Putting it briefly, the four important stages of the life cycle as recognized by Hinduism are: i) Brahmacharya- The life as a student ii) Grihasta- The housemaker iii) Vaanaprasta-The peaceful soul, mediative seeker iv) Sanyaasa- The one seeking Moksha Anyone having detailed information?
Sometimes the sannyas stage is confused with taking sannyas vows. Taking sannyas vows is a lifetime vow at an early age to take the path of a sannyasin, or lifetime monk. Only other sannyasins can initiate a person into the sannyasin life. So we have two paths, the sannyasin path, and the householder path. Traditionally the approximate ages for the 4 stages are birth-24, 25-48, 49-72, 1nd 72 onward. Those in the grihastha stage supports the other 3.
