grhastha

[Guest guest]

When you are married in India, there is some band party, and the bride,

bridegroom is decorated like king, and he is on the horseback and is taken.

But one who knows, he says that “This rascal is becoming more rascal.”

(Hindi) So therefore to check him, not to become a (Hindi), gadä, ass, the

first education is brahmacäré—don’t enter. Don’t enter this puàsaù striyä

mithuné-bhävam. That is education, that is called brahmacäré. Warning that

“It is not good. Better remain brahmacäré,” brahmecaratiti brahmacäré.

“Remain with Brahman, celibacy. You will be happy.” But... That is the first

education, brahmacäré. Then one, if he is unable to remain brahmacäré, “All

right, take wife, regulated, gåhastha.” Don’t remain cats and dogs. That is

not human civilization. First of all, education is, “Don’t unite. Remain

brahmacäré.” But if you are not able, “All right, take a wife like a

gentleman and live like a gentleman.” Ekonari brahmacäré, that is also... If

one is satisfied with one woman, then he is also brahmacäré. He is not

vyabhicäré.

So that is regulated, that you must have wife. Not must have, but if you

cannot avoid, take one wife and remain as a gåhastha. And there are so many

rules and regulations of gåhastha life. Gåhastha life is not that “Whenever

I like, we have sex.” No, that is not. There is regulated. Once in a month.

When there is menstruation, and if the wife is pregnant—then no more sex

life. There are so many rules and regulations. Gåhastha means one who

follows the rules and regulation of sex life. That is gåhastha. Not that

simply united, man and woman, and live like animals. No, that is not

gåhastha. That is called gåhamedhi. Gåhamedhi and gåhastha, there are two

words. Gåhamedhi means he does not know the rules and regulation. He thinks

that this family, this husband and wife, children and home, that is

everything. That is called gåhamedhi. But gåhastha means he is as good as a

sannyäsé. Gåhe tiñöhati ’pi gåhastha (?). He is suitable..., he is not

suitable to become a brahmacäré, because every facility is there, but

regulated. And one who follows the regulative principles, he is äçrama.

Either it is gåhastha äçrama or sannyäsa äçrama, the same thing. Äçrama

means—very easily understood in India, there is discussion—the place where

the spiritual culture is cultivated, that is called äçrama. What is the

difference between the äçrama and ordinary home? Ordinary home means the...,

without any regulative principles, and äçrama means real purpose is

self-realization, development of Kåñëa consciousness. But if one is unable

to accept sannyäsa äçrama or brahmacäré äçrama, that is gåhastha äçrama. Not

that animal äçrama.

So Caitanya Mahäprabhu, therefore He has said, “If we are eager for

advancement in Kåñëa consciousness, then we can stay in any äçrama. It

doesn’t matter.” Either gåhastha äçrama or sannyäsa äçrama, it doesn’t

matter. Kåñëa, Caitanya Mahäprabhu, says to Rämaëanda,

kibä vipra, kibä çüdra, nyäsé kene naya

yei kåñëa-tattva-vettä, sei ‘guru’ haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

Sei guru. Who can become guru? Generally a brähmaëa, a sannyäsé, that is,

that is, they are forced. Brähmaëa is the guru of other varëas, and sannyäsé

is the guru for all varëäçrama. This is... But Caitanya Mahäprabhu says that

is social system. If there is a brähmaëa, if there is a sannyäsé, one should

accept, give preference to him, to accept guru. But Caitanya Mahäprabhu

says, “That is not the criterion. One must be well expert, experienced, well

aware of the science of Kåñëa. He shall be guru.” Not that particularly

because one is born in a brähmaëa family or one has taken sannyäsa, he is

immediately by the dress, or by birth, one can become guru. No. That is

going on. Now it is diminishing. Formerly, in India it was the practice. So

Caitanya Mahäprabhu says that “It doesn’t matter.” Kibä vipra, kibä çüdra.

Vipra means brähmaëa, and çüdra means the fourth class, less than the

vaiçyas. So kibä vipra, kibä çüdra, nyäsé kene naya. Nyäsé means sannyäsé.

Never mind nyäsé, or without nyäsé, because çüdra cannot be sannyäsé.

Without becoming brähmaëa, there is no question of becoming sannyäsa. In the

Çaìkara-sampradäya they are very strict. Unless one is born in a brähmaëa

family, he is not awarded the sannyäsa. That is the stricture. But according

to our Vaiñëava, according to Caitanya Mahäprabhu, päïcarätriké-viddhi, if

there is little tendency of the person to become devotee, he is given the

chance. Never mind he’s born in a çüdra family, a caëòäla family. That is

sanctioned in the çästra: kiräta-hüëändhra-pulinda pulkaçä äbhéra-çumbhä

yavanäù khasädayaù, ye ’nye ca päpä. Anyone. Kåñëa also says, mäà hi pärtha

vyapäçritya ye ’pi syuù päpa-yonayaù [bg. 9.32]. So Närada Muni, he is a

great devotee, he has given allowance to everyone to become a brähmaëa, to

become a sannyäsé. First of all he must be trained up to become a brähmaëa,

then sannyäsé. This is a fact. Without becoming a brähmaëa, there is no

question of sannyäsa.

So these regulative principles are there. So what is, what is the big plan

behind these regulative principles? The big plan is: here is the attraction,

puàsaù striyä mithuné-bhävam—to cut down this attraction between male and

female. This is the big plan. Otherwise there is no need of the varëäçrama.

Varnäçrama means to train the candidates gradually to become free from this

entanglement of man and woman. This is the basic principle.