# आश्रम (āśrama)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ashram

आश्रम (āśrama) is a Sanskrit word meaning a hermitage, the abode of ascetics, a stage in the life of a Brahman, some law-givers mention only three, omitting the first, a hut built on festal occasions, a college or school, a wood or thicket. Its 18 recorded definitions are grouped into 6 contexts, among them Hermitage or Ascetic's Abode, Stages of Life / Religious Orders, Proper Name (Person/Deity).

- **Root:** श्रम् (śram)
- **Etymology:** E. आङ् before श्रम to perform religious austerities, affix घञ् — E. āṅ before śrama to perform religious austerities, affix ghañ
- **SLP1:** `ASrama`  **IAST:** āśrama  **Devanagari:** आश्रम
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ashram/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Hermitage or Ascetic's Abode (7 definitions)
- A hermitage, the abode of ascetics  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 158,2] आ - श्रम (ā-śrama) m. n. (√ श्रम् (śram) ), a hermitage, the abode of ascetics, the cell of a hermit or of retired saints or sages, Manu-smṛti (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title); Daśakumāra-carita (Title); Raghuvaṃśa (Title); Meghadūta (Title) &c. [ ID=27617 ]
- 1. A hermitage. 2. A stage in a Brahmin's life.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 043-2 ] आश्रम (āśrama) ā-śrama, m. n. hermitage; m. stage in a Brāhmanʼs life; -pada, n. id.; -maṇḍala, n. group of hermitages; -vāsin, -sad, m. hermit; -sthāna, n. hermitage. [ ID=3955 ]
- 1. A hermitage or dwelling of ascetics. 2. A period in the religious life of a Brahmana. 3. A school or college. 4. A wood or thicket where ascetics practice penance.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 111-14 ] आश्रम (āśrama) m.n. 1. A hut, a hermitage, a dwelling of ascetics, रामगिर्याश्रमस्थः (rāmagiryāśramasthaḥ) Megh. ii.38, i.1, R. i.48, 53, 58; 2. a period in the religious life of a Brāhmaṇa, of which there are four, viz., ब्रह्मचर्य (brahmacarya), गार्हस्थ्य (gārhasthya), वानप्रस्थ (vānaprastha) and संन्यास (saṃnyāsa) (the first three Āśramas are enjoined to Kshatriyas and Vaiśyas also; according to some, they can even enter the fourth), स किलाश्रममन्त्यमाश्रितः (sa kilāśramamantyamāśritaḥ) R. viii.15; 3. a college, a school; 4. a wood or thicket where anchorites practise penance. [ ID=5557 ]
- 1. An hermitage. 2. A religious order.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 0090-b ] आश्रम (āśrama) ā-śram + a, m. and n. 1. An hermitage. 2. A religious order of which there are four (or only Page0091-a+ 44 three, Man. 2, 230) kinds referable to the different periods of a Brāhmaṇa's life, Man. 3, 2. — Comp. Kāma-, m. and n. the hermitage of the god of love. Gṛha-, m. the second order, that of the householder, Man. 6, 1. Jyeṣṭha-, adj. being in the most eminent order, Man. 3, 78. [ ID=1774 ]
- 1. A hermitage. 2. One of the four orders of religious life.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 069 ] आश्रम (āśrama) m. hermitage; one of the (four) orders of religious life (also ° पद (°pada) n. ). [ ID=4741 ]
- 1. A hermitage. 2. A stage in a Brahman's religious life.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 127-a ] āśrama, m. —1. (place of self-castigation, i. e. ) hermitage; —2. stadium in a Brahman's religious life (of which there are four: that of the student or brahmacārin, that of the householder or gṛhastha, that of the hermit or vānaprastha, and that of the beggar or bhikṣu ), see 65 3 N. [ √śram + ā. ] [ ID=675 ]
- 1. A hermitage or the abode of ascetics. 2. A stage in the religious life of a Brahmin. 3. A college or school. 4. A wood or thicket.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 0133-c ] आश्रम (āśrama) ā-śrama, as, am, m. n. (fr. rt. śram with ā ), a hermitage, the abode of ascetics, the cell of a hermit or of retired saints or sages; a period in the religious life of a Brāhman, of which there are four referable to the different periods of life (viz. 1st, that of the Brahma-cārin or student; 2nd, that of the Gṛha-stha or householder; 3rd, that of the Vāna- prastha or anchorite; and 4th, that of the Bhikṣu or beggar: in some places the law-givers mention only three such periods of religious life, the first period being then omitted); a college, a school; a wood or thicket. —Āśrama-guru, us, m. the head of a re- ligious order, a preceptor, a principal. —Āśrama- dharma, as, m. the special duty or duties of each order or period of life. —Āśrama-pada, am, n. a hermitage; a period in the religious life of a Brāhman. —Āśrama-parvan, a, n. the first section of the fif- teenth book of the Mahā-bhārata. —Āśrama-bhra- ṣṭa, as, ā, am, fallen or apostatising from an āśrama or religious order. —Āśrama-maṇḍala, am, n. the circle of a hermitage, a hermitage. —Āśramavāsika, as, ī, am, relating to residence in a hermitage; āśramavāsikam parva, title of the fifteenth book of the Mahā-bhārata. —Āśrama-vāsin, ī, or āśrama- sad, t, m. an inhabitant of a hermitage, an ascetic. —Āśrama-sthāna, am, n. the abode of hermits, a hermitage. —Āśramālaya (°ma-āl°), as, m. an in- habitant of a hermitage, an ascetic. —Āśramopani- ṣad (°ma-up°), t, f. title of an Upaniṣad. [ ID=9535 ]

### Stages of Life / Religious Orders (6 definitions)
- A stage in the life of a Brahman; traditionally four stages: student of the Veda (Brahmacharin), householder (Grihastha), anchorite (Vanaprastha), and one who has abandoned worldly concerns (Sannyasin, or sometimes Bhikshu); some law-givers mention only three, omitting the first.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a stage in the life of a Brāhman (of which there are four corresponding to four different periods or conditions, viz. 1st, Brahmacārin, ‘student of the Veda’; 2nd, Gṛha-stha, ‘householder’; 3rd, Vānaprastha, ‘anchorite’; and 4th, Saṃnyāsin, ‘abandoner of all worldly concerns’, or sometimes Bhikṣu, ‘religious beggar’; in some places the law-givers mention only three such periods of religious life, the first being then omitted), Manu-smṛti (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title); Suśruta (Title); Raghuvaṃśa (Title) &c. [ ID=27618 ]
- 1. One of the four stages of religious life. 2. A college or school. 3. A hermitage. 4. A wood or thicket.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आश्रम (śrama) (āśrama) [Printed book page 124 ] आश्रम (śrama) (āśrama) m. ( - मः (-maḥ) ) 1 A religious order, of which there are four kinds referable to the different periods of life, 1st, that of the student or Brahmacārī; 2d, that of the householder or Gṛhastha; 3d, that of the anchorite or Vānaprastha; and 4th, that of the beggar or Bhikṣu: see ब्रह्मचारी (brahmacārī), &c. 2 A college, a school. 3 A hermitage, the abode of retired saints or sages. 4 A wood or thicket. E. आङ् (āṅ) before श्रम (śrama) to perform religious austerities, affix घञ् (ghañ). [ ID=5987 ]
- 1. A religious order. 2. A hermitage. 3. A school. 4. A wood.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 101-a ] आ - श्रम (ā-śrama) ( मः ) ((maḥ)) 1. m. A religious order; a hermitage; a school; a wood. [ ID=5368 ]
- 1. One of the four stages of life. 2. A school or college. 3. A hermitage or abode of sages. 4. A wood or thicket.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > आश्रम (śrama) (āśrama) [Printed book page 102-b ] आश्रम (śrama) (āśrama) m. ( - मः (-maḥ) ) 1. A religious order, of which there are four kinds referable to the different periods of life; 1st, that of the student or Brahmachari; 2d, that of the householder or Grihastha; 3d, that of the anchorite or Vanaprastha; and 4th, that of the beggar or Bhikshu; see ब्रह्मचारी, (brahmacārī,) &c. 2. A college, a school. 3. A hermitage, the abode of retired saints or sages. 4. A wood or thicket. E. आङ् (āṅ) before श्रम (śrama) to perform religious austerities, affix घञ् (ghañ). [ ID=5985 ]
- The four stages of life: student, householder, forest dweller, and ascetic.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 1-178 ] Āśramas (āśramadharma) — four, Brahmacarya, gṛhasta, vānaprastha and bhikṣuka; duties: — Brahmacarya: study by service to guru and begging food; gṛhasta: the source and strength of all āśramas; those celibate do penance, sacrifice, give birth to sons, perform śrāddha, learn the Vedas and give gifts of food; dārāgni, guests, sacrifice and śrāddha; become devapitṛs; vānaprastha: bathe in morning and evening and on ceremonials; eating of fruits and roots, non-theft, purity, sympathy and non-injury — ten kinds of dharma; Bhikṣu: daṇḍi, mekhali, and lying in ground floor. 1 A reference to the fifth āśrama; 2 will be lost at the end of Kaliyuga when anarchy prevails. 3 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. VII. 12. 1-31; 13. 1-10; 14. to the end; M. 141. 61-2; 248. 16; Vā. 8. 177-88; 23. 82; 33. 27; 56. 68; 61. 167; Vi. III. 8. 20; ch. 9 (whole).] [ Footnote: 2) Br. II. 16. 15; III. 15. 37-8.] [ Footnote: 3) M. 47. 257.] [ ID=1445 ]
- 1. A resting-place. 2. A stage in a Hindu's life or a hermitage.  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 1-068 ] Ā-śrama (‘resting-place’) does not occur in any Upaniṣad which can be regarded as pre-Buddhistic. Its earliest use as denoting the stages of a Hindu's life is found in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad. 1 In one passage 2 of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad reference is made only to the Brahmacārin and householder, to whom, as a reward for study, the procreation of children, the practice of Yoga, abstention from injury to living creatures, and sacrifices, freedom from transmigration are promised. In another place 3 three states are contemplated, but not as con- secutive. The Brahmacārin may either become a householder or become an anchorite, or remain in his teacher's house all his life. Similarly, reference 4 is made to the death of the anchorite in the forest, or the sacrifice in the village. In contrast with all three 5 is the man who stands fast in Brahman (Brahma- saṃstha). In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 6 the knower of the Ātman is contrasted with those who (1) study, or (2) sacrifice and give alms, or (3) are anchorites, and in another place 7 with those who sacrifice and make benefactions, and those who practice asceticism. This position of superiority to, and distinction from, the Āśramas became later a fourth 8 Āśrama, Page1-069+ 35 the Gṛhastha, or householder, who was in the second stage, being required to pass not only into the stage of Vānaprastha, but also that of the Sannyāsin ( Bhikṣu, Parivrājaka ). The first stage, that of the Brahmacārin, was still obligatory, but was no longer allowed to remain a permanent one, as was originally possible. Cf. Deussen, Philosophy of the Upanishads, 60, 367 et seq. [ Footnote: 1) Atyāśramin, Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, vi. 21; Maitrāyaṇī Upaniṣad, iv. 3, etc.] [ Footnote: 2) viii. 5.] [ Footnote: 3) ii. 23, 1.] [ Footnote: 4) v. 10.] [ Footnote: 5) ii. 23, 1.] [ Footnote: 6) iv. 2, 22. Cf. iii. 5.] [ Footnote: 7) iii. 8, 10.] [ Footnote: 8) Jābāla Upaniṣad, 4. Cf. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, ii. 1, 7.] [ ID=280 ]

### Proper Name (Person/Deity) (2 definitions)
- Name of a pupil of Prithvidhara  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > आ - श्रम (ā-śrama) m. N. of a pupil of Pṛthvī-dhara. [ ID=27622 ]
- an epithet of Vishnu  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > आश्रम (āśrama) [Printed book page 005-1 ] Āśrama = Viṣṇu (1000 names). [ ID=72 ]

### School or College (1 definition)
- a college or school  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a college, school [ ID=27620 ]

### Temporary Festive Hut (1 definition)
- A hut built on festal occasions  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a hut built on festal occasions, Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā (Title) [ ID=27619 ]

### Woodland or Thicket (1 definition)
- A wood or thicket  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a wood or thicket, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=27621 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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