A sub parva in the Mahabharata.

A sub parva in the Mahabharata.

Human beings have 4 stages in life – brahmacharya, garhasthya, vanaprastha, sanyasa. These stages are called ashrams.Vishnupurana Ansh 3 Chapter 9 describes them in some detail.

After a lad’s upanayana, he enters brahmacharya. He should stay in his guru’s house studying the vedas and controlling his desires. He should serve his guru and study the vedas religiously. He should pray to Surya and Agni at dawn and dusk and wish his guru. He should stand when his guru is standing, follow when he is walking and sit lower when his guru is seated. He should do nothing against his guru’s desire. He should recite the vedas in front of his guru with concentration and then with his permission, go out for seeking alms. He should bathe only after his guru has bathed. He should get all the materials for his guru’s rituals.

After he learns the vedas, an intelligent student would give his guru a gurudakshina and enter garhasthya. He would then marry, and earn a living as per his caste. He who pleases his ancestors with rituals, devas with yagas, sages through his devotion, prajapatis by creating successors, spirits with strength, and the whole world with love will earn moksha through his karma. He is the sole source of alms for brahmacharis and sanyasis. Brahmins travel the world to learn the vedas, visit holy places and the a grihastha is the one who should provide them shelter during these travels. He should give them food and shelter and if a guest leaves unsatisfied, he transfers the bad karma accruing from his sins to the host. Insulting a guest, being arrogant or deceitful to him, grudging an offering, scolding him are not actions worthy of a good host. But he who plays a good host will attain moksha.

When a grihastha lives his life such, and approaches old age, he would leave his wife with his children or take her with him and proceed to the forest. There he would live on fruits, herbs and roots, grow his hair and beard long, lie on the floor, and receive guests with propriety. His clothing should be simple and he should bathe thrice a day. He should pray to the gods, conduct yajnas, receive guests, beg for alms and make sacrifices whenever necessary.  He should brave the climate and meditate, upon which his sins would be burned as though by a fire and he would be sure of attaining moksha.

The fourth ashram is sanyasa. After overcoming the love for his wife, sons, wealth and his competitiveness, a man enters sanyasa. A man who has taken up sanyasa should have overcome lust, wealth and his own dharma (caste based) and behave the same towards friends and enemies and express love for all living beings. He should not harm them with word or deed. He can stay in a village only for a night and in a town for not more than five nights and he should not inconvenience others then. He should beg for alms in households and this should be after people have had their meals. The sanyasi should not feel an attachment towards anything and he should thus be afraid of nothing. Whatever he gets from alms is consumed as an offering for the agni in him and if he  religiously follows agnihotra, he attains the agnihotri’s heaven. If he follows jnanayoga, he becomes calm like an agni without wood and reaches brahmaloka.

A prince in the Vrishnivansh. he attended Draupadi’s swayamwar as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 185 verse 19.

A son born to Kashyapa and Aditi. kashyapa married Daksha’s daughter Aditi and they ahd ten sons – Brihalbhanu, Chakshuratma, Vibhavasu, Richika, Suvitha, Arka, Bhanu, Ashavaha, Ravi, Vivasvan. vivasvan’s son was Vaivaswatamanu as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 1 verse 42.

A king in Vishwakarma’s dynasty.

Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Dharma – Prabhasa – Vishwakarma – Priyavrata – Agnidhra – Nabhi – Rishabha – Aryavarta. Rishabha and Jayanti had twenty children – Bharata, Kushavarta, Ilavarta, Brahmavarta, Aryavarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprik, Vidarbha, Keekata, Kavi, Hari, Antariksha, Prabudha, Pippalayana, Avirhotra, Dramida, Chamasa, Karabhajana. Bharata (country) got its name from the first among these sons. His brothers ruled over different parts of the country.

A vayu as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 328 verse 37.

An agni as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 221 verse 5.

A place in ancient India. It is believed that Karna was born here, as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 254 verse 9.

A king in Vishwakarma’s dynasty.

Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Dharma – Prabhasa – Vishwakarma – Priyavrata – Agnidhra – Nabhi – Rishabha – Bharata – Aavarana.

Bharata married Panchajani and they had five children – Sumati, rashtrabhrit, Sudarshana, Aavarana and Dhumraketu as per Bhagavata Panchamaskanda.