Four Stages of Life (Asramas)
The seventh primary text of Upāsakādhyayana (Studies on Votaries) has stated that there are four life-stages of Jaina individuals :
| (a)Stage of Celibacy | (Brahmacarya |
| (b)Stage of Householdership | (Gṛhastha) |
| (c)Supreme Stage of Votary | (Vānaprastha) |
| (d)Saint or Ascetic | (Sanyāsa, renunciation) |
(a)Stage of Celibacy (Brahmacarya)
There are five kinds of celibates :
| (1)Sacred-threaded | (Upanayana) |
| (2) Supported celibate | (Avalamba) |
| (3)Non-initiated | (Adikṣā) |
| (4) Secretly celibate | (Gūdha) |
| (5)Pledged celibate | (Naiṣthika) |
Sacred – threaded Celibate
The individuals, who study and practice the primary texts of Upāsakādhyayana (Studies on Votaries) etc. after accepting the sacred threads and undertake the householder’s religion later, are called as sacred-threaded celibates.
Supported Celibate
The supported celibates are those individuals who study all the scriptures as two-clothed votaries and, later, enter into the householder stage.
Non-initiated Celibate
They are those individuals who study the scriptures without having the garb of celibate and, then, enter into the householder stage.
Secret Celibate
The individuals, who study the scriptures in childhood residing with the preceptors, practice restraint with nakedness without getting initiated and, later, enter into the householder stage due to some specific reasons, are called secret celibates.
Pledged Celibate
The individuals, who hold the in-signia of avowedness like hair-crest (Ṡikhā), sacred- thread, loin-cloth (signs of head, chest and waist), who take food offered by householders, who are newly initiated and are always engaged in Jina worship etc., are called pledged celibate.
Special Comment
The stage of celibacy has been mentioned first out of these four life-stages. It means that any individual enters into the stage of celibacy in his early age and resides in hermitages, wears sacred thread, gets internally refined and studies the scriptures.
He may become saint if he wishes just like scripture-omniscient Bhadrabāhu and Acārya Jinasena and many others. However, if one wishes, he may enter into the stage of house-holdership like Jīvandhara- Kumāra etc. The other life-stages are now described.
(b) Stage of Householdership (Grhastha)
There are six noble duties of householders :
| (1)Jina worship (Ijyā) | (2)Professional Means of livelihood (Vārtā) |
| (3)Donation or Delivery (Datti) | (4)Self-study or study of scriptures (Svādhyāya) |
| (5)Observance of restraint (Sanyama) | (6)Austerities (Tapa) |
1.Jina Worship (Ijyā)
The eight-fold physical or psychical worship of the Enlightened Jina or other Supreme souls is called worship.
It has five varieties :
| (1) Daily worship | (Nityamaha) |
| (2) Sarvatobhadra worship | (Caturmukha) |
| (3)Wish-fulfilling worship | (Kalpa-druma) |
| (4) Eight-day worship | (Aṣtānhika) |
| (5) Empyrean Jina worship | (Aindradhvaja) |
Daily Worship (Nityamaha)
This means to offer daily worship to the Jinas with eight worship substances like Jala (water), Candana (sandal), Akṣata (rice-grains), Puṣpa (flower), Naivedya (edibles), Deepa (lamp), Dhūpa (incense), Phala (fruit) carrying them from home according to one’s capacity and devotion. The worship also covers construction of Jina temples and their images and offering services and respects for the saints etc.
Sarvatobhadra Worship (Caturmukha)
The worship offered to the Jinas by the Coronated kings is called Caturmukha worship. It is also called Mahābhadra (Harbinger of great wellfare) and Sarvato-bhadra (Harbinger of allround welfare).
Wish-fulfilling Worship (Kalpa-druma)
The worship offered to the Jinas by the Cakravartīs (Universal monarchs) after donating the persons whatever they demand for, is called the Kalpa-druma worship.
Eight-day Worship (Astānhika)
This is the worship offered during the eight days of the holy days of Nandīṡvara during Kārtika, Phālguna and Aṣādha months.
Flagged-empyrean Jina Worship (Indra-dhvaja)
This is the worship offered to the Jinas by the different categories of empyreans like Indra, Prati-Indra etc. Ṡāstra-Sāra-Samuccaya (Summaries of Essence of Canons) has mentioned ten kinds of worship :
- (1) The worship offered to the Jinas by heavenly deities is called Mahābhadra (Harbinger of great welfare).
- (2)The worship offered to the Jinas by heavenly Indras is called Indradhvaja (Indra- flag) worship.
- (3)The worship offered to the Jinas by all the four kinds of celestials is called Sarvatobhadra (Harbinger of all round welfare) worship.
- (4)The worship offered to the Jinas by the Cakravartis is called Caturmukha worship.
- (5)The worship offered to the Jinas by the Vidyādharās (leamings-proficient men) is called ‘Rathāvartana’ worship.
- (6)The worship performed by the Mahamandalika Kings (Tords of 8000 sub-ordinate kings) is known as Indraketu worship.
- (7)The worship ritual performed by the Mandaleṡvara Kings (Tords of 4000 subordinate kings) is known as Mahā-pūja (Great worship).
- (8)The worship ritual performed by the Semi-mandaleṡvara kings (Tords of 2000 subordinate kings) is known as Maha-mahima worship.
- (9)The eight-day worship offered to the Jinas in the months of Kārtika (Oct.-Nov.), Phālguṇa (Feb.-Mar.) and Aṣādha (June-July) months by empyreans after going to Nandiṣvara island (Dvīpa) is called Aṣtanika Pūja (Eight-day worship).
- (10)The worship ritual performed for the Jinas in the temple with eight-fold materials by the votary having been clean-clothed after bath with pure water is called Dainik Pūja (Daily worship).
The ten varieties of worship are only the elaboration of the earlier five-fold worship. It should be noted that the construction of temple and Jina images, consecration of images and their altars, resurrection works, donation of land etc. for the temple and donation of materials used in worship etc. are all involved in the daily worship category.
2.Professional Means of Livelihood (Vārtā)
The profession is defined as the practices to earn livelihood through six types of activities as advocated by King Ṛṣabhava-deva as below :
(1)Weaponry (Asi) : Preparation and use of weapons for the defence of self, religion and the country.
(2)Writing Profession (Masi): The term ‘Masi’ means ink. Any profession which has the use of ink (and pen) like writers’ work is called the writing profession.
(3)Agriculture (Kṛṣi): It is the profession of ploughing of land, sowing the seed and acquiring the crops from the fields. The agriculture is a full profession. (Since ancient days, it is the main profession).
(4)Commerce (Vāṇijya): This is a profession of earning the livelihood through sales and purchase of all kinds of useful commodities for life.
(5)Teaching (Vidyā) : This is a profession of imparting religious & worldly knowledge to people. It is a good means of livelihood.
(6)Arts and Crafts (Silpa) : This is a profession of different types of arts and crafts like architecture, pottery, fabrics etc. The number and variety of means of livelihood have gone enormous these days. One should have non-violent means to earn livelihood.
3.Donation or Delivery (Datti)
It is the process of donating or delivering many kinds of physical or psychical materials. It has four varieties.
(1)Compassionate Donation (Dayā-datti) : It means to offer security (in terms of homes, riches, money etc.) to the poor or suffering people on compassionate grounds.
(2)Donation For the Worthy (Pātra-datti) : This involves
- (i) offer of foods to the Jaina saints with nine-fold devotion (Navadhā bhakti),
- (ii) offer of equipments like religious scriptures, picchī made of peacock-feathers and Kamandalu (wooden jar with nozzle) etc. to them which are the means to acquire knowledge and observe restraint. Provision of medicare and residence is also included in this category.
(3)Similarity-based Donation (Sama-datti) : This involves donation of land, riches and even daughters-in-marriage etc. to those householders who have similar conduct and practices.
(4)Donation-in-Totality (Sakala-datti): This involves donation of all of one’s property and duties to one’s own or adopted son for the continuity of one’s lineage. This donation is also called lineage-based (Anvaya-datti) donation. 4.Self – Study (Svādhyāya) It is to study and teaching of scriptures or realology (Tattva-vidyā) and to memorise it.
(5)Restraint (Sanyama): It is to engage one-self in observing five partial vows.
(6)Austerities (Tapa): It is to undertake twelve types of austerities partially like fasting etc. (There are six external and six internal austerities). The individuals engaged in these six activities of noble people are called house-holders.
They have two varieties :
- (1) Noble-by-caste,
- (2) Noble-by-religion.
The noble-by-caste house-holders are those who are Kṣatriyas (Protectors or Warriors) out of the four-fold caste system. The noble-by-religion householders are those who are great personages of the religious system like Tīrthankaras, Nārāyaṇas, Cakravartīs etc.
(c)Supreme Stage of Votary (Vānaprastha)
The supreme votaries are those, who do not become sky-clad but wear unstiched insufficient clothes. They are in the garb of
| (1) Two clothed votaries | (Kṣullaka) |
| (2) Toin-clothed or single-clothed votaries | (Ailaka) |
(d)Mendicant, Ascetic or Saint Stage of Renunciation (Sanyāsa)
Mendicant : The individuals who take up the garb of sky-clad state like that of the Enlightened Supreme souls, are called (Jaina) mendicants or saints. There are four kinds of mendicants:
- (1)Houseless or house-renouncer saints.
- (2)Yatis (Ascetics at karmic subsidential and destructional ladder)
- (3)Munis (Possessors of last three-knowledges)
- (4)Ṛṣis (Miraculous saints, possessing supernatural powers)
The ordinary saints are called house-renouncer mendicants. The saints in the Karmic subsidential and destructional ladder (of 11-12th spiritual stages) are called Yatis. The saints possessing clairvoyance, mind-reading knowledge and omniscience are called Munis. The saints having accomplished the miraculous (supernatural) powers are called miraculous rsis.
There are four kinds of rsis :
| (1) Rājarṣi | (2) Brahmarṣi |
| (3) Devarṣi | (4) Parmarṣi |
The saints having accomplished the miraculous prodigy of proteation and never-ending foods / residence are called Rājarṣi. The saints having accomplished the miraculous power of intelligence and medication are called Brahmarṣi.
The saints having accomplished the miraculous power of sky-movement are called Devarṣi. The saints having accomplished and acquired omniscience are called Parmarṣi. The above description about the four stages of life is based on the text of Cāritra Sāra (Essence of Right Conduct).