Grihasthya refers to the second phase of an individual's life in the Vedic ashram system. It is often called 'the householders life' revolving as it does around the duties of maintaining a household and leading a family-centred life.

This word is used to denote the person who is currently in that phase of his life which is called 'Garhastha' according to the ancient Hindu system of life called Chaturashrama, prescribed in Manusmriti for the Dvija castes.

A person becomes a 'Grihastha' from the age of 25 and this Garhastha phase ends at the age of 49. Once a man becomes a Grihastha, he is expected to settle down, get married & produce children. The phase of "Garhastha" is preceded by the phase of Brahmacharya and followed by the phase of Vanaprastha.

The four purusarthas (human goals) of grihastha ashram are summarised as follows. Dharma (religious principles). Artha (economic development). Kama (sense gratification). Moksha (liberation). "The four principles of life allow one to live according to religious principles, to earn money according to one's position in society, to allow the senses to enjoy the sense objects according to regulations, and to progress along the path of liberation from this material attachment." (Srimad Bhagavatam 4. 22. 34 Bhaktivedanta Purport.)

Urmila Devi Dasi, (also known as Dr. Edith E. Best), was born in 1955 in New York City. Her father was president and later, CEO, of the Manischewitz food company, founded by his grandfather. She joined the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in 1973 in Chicago and became a disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON.

Her primary work in ISKCON has been in the area of education. In 1982 in Detroit she and her husband, Pratyatosa (Howard Best), started an ISKCON primary school, where she served as Principal for eight years. She founded another primary and secondary school in North Carolina in 1990, where she was Principal for ten years. Urmila has compiled a guidebook for education in ISKCON and has been engaged in "writing and coordinating the development of a Krishna conscious academic curriculum for primary and secondary students". For eight years she was the education columnist for Back to Godhead magazine, where she is presently an associate editor. In 2008 Urmila wrote a paper based on Īśopaniṣad about the philosophy of education to be followed at Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow, England, the first state-funded Hindu school in Great Britain. Urmila has also been involved in the debates on women's place in ISKCON.