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The lesser known and explored of the two pillars of Hinduism--<em>=a'srama and <em>var.na--<em>=a'srama is the name given to a system of four distinct and legitimate ways of leading a religious life: as a celibate student, a married householder, a forest hermit, and a world renouncer. In this, the first full-length study of the <em>=a'srama system, Olivelle uncovers its origin and traces its subsequent history. He examines in depth its relationship to other institutional and doctrinal aspects of the Brahmanical world and its position within Brahmanical theology, and assesses its significance within the history of Indian religion. Throughout, he argues that the <em>=a'srama system is primarily a theological construct and that the system and its history should be carefully distinguished from the socio-religious institutions comprehended by the system and from their respective histories.
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THE ASRAMA SYSTEM
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THE ASRAMA SYSTEM The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution
PATRICK OLIVELLE
New York Oxford OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1993
Oxford University Press Oxford New York Torronto Delhi Bombay Calcutta Madras Karachi Kuala Lumpur Singapore Hong Kong Tokyo Nairobi Dar es Salaam Cape Town Melbourne Auckland Madrid and associated companies in Berlin Ibadan
Copyright © 1993 by Patrick Olivelle Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 200 Madison Avenue, New York 10016 Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Olivelle, Patrick. The asrama system : the history and hermeneutics of a religious institution / Patrick Olivelle. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-19-508327-X 1. Asramas (Four stages of life) I. Title. BL1237.75.045 1993 294.5'44—dc20 92-38998
246897531 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
Preface
It has taken long, far too long, to bring this project to completion. Some of the research was done during the academic year 1977-78 when a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a Visiting Fellowship from Wolfson College enabled me to spend a year in Oxford, England, and Poona, India. Parts of the early chapters were written in 1981-82 when I was back in Oxford, again on a Visiting Fellowship from Wolfson College, and in Poona, on a grant from the American Institute of Indian Studies. Many things—administrative burdens and other book projects—postponed its completion. Time has its own rewards: wisdom, one hopes, accompanies gray hairs, and maturity sometimes creates a better product. The long period of gestation, however, has produced its own debts—debts of gratitude to teachers, colleagues, friends, family, and, yes, even institutions. Much of the writing was done when I was a member of the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. The Department and the University provided a rare atmosphere for personal growth and intellectual stimulation. To my colleagues there a heart-felt thank you. The book was completed in my new home at the Center for Asian Studies of the University of Texas, Austin. The Center and the University have provided both good colleagues and fine resources. In India individuals and institutions, too numerous to list, always responded generously to my often importunate requests. I owe a special debt of gratitude, however, to the late Dr. V. V. Bhide and the staff of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. Three friends put their friendship