Manava Dharmashastra 6.1

6.1

gṛhopalakṣita āśramo gṛhāśramaḥ | 'gṛhāḥ' dārāḥ | tatra sthitvā tamanuṣṭhāya vane vasediti vidhiḥ | sthitveti ktvāpratyayena paurvakālyaṃ gārhasthyasya vanavāsāddarśayati | krameṇāśramaḥ kartavyaḥ | kṛtagārhasthyo vanavāse'dhikriyate | samuccayapakṣamabhittyaitaduktam | anyathā'viplutabrahmacaryādapi vanavāso vidyata ityetadapi vakṣyate | vijitendriyaḥ pakkakaṣāyaḥ cīṇarāga ityarthaḥ | evaṃ vidhivat-yathāvaditipadāni vṛttapūraṇāni | tāni prāktatra tatra vyākhyātāni | etāvadvidhīyate | gārhasthyaṃ kṛtvā vanavāsa āśrayitavyaḥ |

The twice-born accomplished student, having, in the afore- said manner, lived, according to law, the life of the householder, should dwell in the forest, in the proper manner, self-controlled and with his organs under subjection—(1).

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The term ‘gṛhāśrama’ means that ‘āśrama’, life-stage which is characterised by the ‘gṛha’, house,—i.e., the presence of the wife.

Having ‘lived’ there,—i.e., having duly fulfilled the duties of that stage of life—he should dwell in, the forest. This is the injunction here set forth.

The affix in ‘sthitvā’, ‘having lived’, indicates the priority of the Householder’s life to that of the Hermit; and the meaning is that one should proceed from, stage to stage in the right order; it is only one who has lived the Householder’s life that is entitled to the forest-life of the Hermit.

What is said here is in accordance with the view that a man should pass through each and all the four stages. There is however the other view that from the life of the purely celebate student also one can proceed at once to the forest-life; as is going to be described later on.

‘With his organs under subjection ’—with his impurities washed off, his passions calmed down.

The phrases ‘according to law’ and ‘in the proper manner’ have been added only for the purpose of filling up the metre; as we have already explained in several places.

All that is meant to be enjoined here is that ‘having completed the Householder’s life, he shall betake himself to the life in the forest.’—(1).