According to the Vedic system of four ashramas (stages of life), the stage of family life was called:

In the system of four ashramas (stages of life), "Grihastha" was the stage of the householder, or family life.

The four ashramas:

• "Brahmacharya" (student life): the young man lived with his teacher, studied the Vedas, and practised discipline and celibacy.
• "Grihastha" (householder): the man married, raised a family, earned a living, performed sacrifices and gave charity.
• "Vanaprastha" (forest-dweller): when his children were grown up, he gradually withdrew from worldly life, often living in the forest with or without his wife, and devoted himself to religious practices.
• "Sannyasa" (renunciation): he gave up all worldly ties and possessions, and wandered as an ascetic, seeking liberation (moksha).

Importance of the Grihastha stage:

• It was considered the most important stage by many texts, because the householder supported the people of all the other stages through food and gifts.
• The householder was expected to perform the "Pancha Mahayajnas" (five great daily sacrifices) to the gods, sages, ancestors, humans (guests) and other beings.
• The goals of Artha (wealth) and Kama (pleasure) were pursued mainly in this stage, guided by Dharma.

Origin of the ashrama system:

• The idea of four stages developed in the later Vedic period and is described in the Upanishads and the Dharma Sutras.
• NCERT notes that the system was meant mainly for men of the upper varnas.
• The Jabala Upanishad first mentions all four ashramas.

Ideal ages:

Texts suggest that a person's life of about 100 years could be divided into four parts of about 25 years each, though this was an ideal.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Brahmacharya is student life.
• ✗Vanaprastha is the stage of retirement to the forest.
• ✗Sannyasa is the stage of complete renunciation.