Religious teachings about the nature and purpose of families

• Dharma: In Hindu belief, a person's religious and moral duties
• third gender 


  a gender other than man or woman
• extended family: Family unit comprising two parents and their children, but also grandparents, cousins etc
• gender equality: Belief that all genders have equal status and value, so discrimination against any is wrong
• Grihastha 


  the householder stage
• Varna: a basic subdivision of humanity in the Hindu caste system
• Ashrama 


  4 stages of life
• Brahmacharya 


  the student stage
• Vanaprastha 


  the retiree / forest dweller stage
• Sannyasa 


  renunciation stage