Editing Dharma (section)

===Dharma, life stages and social stratification===
{{main|Āśrama (stage)|Puruṣārtha|l1=Āśrama}}
Some texts of Hinduism outline ''dharma'' for society and at the individual level. Of these, the most cited one is ''[[Manusmriti]]'', which describes the four ''Varnas'', their rights and duties.{{sfn|Hiltebeitel|2011|pp=215–227}} Most texts of Hinduism, however, discuss ''dharma'' with no mention of ''Varna'' ([[Caste system in India|caste]]).<ref>Thapar, R. (1995), The first millennium BC in northern India, Recent perspectives of early Indian history, 80–141.</ref> Other ''dharma'' texts and Smritis differ from Manusmriti on the nature and structure of Varnas.{{sfn|Hiltebeitel|2011|pp=215–227}} Yet, other texts question the very existence of varna. [[Bhrigu]], in the Epics, for example, presents the theory that ''dharma'' does not require any varnas.<ref>Trautmann, Thomas R. (Jul 1964), "On the Translation of the Term Varna", ''Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient'', '''7'''(2) pp. 196–201.</ref> In practice, medieval India is widely believed to be a socially stratified society, with each social strata inheriting a profession and being endogamous. Varna was not absolute in Hindu dharma; individuals had the right to renounce and leave their Varna, as well as their [[Ashrama (stage)|asramas]] of life, in search of moksa.{{sfn|Hiltebeitel|2011|pp=215–227}}<ref>see:
* {{harvp|Van Buitenen|1957|pp=38–39}}.
* {{harvp|Koller|1972|pp=131–144}}.</ref> While neither Manusmriti nor succeeding Smritis of Hinduism ever use the word varnadharma (that is, the ''dharma'' of varnas), or varnasramadharma (that is, the ''dharma'' of varnas and asramas), the scholarly commentary on Manusmriti use these words, and thus associate ''dharma'' with varna system of India.{{sfn|Hiltebeitel|2011|pp=215–227}}<ref>Kane, P.V. (1962), History of Dharmasastra (Ancient and Medieval Religious and Civil Law in India), Volume 1, pp. 2–10.</ref> In 6th-century India, even Buddhist kings called themselves "protectors of varnasramadharma" – that is, ''dharma'' of varna and asramas of life.{{sfn|Hiltebeitel|2011|pp=215–227}}<ref>Olivelle, P. (1993). ''The Asrama System: The history and hermeneutics of a religious institution'', New York: [[Oxford University Press]].</ref>

At the individual level, some texts of Hinduism outline [[Ashrama (stage)|four āśrama]]s, or stages of life as individual's ''dharma''. These are:{{sfn|Widgery|1930}} (1) [[Brahmacharya|brahmacārya]], the life of preparation as a student, (2) [[Grihastha|gṛhastha]], the life of the householder with family and other social roles, (3) [[Vanaprastha|vānprastha]] or aranyaka, the life of the forest-dweller, transitioning from worldly occupations to reflection and renunciation, and (4) [[sannyāsa]], the life of giving away all property, becoming a recluse and devotion to moksa, spiritual matters. Patrick Olivelle suggests that "ashramas represented life choices rather than sequential steps in the life of a single individual" and the vanaprastha stage was added before renunciation over time, thus forming life stages.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Glucklich |first=Ariel |title=The strides of Vishnu: Hindu culture in historical perspective |date=2008 |publisher=Oxford University press |isbn=978-0-19-531405-2 |location=Oxford |pages=87}}</ref>

The four stages of life complete the four human strivings in life, according to Hinduism.<ref name=jkkpwg/> ''Dharma'' enables the individual to satisfy the striving for stability and order, a life that is lawful and harmonious, the striving to do the right thing, be good, be virtuous, earn religious merit, be helpful to others, interact successfully with society. The other three strivings are [[Artha]] – the striving for means of life such as food, shelter, power, security, material wealth, and so forth; [[Kama]] – the striving for sex, desire, pleasure, love, emotional fulfilment, and so forth; and [[Moksa]] – the striving for spiritual meaning, liberation from life-rebirth cycle, self-realisation in this life, and so forth. The four stages are neither independent nor exclusionary in Hindu ''dharma''.<ref name=jkkpwg>see:
* {{harvp|Koller|1972|pp=131–144}}.
* {{harvp|Potter|1958|pp=49–63}}.
* {{harvp|Goodwin|1955|pp=321–344}}.</ref>