The Late Appearance of the Gṛhastha in the Vedic Domestic Ritual Codes as a Married Religious Professional, in Gṛhastha: The Householder in Ancient Indian Religious Culture (Patrick Olivelle ed., 2019)

The Late Appearance of the Gṛhastha in the Vedic Domestic Ritual Codes as a Married Religious Professional, in Gṛhastha: The Householder in Ancient Indian Religious Culture (Patrick Olivelle ed., 2019)

Description

This volume problematizes the figure of the householder within ancient Indian culture and religion. It shows that the term gṛhastha is a neologism and is understandable only in its opposition to the ascetic who goes away from home (pravrajita). Through a thorough and comprehensive analysis of a wide range of inscriptions and texts, ranging from the Vedas, Dharmasastras, Epics, and belle lettres to Buddhist and Jain texts and texts on governance and erotics, this volume analyses the meanings, functions, and roles of the householder from the earliest times unti about the fifth century CE. The central finding of these studies is that the householder bearing the name gṛhastha is not simply a married man with a family but someone dedicated to the same or similar goals as an ascetic while remaining at home and performing the economic and ritual duties incumbent on him. The gṛhastha is thus not a generic householder, for whom there are many other Sanskrit terms, but a religiously charged concept that is intended as a full-fledged and even superior alternative to the concept of a religious renouncer.

ISBN

9780190696153

Publication Date

2019

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Disciplines

History of Religions of Eastern Origins | Religion | South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies

The Late Appearance of the Gṛhastha in the Vedic Domestic Ritual Codes as a Married Religious Professional, in Gṛhastha: The Householder in Ancient Indian Religious Culture (Patrick Olivelle ed., 2019)

Share

COinS