Stages of life for a twice-born man
The "
stages of life for a twice-born man" are discussed in the
Hindu Manusmriti. In essence, this concept argues that a member of the so-called
Dwija (
twice-born)
castes (
Brahmin,
Kshatriya, and
Vaishya) are to undergo four periods of
life: first, as a student
Brahmacharya; then, as a householder
Grihastha; then, he shall live in retirement
Vanaprastha; and finally, as an ascetic
Sanyasi. The
Manusmriti goes into some detail, regarding what is expected of an individual during each stage.