Ashramadharma, Āśramadharma, Ashrama-dharma: 7 definitions

Introduction:

Ashramadharma means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

The Sanskrit term Āśramadharma can be transliterated into English as Asramadharma or Ashramadharma, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Dharmashastra (religious law)

[«previous next»] — Ashramadharma in Dharmashastra glossary
Source: Shodhganga: Facts of society in the Manusamhita

Āśramadharma (आश्रमधर्म):—The common Sanskrit terms given to these four stages of life are:

  1. Brahmacaryāśrama (studentship),
  2. Gārhasthyāśrama (householder),
  3. Vānaprasthāśrama (hermit),
  4. and Sannyāsāśrama (renouncer or wondrering ascetic).

Popularly these orders of life are known as Āśramadharma in Sanskrit literature. To regulate the duties of four castes, the Āśramadharma is prescribed. The derivative meaning of the word Āśrama is āśramyati asmin āśramaḥ—means life laid by heavy work.

According to Manu, these are—

  1. student’s life (brahmacarya),
  2. householder (gṛhastha),
  3. hermit (vānaprastha),
  4. and wondering ascetic (yati).
Source: Shodhganga: Devalasmrti reconstruction and critical study

Āśramadharma (आश्रमधर्म) refers to one of the topics dealt with in the (reconstructed) Devalasmṛti, a lost text dealing with Dharmaśāstra authored by Devala—one of the most famous personalities in the ancient Sanskrit literature renowned as a Vedic Seer and a highly celebrated sage.—The original and complete text of Devalasmṛti, is no longer existing. About 2500 prose and verse quotations, of the reconstructed text were thus collected, from numerous printed and manuscript works on Dharmaśāstra. After minute and repeated study of topics, treated in the collected quotations, they were classified even into the following twenty-two different prakaraṇas (divisions) [e.g., the varṇāśramajātidharma], of the three main adhyāyas (chapters).

Dharmashastra book cover
context information

Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

Discover the meaning of ashramadharma or asramadharma in the context of Dharmashastra from relevant books on Exotic India

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Ashramadharma in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Āśramadharma (आश्रमधर्म).—

1) the special duties of each order or life.

2) the duties of one leading a hermit's life; य इमामाश्रमधर्मे नियुङ्क्ते (ya imāmāśramadharme niyuṅkte) Ś.1.

Derivable forms: āśramadharmaḥ (आश्रमधर्मः).

Āśramadharma is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms āśrama and dharma (धर्म).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Āśramadharma (आश्रमधर्म) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—Oppert. Ii, 3109.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Āśramadharma (आश्रमधर्म):—[=ā-śrama-dharma] [from ā-śrama] m. the special duty of each period of life.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Āśramadharma (आश्रमधर्म):—[āśrama-dharma] (rmmaḥ) 1. m. Duty of the order or of the hermitage.

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Ashramadharma in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Āśramadharma (ಆಶ್ರಮಧರ್ಮ):—

1) [noun] the special duties particular to each of the four orders, stages in the religious life of a Brāhmaṇa.

2) [noun] the duties of one leading hermit’s life.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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