidy%C4%81ra%E1%B9%83bha%E1%B9%83" title="Vidyāraṃbhaṃ">Vidyāraṃbhaṃ</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Upanayana" title="Upanayana">Upanayana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Keshanta" title="Keshanta">Keshanta</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ritu_Kala_Samskaram" title="Ritu Kala Samskaram">Ritushuddhi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Samavartanam" title="Samavartanam">Samavartanam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_wedding" title="Hindu wedding">Vivaha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Antyesti" title="Antyesti">Antyesti</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/List_of_Hindu_festivals" title="List of Hindu festivals">Festivals</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Diwali" title="Diwali">Diwali</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Holi" title="Holi">Holi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maha_Shivaratri" title="Maha Shivaratri">Maha Shivaratri</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Navaratri" title="Navaratri">Navaratri</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Durga_Puja" title="Durga Puja">Durga Puja</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ramlila" title="Ramlila">Ramlila</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vijayadashami" title="Vijayadashami">Vijayadashami-Dussehra</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Raksha_Bandhan" title="Raksha Bandhan">Raksha Bandhan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ganesh_Chaturthi" title="Ganesh Chaturthi">Ganesh Chaturthi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vasant_Panchami" title="Vasant Panchami">Vasant Panchami</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rama_Navami" title="Rama Navami">Rama Navami</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Krishna_Janmashtami" title="Krishna Janmashtami">Janmashtami</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Onam" title="Onam">Onam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Makar_Sankranti" title="Makar Sankranti">Makar Sankranti</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kumbh_Mela" title="Kumbh Mela">Kumbh Mela</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pongal_(festival)" title="Pongal (festival)">Pongal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ugadi" title="Ugadi">Ugadi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vaisakhi" title="Vaisakhi">Vaisakhi</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bihu" title="Bihu">Bihu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Puthandu" title="Puthandu">Puthandu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vishu" title="Vishu">Vishu</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ratha_Yatra_(Puri)" title="Ratha Yatra (Puri)">Ratha Yatra</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/Hindu_philosophy" title="Hindu philosophy">Philosophical schools</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9"> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Astika" class="mw-redirect" title="Astika">Six Astika schools</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Samkhya" title="Samkhya">Samkhya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yoga_(philosophy)" title="Yoga (philosophy)">Yoga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nyaya" title="Nyaya">Nyaya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vaisheshika" title="Vaisheshika">Vaisheshika</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/M%C4%ABm%C4%81%E1%B9%83s%C4%81" title="Mīmāṃsā">Mīmāṃsā</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vedanta" title="Vedanta">Vedanta</a> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta" title="Advaita Vedanta">Advaita</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Dvaita_Vedanta" title="Dvaita Vedanta">Dvaita</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Vishishtadvaita" title="Vishishtadvaita">Vishishtadvaita</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Achintya_Bheda_Abheda" title="Achintya Bheda Abheda">Achintya Bheda Abheda</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Shuddhadvaita" title="Shuddhadvaita">Shuddhadvaita</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Svabhavika_Bhedabheda" title="Svabhavika Bhedabheda">Svabhavika Bhedabheda</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Akshar_Purushottam_Darshan" title="Akshar Purushottam Darshan">Akshar Purushottam Darshan</a></i></li></ul></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Other schools</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/%C4%80j%C4%ABvika" title="Ājīvika">Ājīvika</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jainism" title="Jainism">Jainism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Charvaka" title="Charvaka">Charvaka</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/List_of_Hindu_gurus_and_sants" title="List of Hindu gurus and sants">Gurus, Rishi, Philosophers</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9"> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Ancient_India" class="mw-redirect" title="Ancient India">Ancient</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Saptarshi" title="Saptarshi">Saptarshi</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Vashistha" class="mw-redirect" title="Vashistha">Vashistha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kashyapa" title="Kashyapa">Kashyapa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Atri" title="Atri">Atri</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jamadagni" title="Jamadagni">Jamadagni</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nyaya_Sutras" class="mw-redirect" title="Nyaya Sutras">Gotama</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vishvamitra" title="Vishvamitra">Vishvamitra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bharadwaja" class="mw-redirect" title="Bharadwaja">Bharadwaja</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Agastya" title="Agastya">Agastya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Angiras" title="Angiras">Angiras</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aruni" class="mw-redirect" title="Aruni">Aruni</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ashtavakra" title="Ashtavakra">Ashtavakra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jaimini" title="Jaimini">Jaimini</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kanada_(philosopher)" class="mw-redirect" title="Kanada (philosopher)">Kanada</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kapila" title="Kapila">Kapila</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Patanjali" title="Patanjali">Patanjali</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/P%C4%81%E1%B9%87ini" title="Pāṇini">Pāṇini</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prashastapada" title="Prashastapada">Prashastapada</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Raikva" title="Raikva">Raikva</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Satyakama_Jabala" class="mw-redirect" title="Satyakama Jabala">Satyakama Jabala</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Valmiki" title="Valmiki">Valmiki</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vyasa" title="Vyasa">Vyasa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yajnavalkya" title="Yajnavalkya">Yajnavalkya</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Medieval_India" title="Medieval India">Medieval</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abhinavagupta" title="Abhinavagupta">Abhinavagupta</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Adi_Shankara" title="Adi Shankara">Adi Shankara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Akka_Mahadevi" title="Akka Mahadevi">Akka Mahadevi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Allama_Prabhu" title="Allama Prabhu">Allama Prabhu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alvars" title="Alvars">Alvars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Basava" title="Basava">Basava</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chaitanya_Mahaprabhu" title="Chaitanya Mahaprabhu">Chaitanya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ramdas_Kathiababa" title="Ramdas Kathiababa">Ramdas Kathiababa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chakradhar_Swami" title="Chakradhar Swami">Chakradhara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Changdev" class="mw-redirect" title="Changdev">Chāngadeva</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dadu_Dayal" title="Dadu Dayal">Dadu Dayal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eknath" title="Eknath">Eknath</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gangesha_Upadhyaya" class="mw-redirect" title="Gangesha Upadhyaya">Gangesha Upadhyaya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gaudapada" title="Gaudapada">Gaudapada</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gorakshanath" class="mw-redirect" title="Gorakshanath">Gorakshanatha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Haridasa_Thakur" title="Haridasa Thakur">Haridasa Thakur</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hith_Harivansh_Mahaprabhu" title="Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu">Harivansh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jagannatha_Dasa_(Odia_poet)" title="Jagannatha Dasa (Odia poet)">Jagannatha Dasa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jayanta_Bhatta" title="Jayanta Bhatta">Jayanta Bhatta</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jayatirtha" title="Jayatirtha">Jayatīrtha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jiva_Goswami" title="Jiva Goswami">Jiva Goswami</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/J%C3%B1%C4%81ne%C5%9Bvar" class="mw-redirect" title="Jñāneśvar">Jñāneśvar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kabir" title="Kabir">Kabir</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kanaka_Dasa" title="Kanaka Dasa">Kanaka Dasa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kum%C4%81rila_Bha%E1%B9%AD%E1%B9%ADa" title="Kumārila Bhaṭṭa">Kumārila Bhaṭṭa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Madhus%C5%ABdana_Sarasvat%C4%AB" title="Madhusūdana Sarasvatī">Madhusūdana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Madhvacharya" title="Madhvacharya">Madhva</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Matsyendranath" class="mw-redirect" title="Matsyendranath">Matsyendranatha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Morya_Gosavi" title="Morya Gosavi">Morya Gosavi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mukundraj" title="Mukundraj">Mukundarāja</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Namdev" title="Namdev">Namadeva</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Narahari_Tirtha" title="Narahari Tirtha">Narahari Tirtha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Narasimha_Saraswati" title="Narasimha Saraswati">Narasimha Saraswati</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nayanars" title="Nayanars">Nayanars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nimbarkacharya" title="Nimbarkacharya">Nimbarkacharya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Srinivasacharya" title="Srinivasacharya">Srinivasacharya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prabh%C4%81kara" title="Prabhākara">Prabhākara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Purandara_Dasa" title="Purandara Dasa">Purandara Dasa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Raghavendra_Swami" class="mw-redirect" title="Raghavendra Swami">Raghavendra Swami</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Raghunatha_Siromani" title="Raghunatha Siromani">Raghunatha Siromani</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Raghuttama_Tirtha" title="Raghuttama Tirtha">Raghuttama Tirtha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ram_Charan_(guru)" title="Ram Charan (guru)">Ram Charan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ramananda" title="Ramananda">Ramananda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ramanuja" title="Ramanuja">Ramanuja</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ramprasad_Sen" title="Ramprasad Sen">Ramprasad Sen</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ravidas" title="Ravidas">Ravidas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rupa_Goswami" title="Rupa Goswami">Rupa Goswami</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Samarth_Ramdas" title="Samarth Ramdas">Samarth Ramdas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sankardev" title="Sankardev">Sankardev</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Satyanatha_Tirtha" title="Satyanatha Tirtha">Satyanatha Tirtha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siddheshwar" title="Siddheshwar">Siddheshwar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sripada_Srivallabha" class="mw-redirect" title="Sripada Srivallabha">Sripada Srivallabha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sripadaraja" title="Sripadaraja">Sripadaraja</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Surdas" title="Surdas">Surdas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swaminarayan" title="Swaminarayan">Swaminarayan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Syama_Sastri" title="Syama Sastri">Śyāma Śastri</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tukaram" title="Tukaram">Tukaram</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tulsidas" title="Tulsidas">Tulsidas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tyagaraja" title="Tyagaraja">Tyagaraja</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/V%C4%81caspati_Mi%C5%9Bra" class="mw-redirect" title="Vācaspati Miśra">Vācaspati Miśra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vadiraja_Tirtha" title="Vadiraja Tirtha">Vadiraja Tirtha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vallabha" title="Vallabha">Vallabha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thiruvalluvar" title="Thiruvalluvar">Valluvar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vedanta_Desika" title="Vedanta Desika">Vedanta Desika</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vidyaranya" title="Vidyaranya">Vidyaranya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vyasaraja" class="mw-redirect" title="Vyasaraja">Vyasaraja</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Modern</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sri_Aurobindo" title="Sri Aurobindo">Aurobindo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bhaktisiddhanta_Sarasvati" title="Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati">Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bhaktivinoda_Thakur" title="Bhaktivinoda Thakur">Bhaktivinoda Thakur</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chandrashekarendra_Saraswati" class="mw-redirect" title="Chandrashekarendra Saraswati">Chandrashekarendra Saraswati</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinmayananda" class="mw-redirect" title="Chinmayananda">Chinmayananda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dayananda_Saraswati" title="Dayananda Saraswati">Dayananda Saraswati</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jaggi_Vasudev" class="mw-redirect" title="Jaggi Vasudev">Jaggi Vasudev</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Krishnananda_Saraswati" title="Krishnananda Saraswati">Krishnananda Saraswati</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mahavatar_Babaji" title="Mahavatar Babaji">Mahavatar Babaji</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maharishi_Mahesh_Yogi" title="Maharishi Mahesh Yogi">Mahesh Yogi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Narayana_Guru" title="Narayana Guru">Narayana Guru</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nigamananda_Paramahansa" title="Nigamananda Paramahansa">Nigamananda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nisargadatta_Maharaj" title="Nisargadatta Maharaj">Nisargadatta Maharaj</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/A._C._Bhaktivedanta_Swami_Prabhupada" title="A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada">Prabhupada</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sarvepalli_Radhakrishnan" title="Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan">Radhakrishnan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ramachandra_Dattatrya_Ranade" class="mw-redirect" title="Ramachandra Dattatrya Ranade">R. D. Ranade</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ramakrishna" title="Ramakrishna">Ramakrishna</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swami_Rama_Tirtha" class="mw-redirect" title="Swami Rama Tirtha">Rama Tirtha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ramana_Maharshi" title="Ramana Maharshi">Ramana Maharshi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ravi_Shankar_(spiritual_leader)" title="Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader)">Ravi Shankar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swami_Ramdas" title="Swami Ramdas">Ramdas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swami_Samarth" title="Swami Samarth">Samarth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sathya_Sai_Baba" title="Sathya Sai Baba">Sathya Sai Baba</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sai_Baba_of_Shirdi" title="Sai Baba of Shirdi">Shirdi Sai Baba</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swami_Shraddhanand" title="Swami Shraddhanand">Shraddhanand</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Satyadhyana_Tirtha" title="Satyadhyana Tirtha">Satyadhyana Tirtha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siddharameshwar_Maharaj" class="mw-redirect" title="Siddharameshwar Maharaj">Siddharameshwar Maharaj</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sivananda_Saraswati" title="Sivananda Saraswati">Sivananda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Trailanga" title="Trailanga">Trailanga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/U._G._Krishnamurti" title="U. G. Krishnamurti">U. G. Krishnamurti</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Upasni_Maharaj" class="mw-redirect" title="Upasni Maharaj">Upasni Maharaj</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vethathiri_Maharishi" title="Vethathiri Maharishi">Vethathiri Maharishi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda" title="Swami Vivekananda">Vivekananda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paramahansa_Yogananda" title="Paramahansa Yogananda">Yogananda</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/Hindu_texts" title="Hindu texts">Texts</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9"> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/%C5%9A%C4%81stra_pram%C4%81%E1%B9%87am_in_Hinduism" class="mw-redirect" title="Śāstra pramāṇam in Hinduism">Sources and classification of scripture</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/%C5%9Aruti" title="Śruti">Śruti</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sm%E1%B9%9Bti" title="Smṛti">Smṛti</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C4%80c%C4%81ra" title="Ācāra">Ācāra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Atmatusti" title="Atmatusti">Ātmatuṣṭi</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Hindu_texts" title="Hindu texts">Scriptures</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_Hindu_texts" title="Timeline of Hindu texts">Timeline of Hindu texts</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Vedas" title="Vedas">Vedas</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Rigveda" title="Rigveda">Rigveda</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Yajurveda" title="Yajurveda">Yajurveda</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Samaveda" title="Samaveda">Samaveda</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Atharvaveda" title="Atharvaveda">Atharvaveda</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dd><i>Divisions</i></dd></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Samhitapatha" class="mw-redirect" title="Samhitapatha">Samhita</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Brahmana" title="Brahmana">Brahmana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aranyaka" title="Aranyaka">Aranyaka</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Upanishads" title="Upanishads">Upanishads</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Upanishads" title="Upanishads">Upanishads</a></div></dt></dl> <dl><dd><i>Rigveda:</i></dd></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Aitareya_Upanishad" title="Aitareya Upanishad">Aitareya</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Kaushitaki_Upanishad" title="Kaushitaki Upanishad">Kaushitaki</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dd><i>Yajurveda:</i></dd></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Brihadaranyaka_Upanishad" title="Brihadaranyaka Upanishad">Brihadaranyaka</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Isha_Upanishad" title="Isha Upanishad">Isha</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Taittiriya_Upanishad" title="Taittiriya Upanishad">Taittiriya</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Katha_Upanishad" title="Katha Upanishad">Katha</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Shvetashvatara_Upanishad" title="Shvetashvatara Upanishad">Shvetashvatara</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Maitrayaniya_Upanishad" title="Maitrayaniya Upanishad">Maitri</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dd><i>Samaveda:</i></dd></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Chandogya_Upanishad" title="Chandogya Upanishad">Chandogya</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Kena_Upanishad" title="Kena Upanishad">Kena</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dd><i>Atharvaveda:</i></dd></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Mundaka_Upanishad" title="Mundaka Upanishad">Mundaka</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Mandukya_Upanishad" title="Mandukya Upanishad">Mandukya</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Prashna_Upanishad" title="Prashna Upanishad">Prashna</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Vedangas" class="mw-redirect" title="Vedangas">Vedangas</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shiksha" title="Shiksha">Shiksha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vedic_metre" title="Vedic metre">Chandas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vy%C4%81kara%E1%B9%87a" title="Vyākaraṇa">Vyākaraṇa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nirukta" title="Nirukta">Nirukta</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kalpa_(Vedanga)" title="Kalpa (Vedanga)">Kalpa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jyotisha" class="mw-redirect" title="Jyotisha">Jyotisha</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/List_of_Hindu_scriptures" class="mw-redirect" title="List of Hindu scriptures">Other scriptures</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita" title="Bhagavad Gita">Bhagavad Gita</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Agama_(Hinduism)" title="Agama (Hinduism)"><i>Agama</i>s (Hinduism)</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Itihasa-Purana" title="Itihasa-Purana">Itihasas</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Ramayana" title="Ramayana">Ramayana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Mahabharata" title="Mahabharata">Mahabharata</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Puranas" title="Puranas">Puranas</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Vishnu_Purana" title="Vishnu Purana">Vishnu Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Bhagavata_Purana" title="Bhagavata Purana">Bhagavata Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Devi_Bhagavata_Purana" title="Devi Bhagavata Purana">Devi Bhagavata Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Naradiya_Purana" title="Naradiya Purana">Naradiya Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Vamana_Purana" title="Vamana Purana">Vāmana Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Matsya_Purana" title="Matsya Purana">Matsya Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Garuda_Purana" title="Garuda Purana">Garuda Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Brahma_Purana" title="Brahma Purana">Brahma Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Brahmanda_Purana" title="Brahmanda Purana">Brahmanda Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Brahma_Vaivarta_Purana" title="Brahma Vaivarta Purana">Brahma Vaivarta Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Bhavishya_Purana" title="Bhavishya Purana">Bhavishya Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Padma_Purana" title="Padma Purana">Padma Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Agni_Purana" title="Agni Purana">Agni Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Shiva_Purana" title="Shiva Purana">Shiva Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Linga_Purana" title="Linga Purana">Linga Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Kurma_Purana" title="Kurma Purana">Kūrma Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Skanda_Purana" title="Skanda Purana">Skanda Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Varaha_Purana" title="Varaha Purana">Varaha Purana</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Markandeya_Purana" title="Markandeya Purana">Markandeya Purana</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Vedas#Upaveda" title="Vedas">Upavedas</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Ayurveda" title="Ayurveda">Ayurveda</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Dhanurveda" title="Dhanurveda">Dhanurveda</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Gandharvaveda" class="mw-redirect" title="Gandharvaveda">Gandharvaveda</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Sthapatyaveda" class="mw-redirect" title="Sthapatyaveda">Sthapatyaveda</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Shastra" title="Shastra">Shastras</a>, <a href="/wiki/Sutra" title="Sutra">sutras</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Samhita" title="Samhita">samhitas</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Dharma%C5%9B%C4%81stra" title="Dharmaśāstra">Dharma Shastra</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Arthashastra" title="Arthashastra">Artha Śastra</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Shilpa_Shastras" title="Shilpa Shastras">Shilpa Shastras</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Kama_Sutra" title="Kama Sutra">Kama Sutra</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Brahma_Sutras" title="Brahma Sutras">Brahma Sutras</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Samkhya_Pravachana_Sutra" title="Samkhya Pravachana Sutra">Samkhya Sutras</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Purva_Mimamsa_Sutras" title="Purva Mimamsa Sutras">Mimamsa Sutras</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Ny%C4%81ya_S%C5%ABtras" title="Nyāya Sūtras">Nyāya Sūtras</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Vai%C5%9Be%E1%B9%A3ika_S%C5%ABtra" title="Vaiśeṣika Sūtra">Vaiśeṣika Sūtra</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali" title="Yoga Sutras of Patanjali">Yoga Sutras</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Pramana" title="Pramana">Pramana Sutras</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Charaka_Samhita" title="Charaka Samhita">Charaka Samhita</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Sushruta_Samhita" title="Sushruta Samhita">Sushruta Samhita</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Natya_Shastra" title="Natya Shastra">Natya Shastra</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Panchatantra" title="Panchatantra">Panchatantra</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Naalayira_Divya_Prabandham" title="Naalayira Divya Prabandham">Naalayira Divya Prabandham</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Tirumurai" title="Tirumurai">Tirumurai</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Ramcharitmanas" title="Ramcharitmanas">Ramcharitmanas</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Yoga_Vasistha" title="Yoga Vasistha">Yoga Vasistha</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Shiva_Swarodaya" title="Shiva Swarodaya">Swara yoga</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Panchadasi" title="Panchadasi">Panchadasi</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Stotra" title="Stotra">Stotras</a>, <a href="/wiki/List_of_suktas_and_stutis" title="List of suktas and stutis">stutis</a> and <a href="/wiki/Bhashya" title="Bhashya">Bhashya</a> </div></dt></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Kanakadhara_Stotra" title="Kanakadhara Stotra">Kanakadhara Stotra</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Shiva_Stuti" title="Shiva Stuti">Shiva Stuti</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Vayu_Stuti" title="Vayu Stuti">Vayu Stuti</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Tamil_literature" title="Tamil literature">Tamil literature</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Tirumurai" title="Tirumurai">Tirumurai</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Naalayira_Divya_Prabandham" title="Naalayira Divya Prabandham">Naalayira Divya Prabandham</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Tirumuruk%C4%81%E1%B9%9F%E1%B9%9Fuppa%E1%B9%ADai" title="Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai">Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Tiruppukal" title="Tiruppukal">Tiruppukal</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Kural" title="Kural">Kural</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Kamba_Ramayanam" class="mw-redirect" title="Kamba Ramayanam">Kamba Ramayanam/Ramavataram</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Five_Great_Epics" title="Five Great Epics">Five Great Epics</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Eighteen_Greater_Texts" title="Eighteen Greater Texts">Eighteen Greater Texts</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Eighteen_Lesser_Texts" title="Eighteen Lesser Texts">Eighteen Lesser Texts</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Athichudi" title="Athichudi">Athichudi</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Iraiyanar_Akapporul" title="Iraiyanar Akapporul">Iraiyanar Akapporul</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Abirami_Antati" title="Abirami Antati">Abirami Antati</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Thiruvilaiyadal_Puranam" title="Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam">Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Vinayagar_Agaval" title="Vinayagar Agaval">Vinayagar Agaval</a></i></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed; border-bottom:1px dotted"><a href="/wiki/List_of_Hindu_texts" title="List of Hindu texts">Other texts</a></div></dt></dl></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)">Hindu Culture & Society</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9"> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Society</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Varna_(Hinduism)" title="Varna (Hinduism)">Varna</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Brahmin" title="Brahmin">Brahmin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kshatriya" title="Kshatriya">Kshatriya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vaishya" title="Vaishya">Vaishya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shudra" title="Shudra">Shudra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dalit" title="Dalit">Dalit</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/J%C4%81ti" title="Jāti">Jāti</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gotra" title="Gotra">Gotra</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Hindu Art</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_art" title="Hindu art">Hindu art</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_iconography" title="Hindu iconography">Hindu iconography</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shilpa_Shastras" title="Shilpa Shastras">Shilpa Shastras</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rasa_(aesthetics)" title="Rasa (aesthetics)">Rasa (aesthetics)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indian_aesthetics" title="Indian aesthetics">Indian aesthetics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yantra" title="Yantra">Yantra</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Hindu Architecture</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_architecture" title="Hindu architecture">Hindu architecture</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_temple_architecture" title="Hindu temple architecture">Hindu temple architecture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vastu_shastra" title="Vastu shastra">Vastu shastra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Talamana" title="Talamana">Talamana</a></li></ul></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Hindu Music</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_music" title="Hindu music">Hindu music</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shruti_(music)" title="Shruti (music)">Shruti (music)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Svara" title="Svara">Svara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alank%C4%81ra" title="Alankāra">Alankāra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tala_(music)" title="Tala (music)">Tala (music)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Raga" title="Raga">Raga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rasa_(aesthetics)" title="Rasa (aesthetics)">Rasa (aesthetics)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sangita" title="Sangita">Sangita</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vadya" title="Vadya">Vadya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Natya_Shastra" title="Natya Shastra">Natya Shastra</a></li></ul></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Food & Diet Customs</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ahimsa" title="Ahimsa">Ahimsa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diet_in_Hinduism" title="Diet in Hinduism">Diet in Hinduism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sattvic_diet" title="Sattvic diet">Sattvic diet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mitahara" title="Mitahara">Mitahara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jhatka" title="Jhatka">Jhatka</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vrata" title="Vrata">Vrata</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Time Keeping Practices</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_units_of_time" title="Hindu units of time">Hindu units of time</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_calendar" title="Hindu calendar">Hindu calendar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Panchangam" title="Panchangam">Panchangam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vikram_Samvat" title="Vikram Samvat">Vikram Samvat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shaka_era" title="Shaka era">Shaka era</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Hindu Pilgrimage</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_pilgrimage_sites" title="Hindu pilgrimage sites">Pilgrimage sites</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Other society-related topics:</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Anti-Hindu_sentiment" title="Anti-Hindu sentiment">Discrimination</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Persecution_of_Hindus" title="Persecution of Hindus">Persecution</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_nationalism" title="Hindu nationalism">Nationalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindutva" title="Hindutva">Hindutva</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Hindu_organisations" title="List of Hindu organisations">Organisations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindu_reform_movements" title="Hindu reform movements">Reform movements</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Hinduism" title="Portal:Hinduism">Other topics</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9"> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="/wiki/Hinduism_by_country" title="Hinduism by country">Hinduism by country</a></div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Greater_India" title="Greater India">Greater India</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Balinese_Hinduism" title="Balinese Hinduism">Balinese Hinduism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Caribbean_Shaktism" title="Caribbean Shaktism">Caribbean Shaktism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Template:Hindu_scriptures_and_texts" title="Template:Hindu scriptures and texts">Template:Hindu scriptures and texts</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Hinduism & Other Religions</div></dt></dl> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hinduism_and_Jainism" title="Hinduism and Jainism">Hinduism and Jainism</a> / <a href="/wiki/Buddhism_and_Hinduism" title="Buddhism and Hinduism">and Buddhism</a> / <a href="/wiki/Hinduism_and_Sikhism" title="Hinduism and Sikhism">and Sikhism</a> / <a href="/wiki/Hinduism_and_Judaism" title="Hinduism and Judaism">and Judaism</a> / <a href="/wiki/Hinduism_and_Christianity" class="mw-redirect" title="Hinduism and Christianity">and Christianity</a> / <a href="/wiki/Hindu%E2%80%93Islamic_relations" title="Hindu–Islamic relations">and Islam</a></li></ul> <dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; 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The first stage of life was <a href="/wiki/Brahmacharya" title="Brahmacharya">Brahmacharya</a> (bachelor student) lasting through about 25 years of life, the second stage was <a href="/wiki/Grihastha" class="mw-redirect" title="Grihastha">Grihastha</a> (married householder) and lasted through about 50 year age.<sup id="cite_ref-sgn_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sgn-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Vānaprastha represented the third stage and typically marked with birth of grandchildren, gradual transition of householder responsibilities to the next generation, increasingly hermit-like lifestyle, and greater emphasis on community services and spiritual pursuit.<sup id="cite_ref-sgn_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sgn-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-wih_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-wih-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Vānaprastha stage ultimately transitioned into <a href="/wiki/Sannyasa" title="Sannyasa">Sannyasa</a>, a stage of complete renunciation and dedication to spiritual questions. </p><p>Vānaprastha, according to <a href="/wiki/Ashrama_(stage)" class="mw-redirect" title="Ashrama (stage)">Vedic ashrama system</a>, lasted between the ages of 50 and 74.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2015)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Nugteren<sup id="cite_ref-alnu_4-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-alnu-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> states that <i>Vānaprastha</i> was, in practice, a metaphor and guideline. It encouraged gradual transition of social responsibility, economic roles, personal focus towards spirituality, from being center of the action to a more advisory peripheral role, without actually requiring someone to actually moving into a forest with or without one's partner.<sup id="cite_ref-alnu_4-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-alnu-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> While some literally gave up their property and possessions to move into distant lands, most stayed with their families and communities but assumed a transitioning role and gracefully accept an evolving role with age.<sup id="cite_ref-alnu_4-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-alnu-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Dhavamony<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> identifies Vānaprastha stage as one of "detachment and increasing seclusion" but usually serving as a counselor, peace-maker, judge, teacher to young and advisor to the middle-aged. </p><p>While <i>Grihastha</i> and <i>Vānaprastha</i> stages of life were recommended, they were not a requirement. Any <i>Brahmacharya</i> may, if he or she wants, skip householder and retirement stage, go straight to Sannyasa stage of life, thereby renouncing worldly and materialistic pursuits and dedicating their lives to spiritual pursuits.<sup id="cite_ref-wih_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-wih-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Literature">Literature</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=V%C4%81naprastha&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Literature"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <dl><dt>History</dt></dl> <p>Jamison and <a href="/wiki/Michael_Witzel" title="Michael Witzel">Witzel</a> state<sup id="cite_ref-jamwitz_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jamwitz-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> early Vedic texts make no mention of life in retirement, or <i>Vānaprastha</i>, or <i>Ashrama system</i>, unlike the concepts of <a href="/wiki/Brahmacharya" title="Brahmacharya">Brahmacharin</a> and <a href="/wiki/Grihastha" class="mw-redirect" title="Grihastha">Grihasthi</a> which can be distinguished.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The earliest mention of a related concept in <a href="/wiki/Rigveda" title="Rigveda">Rig Veda</a> is of <i>Antigriha</i> (अन्तिगृह, like a neighbor) in hymn 10.95.4, where the context and content suggests the elders did not go into forest, but continued to live as part of extended family, with outwardly role, in ancient India.<sup id="cite_ref-jamwitz_14-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jamwitz-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In later Vedic era and over time, <i>Vānaprastha</i> and other new concepts emerged, while older ideas evolved and expanded. The concept of <i>Vānaprastha</i>, and <a href="/wiki/Sannyasa" title="Sannyasa">Sannyasa</a>, emerged about or after 7th century BCE, when sages such as <a href="/wiki/Yajnavalkya" title="Yajnavalkya">Yājñavalkya</a> left their homes and roamed around as spiritual recluses and pursued their <i>Pravrajika</i> (homeless) lifestyle.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Dharma%C5%9B%C4%81stra#Principal_Root_Texts" title="Dharmaśāstra">Dharmasūtras</a> and <a href="/wiki/Dharma%C5%9B%C4%81stra#The_Dharma.C5.9B.C4.81stras" title="Dharmaśāstra">Dharmaśāstras</a>, composed about mid 1st millennium BCE and later, place increasing emphasis on all four stages of <i>Ashrama system</i>, including <i>Vānaprastha</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-bhold_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bhold-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Baudhayana" class="mw-redirect" title="Baudhayana">Baudhayana</a> Dharmasūtra, in verses 2.11.9 to 2.11.12, describes the four Ashramas including <i>Vānaprastha</i> as "a fourfold division of <a href="/wiki/Dharma" title="Dharma">Dharma</a>". The older Dharmasūtras, however, are significantly different in their treatment of <i>Ashramas</i> system from the more modern Dharmaśāstras, because they do not limit some of their Ashrama rituals to the three <i>varnas</i> – Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas.<sup id="cite_ref-bhold_17-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bhold-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The newer Dharmaśāstra vary widely in their discussion of <i>Ashrama</i> system including <i>Vānaprastha</i> in the context of classes (castes),<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> with some mentioning it for three, while others such as <i>Vaikhānasa Dharmasūtra</i> including all four.<sup id="cite_ref-paol_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-paol-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Olivelle<sup id="cite_ref-paol_19-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-paol-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> posits that the older Dharmasūtras present the <i>Ashramas</i> as four alternative ways of life and options available, but not as sequential stage that any individual must follow.<sup id="cite_ref-bhold_17-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bhold-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Olivelle also states that <i>Vānaprastha</i> along with the Ashrama system gained mainstream scholarly acceptance about 2nd century BCE.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <dl><dt>Spectrum of views</dt></dl> <p>Numerous ancient and medieval texts of India discuss the four stages of a human being. Each offers different perspective. Some are strict and literal, while others discuss the concept in contextual and metaphorical terms. For example, Manusmriti offers elaborate prescriptions for drastic kind of renunciation, describing in verse 6.21 what the retiree in the forest should eat.<sup id="cite_ref-alnu_4-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-alnu-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In contrast, the <a href="/wiki/Mahabharata" title="Mahabharata">Mahabharata</a> suggests Vānaprastha is a symbolic metaphor and declares that a king may achieve the "object of Vānaprastha" by certain actions, without retiring into the forest. For example, <a href="/wiki/Shanti_Parva" title="Shanti Parva">Shanti Parva</a> (the Book of Peace) of the Hindu Epic, states,<sup id="cite_ref-kmg_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-kmg-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p> That king, O <a href="/wiki/Yudhishthira" title="Yudhishthira">Yudhishthira</a>, who rescues from distress, to the best of his power, his kinsmen and relatives and friends, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king who on every occasion honours those that are foremost among men attains the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king, O Partha, who daily makes offerings unto all living creatures including men, attains to the object of the same mode of life. That king, who grinds the kingdoms of others for protecting the righteous, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life. That king who engages in battle with the resolve of protecting his kingdom or meeting with death, attains to the object of the Vanaprastha mode of life.</p><div class="templatequotecite">— <cite>The Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, Section LXVI <sup id="cite_ref-kmg_21-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-kmg-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></cite></div></blockquote> <p><a href="/wiki/Markandeya_Purana" title="Markandeya Purana">Markandeya Purana</a> suggests that a householder, after he has taken care of his progeny, his parents, his traditions and cleansed his mind is ready to enter the third stage of life, or Vānaprastha. He must lead a frugal life during this stage, sleeping on floor, eating only fruits and bulbs. The more he gives up the worldly delights, the closer he gets to the knowledge of his spirit, and more ready he is for the last stage – the Sannyasa asrama, where he renounces everything and focuses entirely on spiritual pursuits.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><i>Vānaprastha</i> appears in many major literary works from ancient India. For example, many chapters of the Hindu Epic <a href="/wiki/Ramayana" title="Ramayana">Ramayana</a>, just like the <a href="/wiki/Mahabharata" title="Mahabharata">Mahabharata</a>, build around hermit-style life in a forest (Vānaprastha).<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Similarly, the <a href="/wiki/Abhij%C3%B1%C4%81na%C5%9B%C4%81kuntalam" class="mw-redirect" title="Abhijñānaśākuntalam">Abhijñānaśākuntalam</a> (Shakuntala play by <a href="/wiki/K%C4%81lid%C4%81sa" class="mw-redirect" title="Kālidāsa">Kalidasa</a>) revolves around hermit lifestyle in a forest. Many of the legendary forest hermitages, mentioned in various Sanskrit works, later became sites for major temples and Hindu pilgrimage.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad identifies four characteristics of a <i>Vānaprastha</i> stage of life as <i>Audumbara</i> (threshold of house, woods), <i>Vaikhanasa</i> (anchorite), <i>Samprakshali</i> (cleansing rituals) and <i>Purnamanasa</i> (contented mind).<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Nigal<sup id="cite_ref-sgn_11-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sgn-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> states Vānaprastha stage to be a gradual evolution of a "family man" to a "society man", from one seeking "personal gain" to one seeking a "better world, welfare of his community, agapistic altruism". </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=V%C4%81naprastha&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ashrama_(stage)" class="mw-redirect" title="Ashrama (stage)">Ashrama (stage)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Brahmacharya" title="Brahmacharya">Brahmacharya</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grihastha" class="mw-redirect" title="Grihastha">Grihastha</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sannyasa" title="Sannyasa">Sannyasa</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=V%C4%81naprastha&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width reflist-columns-2"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-sgc-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-sgc_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFSanjib_K._Ghosh_Chaudhury1965" class="citation journal cs1">Sanjib K. Ghosh Chaudhury (1965). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/44140605">"Chaturasrama — A Composite Feature of Life in Pre-Buddhist India"</a>. <i>Proceedings of the Indian History Congress</i>. <b>27</b>: 130--133. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2249-1937">2249-1937</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Proceedings+of+the+Indian+History+Congress&rft.atitle=Chaturasrama+%E2%80%94+A+Composite+Feature+of+Life+in+Pre-Buddhist+India&rft.volume=27&rft.pages=130--133&rft.date=1965&rft.issn=22491937&rft.au=Sanjib+K.+Ghosh+Chaudhury&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F44140605&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AV%C4%81naprastha" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-rks-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-rks_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">RK Sharma (1999), Indian Society, Institutions and Change, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-8171566655" title="Special:BookSources/978-8171566655">978-8171566655</a>, pages 28, 38–39</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Ralph Tench and William Sun (2014), Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility: Perspectives and Practice, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1783507955" title="Special:BookSources/978-1783507955">978-1783507955</a>, page 346</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-alnu-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-alnu_4-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-alnu_4-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-alnu_4-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-alnu_4-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-alnu_4-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-alnu_4-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Albertina Nugteren (2005), Belief, Bounty, And Beauty: Rituals Around Sacred Trees in India, Brill Academic, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9004146013" title="Special:BookSources/978-9004146013">978-9004146013</a>, pages 13–21</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSahebrao_Genu_Nigal1986" class="citation book cs1">Sahebrao Genu Nigal (1986). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=mMZzmB4duPoC&q=vanaprastha&pg=PA112"><i>Axiological approach to the Vedas</i></a>. Northern Book Centre. p. 112. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/81-85119-18-X" title="Special:BookSources/81-85119-18-X"><bdi>81-85119-18-X</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Axiological+approach+to+the+Vedas&rft.pages=112&rft.pub=Northern+Book+Centre&rft.date=1986&rft.isbn=81-85119-18-X&rft.au=Sahebrao+Genu+Nigal&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DmMZzmB4duPoC%26q%3Dvanaprastha%26pg%3DPA112&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AV%C4%81naprastha" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFManilal_Bose1998" class="citation book cs1">Manilal Bose (1998). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=t_PpdZosif4C&q=vanaprastha&pg=PA68">"5. Grihastha Ashrama, Vanprastha and Sanyasa"</a>. <i>Social and cultural history of ancient India</i>. Concept Publishing Company. p. 68. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/81-7022-598-1" title="Special:BookSources/81-7022-598-1"><bdi>81-7022-598-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=5.+Grihastha+Ashrama%2C+Vanprastha+and+Sanyasa&rft.btitle=Social+and+cultural+history+of+ancient+India&rft.pages=68&rft.pub=Concept+Publishing+Company&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=81-7022-598-1&rft.au=Manilal+Bose&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3Dt_PpdZosif4C%26q%3Dvanaprastha%26pg%3DPA68&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AV%C4%81naprastha" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=vana&direction=SE&script=HK&link=yes&beginning=0">vana</a> Koeln University, Germany</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=prastha&direction=SE&script=HK&link=yes&beginning=0">prastha</a> Koeln University, Germany</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-kuger-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-kuger_9-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=vanaprastha&direction=SE&script=HK&link=yes&beginning=0">vanapastha</a> Koeln University, Germany</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Alban G. Widgery (1930), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2377977">The Principles of Hindu Ethics</a>, International Journal of Ethics, 40(2): 232–245</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-sgn-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-sgn_11-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-sgn_11-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-sgn_11-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSahebrao_Genu_Nigal1986" class="citation book cs1">Sahebrao Genu Nigal (1986). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=mMZzmB4duPoC&q=vanaprastha&pg=PA112"><i>Axiological approach to the Vedas</i></a>. Northern Book Centre. pp. 110–114. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/81-85119-18-X" title="Special:BookSources/81-85119-18-X"><bdi>81-85119-18-X</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Axiological+approach+to+the+Vedas&rft.pages=110-114&rft.pub=Northern+Book+Centre&rft.date=1986&rft.isbn=81-85119-18-X&rft.au=Sahebrao+Genu+Nigal&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DmMZzmB4duPoC%26q%3Dvanaprastha%26pg%3DPA112&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AV%C4%81naprastha" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-wih-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-wih_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-wih_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">What is Hinduism? (Editors of Hinduism Today), <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9XC9bwMMPcwC&pg=PA101">Two noble paths of Dharma</a></i>, p. 101, at <a href="/wiki/Google_Books" title="Google Books">Google Books</a>, Family Life and Monastic Life, Chapter 10 with page 101, in particular,</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Mariasusai Dhavamony (1982), Classical Hinduism, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-8876524820" title="Special:BookSources/978-8876524820">978-8876524820</a>, page 355</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-jamwitz-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-jamwitz_14-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jamwitz_14-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Jamison and Witzel (1992), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/vedica.pdf">Vedic Hinduism</a>, Harvard University Archives, page 47</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">JF Sprockhoff (1981), Aranyaka und Vanaprastha in der vedischen Literatur, Neue Erwägungen zu einer alten Legende und ihren Problemen. Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde Südasiens und Archiv für Indische Philosophie Wien, 25, pages 19–90</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">JF Sprockhoff (1976), Sannyāsa, Quellenstudien zur Askese im Hinduismus I: Untersuchungen über die Sannyåsa-Upanishads, Wiesbaden, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/644380709">644380709</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-bhold-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-bhold_17-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bhold_17-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bhold_17-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Barbara Holdrege (2004), Dharma, in The Hindu World (Editors: Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby), Routledge, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-415-21527-7" title="Special:BookSources/0-415-21527-7">0-415-21527-7</a>, page 231</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Olivelle translates them as classes over pages 25–34, e.g. see footnote 70; while other authors translate them as castes</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-paol-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-paol_19-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-paol_19-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Patrick_Olivelle" title="Patrick Olivelle">Patrick Olivelle</a> (1993), The Ashrama System: The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution, Oxford University Press, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0195344783" title="Special:BookSources/978-0195344783">978-0195344783</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Patrick Olivelle (1993), The Ashrama System: The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution, Oxford University Press, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0195344783" title="Special:BookSources/978-0195344783">978-0195344783</a>, page 94</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-kmg-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-kmg_21-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-kmg_21-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">KM Ganguli (Translator), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/stream/mahabharataofkri06royp#page/210/mode/2up">Santi Parva</a> The Mahabharata, Section LXVI, pages 211–214</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFB.K._Chaturvedi2004" class="citation book cs1">B.K. Chaturvedi (2004). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=KxuerJwnuKsC&q=vanaprastha+ashram&pg=PA55"><i>Markandeya Purana</i></a>. Diamond Pocket Books. p. 55. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/81-288-0577-0" title="Special:BookSources/81-288-0577-0"><bdi>81-288-0577-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Markandeya+Purana&rft.pages=55&rft.pub=Diamond+Pocket+Books&rft.date=2004&rft.isbn=81-288-0577-0&rft.au=B.K.+Chaturvedi&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DKxuerJwnuKsC%26q%3Dvanaprastha%2Bashram%26pg%3DPA55&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AV%C4%81naprastha" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">M Chatterjee (1986), The Concept of Dharma, in Facts and Values (Editors: Doeser and Kraay), Springer, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-94-010-8482-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-94-010-8482-6">978-94-010-8482-6</a>, pages 177–187</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">NL Dey, <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=wyErlJ0SfggC">The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval India</a></i> at <a href="/wiki/Google_Books" title="Google Books">Google Books</a>, W Newman & Co, pages 2, 7, 9, 15, 18, 20, 30, 52, etc</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">KN Aiyar (1914), Thirty Minor Upanishad, Madras, page 135, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/23013613">23013613</a></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=V%C4%81naprastha&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Walter Kaelber (2004), Āśrama, in The Hindu World (Eds: Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby), Routledge, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0415772273" title="Special:BookSources/978-0415772273">978-0415772273</a>, Chapter 17</li> <li>Patrick Olivelle (1993), The Ashrama System: The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution, Oxford University Press, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/466428084">466428084</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=V%C4%81naprastha&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output 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