Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Canto 7: “The Science of God”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Twelve
The Perfect Society: Four Spiritual Classes
SB7.12Summary
This chapter particularly describes the brahmacārī and the person in the vānaprastha stage, and it also gives a general description of the four āśramas—brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. In the previous chapter, the great saint Nārada Muni has described the varṇa institution of society, and now, in this chapter, he will describe the stages of spiritual advancement in the four āśramas, which are known as brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa.
The brahmacāri should live under the care of the true spiritual master, giving him sincere respect and obeisances, acting as his menial servant, and always carrying out his order. The brahmacārī should engage himself in spiritual activities and study the Vedic literature under the direction of the spiritual master. According to the brahmacarya system, he should dress with a belt, deerskin, and matted hair and should bear a daṇḍa, waterpot and sacred thread. He should collect alms daily in the morning, and in the evening whatever alms he has collected he should offer to the spiritual master. A brahmacārī should accept prasāda upon the order of the spiritual master, and if the spiritual master sometimes forgets to order the disciple to eat, the disciple should not take prasāda on his own initiative; rather, he should fast. The brahmacārī should be trained to be satisfied with eating what is absolutely necessary, he should be very expert in executing responsibilities, he should be faithful, and he should control his senses and try to avoid the association of women as far as possible. A brahmacārī should very strictly abstain from living with women and should not meet with gṛhasthas and those too addicted to women. Nor should a brahmacārī speak in a lonely place with a woman.
After completing one’s education as a brahmacārī in this way, one should give dakṣiṇā, an offering of gratitude, to one’s guru, and then one may leave for home and accept the next āśrama—the gṛhastha-āśrama—or else one may continue in the brahmacarya-āśrama without adulteration. The duties for the gṛhastha-āśrama and brahmacarya-āśrama, as well as the duties for sannyāsīs, are prescribed in the śāstras. A gṛhastha is not meant to enjoy sex life without restriction. Indeed, the whole purpose of Vedic life is to become free from sexual indulgence. All the āśramas are recognized for spiritual progress, and therefore although the gṛhastha-āśrama gives a kind of license for sex life for a certain time, it does not allow unrestricted sex life. Therefore, in gṛhastha life also, there is no illicit sex. A gṛhastha should not accept a woman for sexual enjoyment. Wasting semen is also illicit sex.
After the gṛhastha-āśrama is another āśrama, known as vānaprastha, which is midway between gṛhastha and sannyāsa. A person in the vānaprastha order is restricted in eating food grains and forbidden to eat fruits that have not ripened on the tree. Nor should he cook food with fire, although he is allowed to eat caru, grains that have been offered in a sacrificial fire. He may also eat fruits and grains that have grown naturally. Living in a thatched cottage, the vānaprastha should endure all kinds of heat and cold. He should not cut his nails or hair, and he should give up cleaning his body and teeth. He should wear tree bark, accept a daṇḍa, and practice life in the forest, taking a vow to live there for twelve years, eight years, four years, two years or at least one year. At last, when because of old age he can no longer perform the activities of a vānaprastha, he should gradually stop everything and in this way give up his body.
SB7.12.1 TEXT 1 śrī-nārada uvāca brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam ācaran dāsavan nīco gurau sudṛḍha-sauhṛdaḥ SYNONYMS śrī-nāradaḥ uvāca—Śrī Nārada Muni said; brahmacārī—a brahmacārī, a student living at the residence of the guru; guru-kule—at the residence of the guru; vasan—by living; dāntaḥ—continuously practicing control of the senses; guroḥ hitam—only for the benefit of the guru (not for one’s personal benefit); ācaran—practicing; dāsa-vat—very humbly, like a slave; nīcaḥ—submissive, obedient; gurau—unto the spiritual master; su-dṛḍha—firmly; sauhṛdaḥ—in friendship or good will.
TRANSLATION Nārada Muni said: A student should practice completely controlling his senses. He should be submissive and should have an attitude of firm friendship for the spiritual master. With a great vow, the brahmacārī should live at the guru-kula, only for the benefit of the guru. SB7.12.2 TEXT 2 sāyaṁ prātar upāsīta gurv-agny-arka-surottamān sandhye ubhe ca yata-vāg japan brahma samāhitaḥ SYNONYMS sāyam—in the evening; prātaḥ—in the morning; upāsīta—he should worship; guru—the spiritual master; agni—the fire (by a fire sacrifice); arka—the sun; sura-uttamān—and Lord Viṣṇu, Puruṣottama, the best of personalities; sandhye—morning and evening; ubhe—both; ca—also; yata-vāk—without talking, being silent; japan—murmuring; brahma—the Gāyatrī mantra; samāhitaḥ—being fully absorbed.
TRANSLATION At both junctions of day and night, namely, in the early morning and in the evening, he should be fully absorbed in thoughts of the spiritual master, fire, the sun-god and Lord Viṣṇu and by chanting the Gāyatrī mantra he should worship them. SB7.12.3 TEXT 3 chandāṁsy adhīyīta guror āhūtaś cet suyantritaḥ upakrame ’vasāne ca caraṇau śirasā namet SYNONYMS chandāṁsi—mantras in the Vedas, like the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and the Gāyatrī mantra; adhīyīta—one should chant or read regularly; guroḥ—from the spiritual master; āhūtaḥ—being addressed or called (by him); cet—if; su-yantritaḥ—faithful, well behaved; upakrame—in the beginning; avasāne—at the end (of reading Vedic mantras); ca—also; caraṇau—at the lotus feet; śirasā—by the head; namet—one should offer obeisances.
TRANSLATION Being called by the spiritual master, the student should study the Vedic mantras regularly. Every day, before beginning his studies and at the end of his studies, the disciple should respectfully offer obeisances unto the spiritual master. SB7.12.4 TEXT 4 mekhalājina-vāsāṁsi jaṭā-daṇḍa-kamaṇḍalūn bibhṛyād upavītaṁ ca darbha-pāṇir yathoditam SYNONYMS mekhalā—a belt made of straw; ajina-vāsāṁsi—garments made of deerskin; jaṭā—matted hair; daṇḍa—a rod; kamaṇḍalūn—and a waterpot known as a kamaṇḍalu; bibhṛyāt—he (the brahmacārī) should regularly carry or wear; upavītam ca—and a sacred thread; darbha-pāṇiḥ—taking purified kuśa in his hand; yathā uditam—as recommended in the śāstras.
TRANSLATION Carrying pure kuśa grass in his hand, the brahmacārī should dress regularly with a belt of straw and with deerskin garments. He should wear matted hair, carry a rod and waterpot and be decorated with a sacred thread, as recommended in the śāstras. SB7.12.5 TEXT 5 sāyaṁ prātaś cared bhaikṣyaṁ gurave tan nivedayet bhuñjīta yady anujñāto no ced upavaset kvacit SYNONYMS sāyam—in the evening; prātaḥ—in the morning; caret—should go out; bhaikṣyam—to collect alms; gurave—unto the spiritual master; tat—all that he collects; nivedayet—should offer; bhuñjīta—he should eat; yadi—if; anujñātaḥ—ordered (by the spiritual master); no—otherwise; cet—if; upavaset—should observe fasting; kvacit—sometimes.
TRANSLATION The brahmacārī should go out morning and evening to collect alms, and he should offer all that he collects to the spiritual master. He should eat only if ordered to take food by the spiritual master; otherwise, if the spiritual master does not give this order, he may sometimes have to fast. SB7.12.6 TEXT 6 suśīlo mita-bhug dakṣaḥ śraddadhāno jitendriyaḥ yāvad-arthaṁ vyavaharet strīṣu strī-nirjiteṣu ca SYNONYMS su-śīlaḥ—very polite and well behaved; mita-bhuk—eating only exactly what he needs, neither more nor less; dakṣaḥ—expert or without laziness, always busy; śraddadhānaḥ—possessing full faith in the instructions of the śāstra and the spiritual master; jita-indriyaḥ—having full control over the senses; yāvat-artham—as much as necessary; vyavaharet—should behave externally; strīṣu—unto women; strī-nirjiteṣu—men who are henpecked, controlled by women; ca—also.
TRANSLATION A brahmacārī should be quite well behaved and gentle and should not eat or collect more than necessary. He must always be active and expert, fully believing in the instructions of the spiritual master and the śāstra. Fully controlling his senses, he should associate only as much as necessary with women or those controlled by women. PURPORT A brahmacārī should be very careful not to mix with women or with men addicted to women. Although when he goes out to beg alms it is necessary to talk with women and with men very much attached to women, this association should be very short, and he should talk with them only about begging alms, and not more. A brahmacārī should be very careful in associating with men who are attached to women.
SB7.12.7 TEXT 7 varjayet pramadā-gāthām agṛhastho bṛhad-vrataḥ indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranty api yater manaḥ SYNONYMS varjayet—must give up; pramadā-gāthām—talking with women; agṛhasthaḥ—a person who has not accepted the gṛhastha-āśrama (a brahmacārī or sannyāsī); bṛhat-vrataḥ—invariably observing the vow of celibacy; indriyāṇi—the senses; pramāthīni—almost always unconquerable; haranti—take away; api—even; yateḥ—of the sannyāsī; manaḥ—the mind.
TRANSLATION A brahmacārī, or one who has not accepted the gṛhastha-āśrama [family life], must rigidly avoid talking with women or about women, for the senses are so powerful that they may agitate even the mind of a sannyāsī, a member of the renounced order of life. PURPORT Brahmacarya essentially means the vow not to marry but to observe strict celibacy (bṛhad-vrata). A brahmacārī or sannyāsī should avoid talking with women or reading literature concerning talks between man and woman. The injunction restricting association with women is the basic principle of spiritual life. Associating or talking with women is never advised in any of the Vedic literatures. The entire Vedic system teaches one to avoid sex life so that one may gradually progress from brahmacarya to gṛhastha, from gṛhastha to vānaprastha, and from vānaprastha to sannyāsa and thus give up material enjoyment, which is the original cause of bondage to this material world. The word bṛhad-vrata refers to one who has decided not to marry, or in other words, not to indulge in sex life throughout his entire life.
SB7.12.8 TEXT 8 keśa-prasādhanonmarda- snapanābhyañjanādikam guru-strībhir yuvatibhiḥ kārayen nātmano yuvā SYNONYMS keśa-prasādhana—brushing the hair; unmarda—massaging the body; snapana—bathing; abhyañjana-ādikam—massaging the body with oil and so on; guru-strībhiḥ—by the wife of the spiritual master; yuvatibhiḥ—very young; kārayet—should allow to do; na—never; ātmanaḥ—for personal service; yuvā—if the student is a young man.
TRANSLATION If the wife of the spiritual master is young, a young brahmacārī should not allow her to care for his hair, massage his body with oil, or bathe him with affection like a mother. PURPORT The relationship between the student or disciple and the wife of the spiritual master or teacher is like that between son and mother. A mother sometimes cares for her son by combing his hair, massaging his body with oil, or bathing him. Similarly, the wife of the teacher is also a mother (guru-patnī), and therefore she may also care for the disciple in a motherly way. If the wife of the teacher is a young woman, however, a young brahmacārī should not allow such a mother to touch him. This is strictly prohibited. There are seven kinds of mothers:
ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī These mothers are the original mother, the wife of the teacher or spiritual master, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, the king’s wife, the cow, the nurse and the earth. Unnecessary association with women, even with one’s mother, sister or daughter, is strictly prohibited. This is human civilization. A civilization that allows men to mix unrestrictedly with women is an animal civilization. In Kali-yuga, people are extremely liberal, but mixing with women and talking with them as equals actually constitutes an uncivilized way of life.
SB7.12.9 TEXT 9 nanv agniḥ pramadā nāma ghṛta-kumbha-samaḥ pumān sutām api raho jahyād anyadā yāvad-artha-kṛt SYNONYMS nanu—certainly; agniḥ—the fire; pramadā—the woman (one who bewilders the mind of man); nāma—the very name; ghṛta-kumbha—a pot of butter; samaḥ—like; pumān—a man; sutām api—even one’s daughter; rahaḥ—in a secluded place; jahyāt—one must not associate with; anyadā—with other women also; yāvat—as much as; artha-kṛt—required.
TRANSLATION Woman is compared to fire, and man is compared to a butter pot. Therefore a man should avoid associating even with his own daughter in a secluded place. Similarly, he should also avoid association with other women. One should associate with women only for important business and not otherwise. PURPORT If a butter pot and fire are kept together, the butter within the pot will certainly melt. Woman is compared to fire, and man is compared to a butter pot. However advanced one may be in restraining the senses, it is almost impossible for a man to keep himself controlled in the presence of a woman, even if she is his own daughter, mother or sister. Indeed, his mind is agitated even if one is in the renounced order of life. Therefore, Vedic civilization carefully restricts mingling between men and women. If one cannot understand the basic principle of restraining association between man and woman, he is to be considered an animal. That is the purport of this verse.
SB7.12.10 TEXT 10 kalpayitvātmanā yāvad ābhāsam idam īśvaraḥ dvaitaṁ tāvan na viramet tato hy asya viparyayaḥ SYNONYMS kalpayitvā—ascertaining positively; ātmanā—by self-realization; yāvat—as long as; ābhāsam—reflection (of the original body and senses); idam—this (the body and senses); īśvaraḥ—completely independent of illusion; dvaitam—duality; tāvat—for that long; na—does not; viramet—see; tataḥ—by such duality; hi—indeed; asya—of the person; viparyayaḥ—counteraction.
TRANSLATION As long as a living entity is not completely self-realized—as long as he is not independent of the misconception of identifying with his body, which is nothing but a reflection of the original body and senses—he cannot be relieved of the conception of duality, which is epitomized by the duality between man and woman. Thus there is every chance that he will fall down because his intelligence is bewildered. PURPORT Here is another important warning that a man must save himself from attraction to woman. Until one is self-realized, fully independent of the illusory conception of the material body, the duality of man and woman must undoubtedly continue, but when one is actually self-realized this distinction ceases.
vidyā-vinaya-sampanne “The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Bg. 5.18) On the spiritual platform, the learned person not only gives up the duality of man and woman, but also gives up the duality of man and animal. This is the test of self-realization. One must realize perfectly that the living being is spirit soul but is tasting various types of material bodies. One may theoretically understand this, but when one has practical realization, then he actually becomes a paṇḍita, one who knows. Until that time, the duality continues, and the conception of man and woman also continues. In this stage, one should be extremely careful about mixing with women. No one should think himself perfect and forget the śāstric instruction that one should be very careful about associating even with his daughter, mother or sister, not to speak of other women. Śrīla Madhvācārya cites the following ślokas in this regard:
bahutvenaiva vastūnāṁ yathā jñānaṁ tathā vastu Unity in variety is real knowledge, and therefore giving up variety artificially does not reflect perfect knowledge of monism. According to the acintya-bhedābheda philosophy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there are varieties, but all of them constitute one unit. Such knowledge is knowledge of perfect oneness.
SB7.12.11 TEXT 11 etat sarvaṁ gṛhasthasya samāmnātaṁ yater api guru-vṛttir vikalpena gṛhasthasyartu-gāminaḥ SYNONYMS etat—this; sarvam—all; gṛhasthasya—of a householder; samāmnātam—described; yateḥ api—even of the person in the renounced order; guru-vṛttiḥ vikalpena—to follow the orders of the spiritual master; gṛhasthasya—of the householder; ṛtu-gāminaḥ—accepting sex only during the period favorable for procreation.
TRANSLATION All the rules and regulations apply equally to the householder and the sannyāsī, the member of the renounced order of life. The gṛhastha, however, is given permission by the spiritual master to indulge in sex during the period favorable for procreation. PURPORT It is sometimes misunderstood that a gṛhastha, a householder, is permitted to indulge in sex at any time. This is a wrong conception of gṛhastha life. In spiritual life, whether one is a gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsī or brahmacārī, everyone is under the control of the spiritual master. For brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs there are strong restrictions on sexual indulgence. Similarly, there are strong restrictions for gṛhasthas. Gṛhasthas should indulge in sex life only in accordance with the order of the guru. Therefore it is mentioned here that one must follow the orders of the spiritual master (guru-vṛttir vikalpena). When the spiritual master orders, the gṛhastha may accept sex life. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.11). Dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo ’smi: indulgence in sex life without disobedience to the religious rules and regulations constitutes a religious principle. The gṛhastha is allowed to indulge in sex life during the period favorable for procreation and in accordance with the spiritual master’s order. If the spiritual master’s orders allow a gṛhastha to engage in sex life at a particular time, then the gṛhastha may do so; otherwise, if the spiritual master orders against it, the gṛhastha should abstain. The gṛhastha must obtain permission from the spiritual master to observe the ritualistic ceremony of garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Then he may approach his wife to beget children, otherwise not. A brāhmaṇa generally remains a brahmacārī throughout his entire life, but although some brāhmaṇas become gṛhasthas and indulge in sex life, they do so under the complete control of the spiritual master. The kṣatriya is allowed to marry more than one wife, but this also must be in accordance with the instructions of the spiritual master. It is not that because one is a gṛhastha he may marry as many times as he likes and indulge in sex life as he likes. This is not spiritual life. In spiritual life, one must conduct one’s whole life under the guidance of the guru. Only one who executes his spiritual life under the direction of the spiritual master can achieve the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If one desires to advance in spiritual life but he acts whimsically, not following the orders of the spiritual master, he has no shelter. Yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi. Without the spiritual master’s order, even the gṛhastha should not indulge in sex life.
SB7.12.12 TEXT 12 añjanābhyañjanonmarda- stry-avalekhāmiṣaṁ madhu srag-gandha-lepālaṅkārāṁs tyajeyur ye bṛhad-vratāḥ SYNONYMS añjana—ointment or powder for decorating the eyes; abhyañjana—massaging the head; unmarda—massaging the body; strī-avalekha—to glance over a woman or to paint a woman’s picture; āmiṣam—meat-eating; madhu—drinking liquor or honey; srak—decorating the body with garlands of flowers; gandha-lepa—smearing the body with scented ointment; alaṅkārān—decorating the body with ornaments; tyajeyuḥ—must give up; ye—those who; bṛhat-vratāḥ—have taken the vow of celibacy.
TRANSLATION Brahmacārīs or gṛhasthas who have taken the vow of celibacy as described above should not indulge in the following: applying powder or ointment to the eyes, massaging the head with oil, massaging the body with the hands, seeing a woman or painting a woman’s picture, eating meat, drinking wine, decorating the body with flower garlands, smearing scented ointment on the body, or decorating the body with ornaments. These they should give up. SB7.12.13-14 TEXTS 13–14 uṣitvaivaṁ guru-kule dvijo ’dhītyāvabudhya ca trayīṁ sāṅgopaniṣadaṁ yāvad-arthaṁ yathā-balam dattvā varam anujñāto guroḥ kāmaṁ yadīśvaraḥ gṛhaṁ vanaṁ vā praviśet pravrajet tatra vā vaset SYNONYMS uṣitvā—residing; evam—in this way; guru-kule—under the care of the spiritual master; dvi-jaḥ—the twice-born, namely the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas; adhītya—studying Vedic literature; avabudhya—understanding it properly; ca—and; trayīm—the Vedic literatures; sa-aṅga—along with supplementary parts; upaniṣadam—as well as the Upaniṣads; yāvat-artham—as far as possible; yathā-balam—as far as one can, according to one’s ability; dattvā—giving; varam—remuneration; anujñātaḥ—being asked; guroḥ—of the spiritual master; kāmam—desires; yadi—if; īśvaraḥ—capable; gṛham—household life; vanam—retired life; vā—either; praviśet—one should enter; pravrajet—or get out of; tatra—there; vā—either; vaset—should reside.
TRANSLATION According to the rules and regulations mentioned above, one who is twice-born, namely a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya, should reside in the guru-kula under the care of the spiritual master. There he should study and learn all the Vedic literatures along with their supplements and the Upaniṣads, according to his ability and power to study. If possible, the student or disciple should reward the spiritual master with the remuneration the spiritual master requests, and then, following the master’s order, the disciple should leave and accept one of the other āśramas, namely the gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama or sannyāsa-āśrama, as he desires. PURPORT To study the Vedas and understand them, of course, requires some special intelligence, but the members of the three higher sections of society—namely the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas—must learn the Vedic literatures according to their capability and power to understand. In other words, studying the Vedic literatures is compulsory for everyone but the śūdras and antyajas. The Vedic literature gives the knowledge that can lead one to understand the Absolute Truth—Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān. Guru-kula, or the reformatory educational institution, should be used only to understand Vedic knowledge. At the present time there are many educational institutions for training and technology, but such knowledge has nothing to do with understanding of the Absolute Truth. Technology, therefore, is meant for the śūdras, whereas the Vedas are meant for the dvijas. Consequently this verse states, dvijo ’dhītyāvabudhya ca trayīṁ sāṅgopaniṣadam. At the present time, in the age of Kali, practically everyone is a śūdra, and no one is a dvija. Therefore the condition of society has very much deteriorated.
Another point to be observed from this verse is that from the brahmacārī-āśrama one may accept the sannyāsa-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama or gṛhastha-āśrama. It is not compulsory for a brahmacārī to become a gṛhastha. Because the ultimate aim is to understand the Absolute Truth, there is no necessity of going through all the different āśramas. Thus one may proceed to the sannyāsa-āśrama directly from the brahmacārī-āśrama. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura accepted the sannyāsa-āśrama directly from the brahmacārī-āśrama. In other words, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura did not think it compulsory to accept the gṛhastha-āśrama or vānaprastha-āśrama.
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brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā
dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī
saptaitā mātaraḥ smṛtāḥ
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śvapāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
yathārtha-jñānam ucyate
advaita-jñānam ity etad
dvaita-jñānaṁ tad-anyathā
yathā vastus tathā matiḥ
naiva jñānārthayor bhedas
tata ekatva-vedanam