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The lesser known and explored of the two pillars of Hinduism--=a'srama and var.na--=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 =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 =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.
Zusammenfassung
A study of the Asrama system, a Hindu construct consisting of four legitimate ways of leading a religious life. The author traces its early history and explains how Asrama gradually established connections with other Hindu religious institutions to emerge as a central tenet of the Hindu dharma.
Zusatztext
The conclusions presented are not ... novel but the careful and detailed arguments for them are well worth waiting for and greatly extend our understanding of this major concept in the history of Hindu thought ... a book which illuminates not only the history of the asrama system but much else in the tradition of Indian hermeneutics. All in all, this is a book to be warmly welcomed and carefully studied.
