Brahmacharya
Brahmacharya signifies adhering to the way of Lord Brahma. Brahmacharya is a lifestyle devoted to Brahma. Hindu texts state that Brahma remained unmarried and lived in the state of celibacy, practicing self-restraint by controlling senses. Both the Vedic teachers and learners of Vedas adhere to this principle of Brahmacharya. For studens adhering to Brahmacharya is mandatory, as dictated by their Guru or Acharya. However, a Guru’s Brahmacharya is voluntary and self-imposed. And by studying the Vedas, an individual fulfills his responsibility to repay his Rishi Rina, the eternal debt he inherited by birth.
The Acharya remains unmarried while he is active in the role of a teacher. However, once he decides to enter Grihastha Ashrama, he may marry and have children to fulfill his eternal obligation to his ancestors, the Pitru rina.
(The following text is an extract from Chapter 20, titled ‘Brahmacharin, the Student’, in my Book, ” A Tribute to the Ancient world of India “.
Let us look at the following sloka also from Manu Smriti about strictures imposed on Brahmacharins,
वर्जयॆन्मधुमांसं च गंधं माल्यं रसा स्त्रिय:
शुक्तानि यानि सर्वाणि प्राणिनां चैव हिंसनम
varjayEnmadhumaaMsaM cha gaMdhaM maalyaM rasaa striya:
Suktaani yaani sarvaaNi praaNinaaM chaiva hiMsanam
Meaning: “A Brahmacharin (a pupil) shall not consume honey, shall not consume meat, and shall not smell essences like camphor and sandal. He shall not wear flowers. He shall not indulge in sexual acts and even shall not contemplate it. He shall not consume liquor. He shall not harm living objects.” This aspect indirectly tells us that avoidance of sensual pleasures gives strength to mind. This enables one to gain control over his senses. This phenomenon empowers one to conjoin his mind with the cosmic forces of the heavens and so that a pupil would be geared and equipped to learn true and divine knowledge of Vedas.
Let us look at another sloka from Manu Smriti,
सॆवॆतॆमांस्तु नियमा ब्रह्मचारी गुरौ वस
सन्नियम्यॆंद्रियग्रामं तपॊवृद्द्यर्थमात्मन:
sEvEtEmaaMstu niyamaa brahmachaarI gurou vasa
sanniyamyEMdriyagraamaM tapOvRuddyarthamaatmana:
Meaning: “Brahmachari as a pupil shall board and dwell in GURUKULA. And the pupil shall control his senses to improve his devotion in his studies.” (Meaning of Kula is Roof or Shelter. Gurukula means dwelling house of a Teacher.)
Following hymn says that during flooding a Brahmachari would be able to float on the surface of the water, while water flows underneath of him. This Yoga is practiced by many as one of the Asanas in India even today.
तानि कल्पाद ब्रह्मचारी सलिलस्य पृष्टॆ तपॊअतिष्ठत तप्यमानः
समुद्रॆ स स्नातॊ बभ्रुः पिंगलः पृथिव्यां बहुरॊचतॆ
taani kalpaad brahmachaarI salilasya pRuShTE tapOatiShThat tapyamaanaH
samudrE sa snaatO babhruH piMgalaH pRuthivyaaM bahurOchatE
(It is important to note that all youth would not and need not enter into Gurukulas as Brahmacharins to study scriptures. There are so many factors which determine entry of a person into Gurukulas. First of all, parents of a boy shall have the inclination to send their son to study scriptures, because, after studies one may get disenchanted with the Gruhastha Ashrama dharma and may quit normal life leaving his parents in lurch. In that case parents would lose their child for all practical purposes. And one who enters into a Gurukula may discontinue his studies in the middle of their studies, and some may fail in the practice of Brhamacharya.) So, there must be some rules followed by Acharyas for recruitment of students into the fold of gurukula,
आचार्य उपनयमानॊ ब्रह्मचारिणं कृणुतॆ गर्भमन्तः
तं रात्री स्तिस्र उदरॆ बिभर्ति तं जातं द्रष्टुमभिसंयन्ति दॆवाः
aachaarya upanayamaanO brahmachaariNaM kRuNutE garbhamantaH
taM raatrI stisra udarE bibharti taM jaataM draShTumabhisaMyanti dEvaaH
(Atharvana veda )
Meaning: “Acharyas shall take cognition of the child as soon as the child is born out of his mother’s womb. (Tibetan Buddhists follow this custom in the selection of next Panchan Lama.) Then, after keeping and observing the baby for three nights Acharyas take the baby to Devas (for acceptance).” Then meaning of Upanayam shall be read as, “keeping a watchful eye on the prospective student“.
From the above sloka we shall understand that admissions into a Veda Pathasalas are conducted in a strict and customary manner, and Teachers use their divine or intuitive power to select students while admitting students into their Guru Kulas. (Later upanayana samskara has become a ritual of wearing a sacred thread by a Child or youth.)
After completing his studies, a Brahmacharin is supposed to take permission from his Guru to and inorder to enter into Gruhastha Ashrama Dharma to take up his household duties.
” आचार्याय प्रियं धनमाहृत्य प्रजातंतुं माव्यवत्सॆत्सीः”
” AcAryAya priyaM dhanamAhRutya prajAtaMtuM mAvyavatsEtsIH”
Meaning: “After completion of one’s studies a Brahmachari has to take permission from his teacher to leave the college after satisfying his teacher with some fee and enter the duty of householder in order to preserve the lineage (prajatantu) of his ancestors intact.”
“धर्म प्रजा संपत्यर्धं रतिसुख सिध्यर्धं स्त्रियमुद्वहॆ “
” dharma prajA saMpatyardhaM ratisuKa sidhyardhaM striyamudvahE “
Meaning: “One has to take up the hand of a woman and enter the family life for the sake of upholding Dharma, Praja (for begetting children), and of course, for satisfying the natural pleasures.”
महर्षि पितृदॆवानां गत्वा नृण्यं यधाविधि
पुत्रॆ सर्वं समासज्य व सॆन्माध्यस्ध्यमाश्रितः
maharShi pitRudEvaanaaM gatvaa nRuNyaM yadhaavidhi
putrE sarvaM samaasajya va sEnmaadhyasdhyamaaSritaH
“A student by entering into Grihastha Ashrama dhrama he could be able to discharge his eternal debts towards his ancestors. And he could be able to do another duty of discharging his debts towards Gods also.”
ब्रह्मचर्यॆति समिधा समिध्धः कार्ष्णं वसानॊ दीक्षितॊ
दीर्घश्मश्रुः स सद्य ऎति पूर्वस्मादुत्तरं
समुद्रं लॊकान्त्संगृभ्य मुहुराचरिक्रत
brahmacharyEti samidhaa samidhdhaH kaarShNaM vasaanO dIkShitO
dIrghaSmaSruH sa sadya Eti pUrvasmaaduttaraM
samudraM lOkaantsaMgRubhya muhuraacharikrat
Meaning: “the Student, after gaining knowledge of Scriptures he should shed his normal attire, customary with the status of a Brahmacharin. That means he could shed his deer skin robes (upper garment) and cut off his long hairs. Then he shall enter into Grihasta Ashrama, the third stage of life.” And also, “he has to gather people and tell them about what he has learnt at Gurukula and spread knowledge of scriptures among the People.”That means a learned person shall not keep his knowledge unto himself but spread the truth among the people at large.
We would know more about Grihasthashrama dharma in the next chapter.
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