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John Woodroffe: Introduction to Tantra Śāstra
Āśrama
The four stages, conditions, or periods in the life of a Brāhmaṇa are: first, that of the chaste student, or brahmacāri; second, the period of secular life as a married house-holder or gṛhastha; third, that of the recluse, or vānaprastha, when there is retirement from the world; and lastly, that of the beggar, or bhikṣu, who begs his single daily meal, and meditates upon the Supreme Spirit to which he is about to return. For the Kṣattriya there are the first three Aśramas; for the Vaiśya, the first two; and for the Śūdra, the gṛhastha Āśrama only.1 This Tantra2 states that in the Kali age there are only two Āśramas. The second gṛhasthya and the last bhikṣuka or avadhūta. Neither the conditions of life, nor the character, capacity, and powers of the people of this age allow of the first and third. The two āśramas prescribed for Kali age are open to all castes indicriminately.3
There are, it is now commonly said, two main divisions of avadhūta—namely, Śaivāvadhūta and Brahmāvadhūta—of each of which there are, again, three divisions.4 Of the first class the divisions are firstly, Śaivāvadhūta, who is apūrṇa (imperfect). Though an ascetic, he is also a householder and like Śiva. Hence his name. The second is the wandering stage of the Śaiva (or the parivrājaka), who has now left the world, and passes his time doing pūjā, japa, etc., visiting the tīrtha and pīṭha, or places of pilgrimage. In this stage, which though higher, is still imperfect, the avadhūta is competent for ordinary sādhana with a śakti. The third is the perfect stage of a Śaiva. Wearing only the kaupīna,5 he renounces all things and all rites, though within certain limits he may practise some yoga, and is permitted to meet the request of a woman who makes it of him.6 Of the second class the three divisions are, firstly, the Brahmāvadhūta, who, like the Śaivāvadhūta, is imperfect (apūrṇa) and householder. He is not permitted, however, to have a Śaiva Śakti, and is restricted to svīyaśakti. The second class Brahmaparivrājaka is similar to the Śaiva of the same class except that ordinarily he is not permitted to have anything to do with any woman, though he may, under the guidance of his Guru, practise yoga accompanied by Śakti. The third or highest class—Haṃ sāvadhata—is similar to the third Śaiva degree, except that he must under no circumstances touch a woman or metals, nor may he practise any rites or keep any observances.
Footnotes
1. Yoga Yājnavalkya (chap. i).
2. Chapter VIII, verse 8.
3. Ibid., verse 12.
4. Mahānirvāṇa Tantra deals with the avadhūta (those who have relinquished the world) in Chapter XIV, verse 142, et. seq. The Bhairavadāmara classes the avadhūtā into (1) Kulāvadūta, (2) Śaivāvadūta, (3) Brahmāvadhūta, and (4) Haṃ sādvadhūta, following in the main, distinctions made in this Tantra.
5. The exiguous loin cloth of ascetics covering only the genitals. See the kaupīnapañcakam of Śaṃ karācāryā, where the Kaupīnarān is described as the fortunate one living on the handful of rice got by begging; ever pondering upon the words of the Vedānta, whose senses are in repose, who ever enjoys the Brahman in the thought Ahambrahmāsmi.
6. This is not, however, as some may suppose, a peculiarly “Tāntrik” precept, for it is said in Śruti “talpāgatām ̣ na pariharet” (she who comes to your bed is not to be refused), for the rule of chastity which is binding on him yields to such an advance on the part of woman. Śaṃ karācāryā says that talpāgatām ̣ is samāgamarthinim, adding that this is the doctrine of Ṛṣi Vāmadeva.
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