Four types of traditional brahmacaris

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Four types of brahmacari:

 

(a) Gayatri: One who learns the gayatri mantra, abstains from salt and

spices for three days, and then takes up family life.

 

(b) Brahman: one who learns the gayatri mantra and then stays in the

gurukula for the full period of 12-20 years, studying, begging, practicing

rituals, and then, upon graduation, takes up married life.

 

© Prajapati: one who learns the gayatri mantra and stays three years

maximum in the gurukula, then marries.

 

(d) Naisthika: one who learns the gayatri mantra, then lives and studies in

the gurukula and dwells in the teacher's asrama (i.e. upholds his brahmacari

vows) until death. He remains chaste, pure, unmarried, wearing reddish

cloth, having sikha, upavita and danda, eating unsalted and unspiced food,

and lives on alms given to his teacher.

 

Compiled by Bhanu Swami