vānaprastha (English spelling)

...The four stages that Indian Brahmins should go through in life, as defined by the Brahmanic Code. According to this, the top three varnas, excluding Brahmins, i.e., Shudras, are supposed to go through four stages (four stages): (1) the brahmacarya stage, in which they study the Vedic scriptures under a teacher; (2) the gārhasthya stage, in which they stay at home, have children, and preside over the family's ceremonies; (3) the vānaprastha stage, in which they retreat to the forest and practice asceticism; and (4) the saṃnyāsa stage, in which they wander about as a beggar without a fixed address. Strict obligations are prescribed for each stage. In ancient India, dharma (religious duties), artha (wealth), and kama (sexual love) were considered the three main aims of life, and the ideal was to run a family and have descendants while satisfying these three.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "vānaprastha" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…インドのバラモン教徒が生涯のうちに経過すべきものとして，バラモン教法典が規定する四つの段階で，〈住期〉と訳す。これによれば，バラモン教徒すなわちシュードラを除く上位3バルナは，(1)師のもとでベーダ聖典を学習する学生(梵行)期brahmacarya，(2)家にあって子をもうけるとともに家庭内の祭式を主宰する家住期gārhasthya，(3)森に隠棲して修行する林棲期vānaprastha，(4)一定の住所をもたず乞食遊行する遊行期saṃnyāsaの4段階(〈四住期〉)を順次に経るものとされ，各段階に厳格な義務が定められている。古代インドではダルマ(宗教的義務)，アルタ(財産)，カーマ(性愛)が人生の三大目的とされ，この三つを満足しつつ家庭を営み，子孫を残すのが一つの理想とされた。…

※「vānaprastha」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報