Dharma is a terms with many meanings in the Hindu tradition. In fact, it can be interpreted as “religious law,” “right conduct,” “duty,” and even “social order.” In this instance, it applies to the appropriate stages of a person's life.

The root of the word itself is dhri, which means “to hold up.” The social idea of dharma most likely got its foothold from the Vedic notion of rita, or “cosmic order.” The social order, or dharma, is maintained by a second sense of dharma — right conduct and the fulfillment of duty and the religious law.

There is another sense of the term that determines our true essence. The righteous life, which lies at the basis of human morality and ethics, should be practiced. For individuals, dharma is inseparable from one's karma, since dharma can be realized by the individual only to the extent permitted by one's karmic situation.

Part of this dharma is the notion that an ideal religious life is broken down into four stages or stations. The first of these is the student stage (Brahmacharya). By the late teens, one becomes a householder and marries (Grihastha). After bringing up a family, one retires to solitude and lives as a forest dweller (Vanaprastha). The final stage involves the renunciation of all material goods (Sannyasis).