Celibacy - Yayati's Renunciation part 1.

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In a message dated 10/24/00 5:09:24 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

anand_natarajan writes:

 

<< Life without brahmacharya appears to me to be insipid and animal-like. The

brute by nature knows no self-restraint. Man is man because he is capable of,

and only in so far as he exercises, self-restraint. What formerly appeared to

me to be extravagant praise of brahmacharya in our religious books seems now,

with increasing clearness every day, to be absolutely proper and founded on

experience. "

-------------------- >>

Dear Advaitin friends

Jai Sri Krishna.

Here I would like to share a story from Bhagbatam which relates to this

topics we were discussing. Hope our members will enjoy reading it.

Your's

Raghabananda

******************

Book Nine, Dis xix, Sri mad Bhagavata

Sri Suka resumed : Thus enjoying the pleasures of sense, Yayati, who had been

enslaved by his wife, woke up to his spiritual fall and, disgusted with the

world narrated the following (story in the form of a) parable to Devayani

(his beloved wife.).(1) Listen O Devayani (a scion of the sage Bhrgu), the

true story of one on this earth who had a conduct similar to mine and who was

full of lust (lit., lived in a village), yet for whom (and others like him )

the wise residing in the woods constantly grieve. (2)

Hunting for his beloved object in a forest all alone, a certain goat saw

a she-goat fallen in a well, subject (as she whas) to her own destiny.(3)

Intently thinking of a means of rescuing the she-goat, the passionate goat

created an outlet (for her) by digging out the earth at the brim with the end

of his horns.(4) Coming out of the well, that beautiful she-goat, it is said,

fell in love with that very goat. Observing him selected by her-stout,

mature, most lovable, capable of procreation and expert in the art of

copulation as he was-many more she goats, who longed for a beloved companion,

also conceived a passion for the goat. Enhancing the delight of those

numerous she-goats, that king of goats revelled with them alone and ceased to

think of himself, possessed as she was by the devil of concupiscence. (5-6)

Perceiving that very goat enjoying himself with another most beloved

she-goat, the one that had fallen into the well and (consequently) got

bewildered, could not brook that act of the goat.(7) Deserting that lustful

goat, who though disguised as a friend had played her flase and whose love

was (only) momentary, given as he was to the gratification of his senses, the

she-goat, felt (very) wretched and followed her, uttering a bleat all the way

in order to pacify her, but could not reconcile her.(9) There (in her owner's

house) a certain Brahmana who was her owner, amputated, in anger, his

dangling scrotum and rejoined it in the interest of the she-goat (herself),

proficient as he was in (all) such expedients. (10) With his scrotum

restored, the goat too revelled for a long time indeed with the she goat that

had been found (by him) in the well, O dear one! But he does not feel

satiated with sense-enjoyments till this day. (11)

 

Bound in the same way with the cords of your love and deluded by your charm,

O pretty one, I fail to recognize my own self, wretched as I am . (12) (All)

the rice and barley, gold, animals and women that exist on earth-they cannot

yield satisfaction to the mind of a man who is buffeted by lust. (13) The

craving for sense-gratification never ceases with the enjoyment of

sense-objects. On the other hand it grows stronger and stronger like fire fed

by ghee.(14)

When a man does not entertain the notion of diversity (in the form of

likes and dislikes, which are undesirable,) with regard to any living being,

then to such a man, looking upon all with the same eye all the quareters turn

blissful.(15)

One desirous of happiness should speedily get rid of the thrist for

pleasure, which is productive of sorrow, nay, which cannot be easily given up

by the evil-minded and which does not get worn out even though one's body

grows old. (16)

A man should not sit close (even) to his mother, sister or daughter.

(For) the powerful senses lead astray even a learned man. (17)..........

 

Note: I will continue this story in next mail. Please look for Yayati's

Renunciation.