Grihastha Ashram
Grihastha ashram was the most important stage of human life. Some theologians have discussed the Grihastha Ashram first in the description of the ashrams to explain the importance of this ashram. According to Manu- 'Just as all the rivers and streams get absorbed in the ocean, in the same way all the ashrams get absorbed in the householder's ashram.
The ashram started with the marriage ceremony. The father or other respected members of the family used to select the eligible girl and get her married to a celibate son who returned after graduation. The marriage ceremony was performed by a qualified priest in a ceremonial manner with Vedic rituals and recitation of Vedic hymns. After this the newly married couple followed the householder religion according to the religion.
It is said in Vyasa Smriti- 'A person following the householder's religion gets the pilgrimages of Kurukshetra, Naimisharanya, Haridwar and Kedar etc. in his own house, from which all the sins of the householders are washed away.' In the Mahabharata, the Grihastha ashram has been given a dignified reputation and it is considered superior to all other ashrams.
Those who renounce their household untimely and become sannyasis have been condemned. In the householder's ashram, events are organized for the deities, ancestors and guests and the trivarga (Dharma, Artha and Kama) is attained.
Swadharma or Principal Duty of Grihastha Ashram
Living in a householder's ashram, man used to perform various duties such as his personal, social, religious, moral, economic etc. Truth, non-violence, kindness, shame, charity etc. were the noble deeds of the householder. According to Manu, he used to consume ten dharmas- Dhriti, Kshama, Dama, Asteya, Shaucha, sense-control, knowledge, learning, truth and anger-renunciation etc.
According to the Mahabharata, not having contact with a foreign woman, protecting one's wife and home, not taking any given thing, not consuming honey and not eating meat, these five types of actions were to give happiness to the householder.
By following this ashram, man earned Dharma, because there are no mother, father, son, wife and relatives to help in the afterlife. There the creature alone bears the fruits of his sins and virtues. Only the sins and virtues acquired by man go with him to the hereafter.
Therefore, in order to improve the hereafter, there should be a gradual accumulation of religion. For this reason, Karma Yoga was given priority over Gyan Yoga for the household. He was required to behave like a religious seeker.
The householder has been instructed to earn money through religious works for the maintenance of his family. It was condemnable to run one's household with the help and support of others. The householder was instructed to donate as much as possible and run his life with the remaining money. The householder was always ready for hospitality. If a householder dissatisfied or displeased a guest, then all the virtues of the householder would be eroded. It was considered inappropriate to cook food for oneself only.
It was the ultimate duty of the householder to satisfy the guest by preparing food for him. According to Manu, no guest should reside in a householder's house where the guest is not worshiped with seat, food, bed, water, fruits and flowers according to his capacity. Manu has also instructed not to serve the guests of hypocrites, selfish, anti-worker, etc. According to Kautilya, it was the Swadharma of every householder to marry according to the law, to keep in touch with his wife, to live according to his own dharma, to take food after satisfying the gods, ancestors and servants.
The householder's own sons used to go to the Gurukul to study, but giving alms to the brahmacharis who came to the householder's house for alms was included in the main duties of the householder. Otherwise the householder was guilty of sin.
Fulfillment of rituals by householder
All the rites (except Upanayana and Samavartan) from birth to death were performed in the householder's ashram itself. It was through the sacraments that the life of a person was made pure and cultured, which enabled him to develop moral, social, religious and spiritual.
Various rites such as conception, Punsavana, Seemantonnayan, Jatkarma, Naamkaran, Nishkraman, Annaprashan, Chudakarma, ear piercing, marriage, funeral etc. were performed only through the Grihastha Ashram. Therefore, the rituals were inextricably linked with the householder's ashram.
The householder had to organize all the sacraments and yagyas to get rid of the debt of the gods, the debts of the sages and the debts of the ancestors. According to Manu, a person who becomes a sannyasi without getting rid of these debts goes to hell. Manu has written that every dvija should devote his mind to salvation (sannyasa) after studying the Vedas in various ways, producing sons according to religion and performing yagyas according to power.
It has also been said in the Mahabharata that one should worship the ancestors by ritualistic rituals, the gods by yajna and the sages by self-study, and then achieve accomplishment through other ashrams. The basic idea of getting rid of these debts was that the people who benefit from the society should perform their duties towards their gods, ancestors, ancestors, sages etc.
The compassion of gods and goddesses on human beings is considered to be a debt of God. Devas used to be free from debt by studying the Vedas. By performing yagyas, the sage was freed from debt, and raising sons and raising them was the way to get rid of the debt of the father.
Panchmahayagya by householder
It was mandatory for every householder to perform different types of yagyas. Five Mahayagyas were performed to get rid of Dev debt, Rishi loan and Pitra debt. Human beings indulge in violence in various activities like burning fire, grinding, peeling, cutting, digging wells, ploughing etc., which incurs sin. For the atonement of these sins 'Brahma Yagya, Pitru Yagya, Dev Yagya, Bhuta Yagya and Nrityagya (Guest Yagya)' Named Panchmahayagyas were enacted.
The mention of these Panchamahayagyas is found in the Shatapatha Brahmana and many Puranas. Manu committed the five sins - 'Chulli, Peshani, Upaskar, Kandani and Jalkumbh' For liberation from it, five yagyas have been performed. According to Manu, studying and teaching the Vedas was Brahmayajna, performing tarpan was Pitri Yagya, performing Havan was Dev Yagya, performing Balivaishvadeva was Bhuta Yagya and providing food and hospitality to guests was Nryajna.
Brahmayagya: Through brahma yajna, man used to express his reverence to the sages and masters. It was necessary for the householder that he should be constantly ready in the study of Vedas and Shastras and never get bored with self-study. This was called Brahma Yagya. Through its daily rituals, the householder used to remember Vedadi-Shastras.
Patriyagya: Under Pitru Yagya, man used to express his gratitude towards the ancestors. For this, a ritual of Shradh was done. On the occasion of Shradh, Pind Daan, Tarpan, Baliharan, Pitru Shradh etc. were organized for the ancestors. These deeds were performed by the son only. That's why 'Pitrashradh and Pitru Yagya' It was possible to do it only in the householder's ashram.
devayagya: The ancient Aryans considered the natural forces like sun, air, water, fire, earth etc as gods. Human beings get food, water, shelter and deer etc. Therefore everyone is indebted to these deities. Dev Yagya was organized to get rid of this debt. In this yagya the gods were worshiped and their gratitude was expressed by offering sacrifices and sacrifices in the fire.
The sacrifices left in the fire ritually were received by the sun, rain from the sun, food from the rain and the subjects from the food. This yajna was not possible without a wife, so it was necessary to become a householder by getting married. 'Swaha' with the names of gods and goddesses like Indra, Agni, Prajapati, Soma, Prithvi etc. was pronounced.
Bhootyagya: Under Ghost 'All beings in creation' come. Therefore God is called 'Bhoot-Nath' and 'Bhoot-Bhawan' is called. Every living being in the world has a contribution in making this creation happy. Therefore they are indebted to man. 'Bhootayagya' to get rid of this debt The legislation was done and through this 'Sacrifice' towards all beings Arrangements were made to offer.
Bhoot yajna was also performed for the gratification of the evil and evil spirits. In this, sacrifices were not put in the fire and kept in different directions. A portion of the home cooked food was kept aside for various animals like cow, dog, crow etc. Only after that the householder himself used to eat food.
Nyagya: Nryayagya was also called Atithi Yagya. Guest-service was the religion of every householder. The guest, irrespective of caste or varna, was seen as a deity. It was believed that the guest does not eat the food of the householder, but eats his sins. Whether the guest was dear or unpleasant, his hospitality used to take the person to heaven.
The person who kept the guest in his house for one night, he attained the pleasures of the earth, if he stayed for two nights he would conquer the space worlds, if he stayed for three nights he attained the heavenly worlds and If he stayed for four nights, he would get immense joy. If the guest stayed for several nights, the householder would have attained all kinds of pleasures.
In ancient times, sannyasis or parivrajakas used to travel continuously without staying in any one place. He did not have any property of his own. His task was to give sermons to bring the people on the right path. Their material needs were met by the householders through Nryajya. It was the duty of the householder to serve any such sannyasins who came to their homes, to keep them respectfully at home and to make arrangements for their food etc.
In this way the householder used to fulfill his personal, family and social obligations through Panchyagyas.
Variety of Households
In ancient Smritis, householders have been classified in many ways. According to Yajnavalkya Smriti there are four classes of householders-
(1.) Kusool Dhanya: The householder who keeps food for twelve days for the maintenance of his family.
(2.) Kumbh Dhanya: The householder who keeps food for six days for his family.
(3.) Triad : The householder who keeps only three days' food with himself.
(4.) Ashwastnik: One who has only the food worthy of today and who does not try to store tomorrow's food.
Similarly in the Manusmriti, Kusula-Dhanya, Kumbh-Dhanya, Ashwastnik and Trihyak or Ekarika householders have been mentioned. According to Narada Smriti, a householder should be a Sadya Prakshalik (cleans the utensils after every meal) or one who stores food for one month or one who stores food for six months or one year. In Mahabharata also four types of householders have been specified-
(1.) Kusool Dhanya: Those householders who used to perform the six tasks - Yajan, Yajan, Pathana, Pathana, Dan and Pratigraha.
(2.) Kumbh Dhanya: Those householders who used to perform sacrifice, study and charity.
(3.) Ashwastan: Those householders who studied and donated a lot.
(4.) Mixed: Those householders whose interest was only in self-study.
These types of householders probably belong to the Brahmin householders, because the ideal of renunciation and non-possession was paramount for the Brahmins. Ancient sages and thinkers considered the tendency to accumulate wealth in humans to be inappropriate. According to him the food items and money earned by the householder was not only for himself or his family but for the whole society.
Thus it can be said that the duties which were prescribed for the householders in the form of swadharma under the ancient ashram system were not limited to the responsibility of subsistence of their family only, but the householders had to pay attention to the guests, ancestors, deities, animals. -The responsibility of fulfilling the stomach of all the creatures like birds, Brahmins, sages and sannyasis was put.