Rules Of Grahastha

The Shrimad Bhaagvad lays down rules on how man should conduct himself in the Grahastha Aashram

What is the Grahastha Aashram?

According to our Scriptures human life is divided into 4 sections.

The Brahmacharya Aashram is man’s early period in life when he is supposed to devote his time to education.

The Grahastha Aashram is when man is meant to get married, have children and support himself and the family with whatever profession is best suited to him.

The Vanaprastha Aashram is the age of retirement.

The Sanyaas aashram is meant to be spent meditating and preparing for union with the Almighty.

So go ahead and get married, and enjoy keeping house, but read about the rules and rewards intended for the Grahastha Aashram:

2) A man may live in the world, but if he acts in ‘Bhaagvad-Arpan-Budhi’ (offering wisely, his actions to the Lord) then that man’s home will not be a ‘Bandhan ka kaaran’ (Will not be a cause to be bound in the cycle of birth and death)

3) The reason for unhappiness is ones own attitude. To help change it one must introspect and chant the Lord’s name.

4) Renounce the parents of ‘Sin'. Its mother is ‘Attachment’ and its father is ‘Greed’

5) The Conscience is the voice of God.

If one does not listen to it, it becomes dimmer and dimmer until it fades.

So, the Bhaagvad states that if one feels the pangs of repentance when performing an immoral act, then the Lord’s Grace falls upon one to a certain extent.

If ones habit of performing wrong deeds ceases completely, then one enjoys Grace unlimited.

If one were to exercise a certain amount of wisdom, one would learn to restrain oneself when tempted to cross limitless barriers.

A ‘Grahasthi’ should introspect on the fact that:

Even if one lives in a palace, it is still a ‘hotel’ where one resides only temporarily.

Life is a light in which all material things are visible

Nothing is static. Only death is a certainty.

If one were to remember death all the time, (without becoming morbid), one would not sin to accumulate money.

One cannot take ones wealth along when one dies, but if one puts it to the right use, while alive, then that wealth converts into something, that accompanies one even after death.