Ashram

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An ashram (Sanskrit/Hindi: आश्रम) is a Hindu hermitage in ancient India where sages lived in peace and tranquility amidst nature. Today, the term "ashram" is sometimes used to refer to an intentional community formed primarily for spiritual upliftment of its members, often headed by a religious leader or mystic.^{[citation needed]}

Traditionally, ashrams were located far from human habitation, in forests or mountainous regions, amidst refreshing natural surroundings conducive to spiritual instruction and meditation. The residents of an ashram regularly performed spiritual and physical exercises, such as the various forms of Yoga. Other sacrifices and penances, such as Yajnas were also performed. Many ashrams also served as Gurukuls or residential schools for children. The word "ashram" in Sanskrit also means "toil, penance, or austerity"^[1] as separate from the term "asraya" (āśraya), which means "protection or shelter".^[2]

Ashrams have been a powerful symbol throughout Hindu history and theology. Most Hindu kings, until the medieval ages, are known to have had a sage who would advise the royal family in spiritual matters, or in times of crisis, who was called the rajguru, which literally translates to royal teacher. A world-weary emperor going to this guru's ashram, and finding solace and tranquility, is a recurring motif in many folktales and legends of ancient India.

Sometimes, the goal of a pilgrimage to the ashram was not tranquility, but instruction in some art, especially warfare. In the Hindu epic Ramayana, the protagonist princes of ancient Ayodhya, Rama and Laxman, go to the Rishi Vishvamitra's ashram to protect his Yajnas from being defiled by emissary-demons of Ravana. After they prove their mettle, the princes receive martial instruction from the sage, especially in the use of enchanted weapons, called Divyastras (Sanskrit Divya: enchanted + Astra: missile weapon; the Sanskrit word 'astra' means missile weapon, such as an arrow, as opposed to 'shastra', which means a hand-to-hand weapon, such as a mace.) In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna, in his youth, goes to the ashram of Sage Sandiipanii, to gain knowledge of both intellectual and spiritual matters.

[edit] Schools in Maharashtra

Residential schools especially run in the tribals areas of Maharashtra and elsewhere in India are called Ashram Shala or Ashram schools, one such school is the Lok Biradari Prakalp Ashram Shala.^[3][4]

[edit] See also

• World Brotherhood Colonies

[edit] References