Ascetics in Early India

A Study of Asceticism in Samaṇa's and Brāhmaṇa's Way

Abstract

This research article studies ascetics in Early India or in Vedic Era. It aims to explore the meaning, characteristic and status of ascetics by the names they were called which are found in Ṛgveda and in Buddhists' Pāli canon, and through the concept of āśrama which contains asceticism in the last phase of one's life. The results show that asceticism in the Brāhmaṇa's way of life is structurally different from asceticism in the Samaṇa's way of life. The acceptance of asceticism in Brāhmaṇa's way of life involves with social purpose and termination.