Fwd: Amma on Brahmacharya

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " ymoharir " <ymoharir> wrote:

Namaste:

 

IMO the word " bR^ihmacarya " in one the least understood word.

 

bR^ihmaNe vedaartham caryaM aacaraNiiyam

 

Meaning - One who is engaged the studies of bR^ihma (Veda) is

bR^ihmacaarii.

 

Thus one who observes such penances is bR^ihmacaarii.

 

bR^ihma dnyaanaM tapo vaa aacarati.

 

The word bR^ihmacaarii occurs in R^igveda as well and has a very

important meaning.

 

brhmacaarii carati veviShadviShH | sa devaanaaM bhavatyekam~Ngam ||

R^igveda 10.10.95 ||

 

Meaning - One who behaves as bR^ihmacaarii gains the same status a

Gods.

 

This reflects that saadhaka attains the Godhood and thus the

responsibility for every saadhaka is to practice the austerities to

elevate their own levels from human to God. As advita this means

that God and their place svarga is not separate from him but his

responsibility to achieve that state.

 

During upaniShataic period householders were not off-limits to

bR^ihmacaarya vrata.

 

To become knowledgeable of devayaana and pitR^iyaana shvetaketu's

father vowed for bR^ihmacaaryavrata and went to pravaahnaNa king

(bR^ihad. 6.2.4). Similarly, householders viz shaala, satyayaxa,

indradyumna, were discussing aadhyaatma but could not arrive at the

conclusion therefore all of them became bR^ihmacaarii(samitapaaNi)

and went to the king ashvapati. I think this story is narrated in

chhanadogyauapaniShad.

 

In daxasmR^iti it is said:

 

yo gR^ihasthaashramamaasyaaya brahmacaarii bhavetpuanaH |

na yatirna vanasthyashca sarvaashramavivarjita:

 

Meaning - Any one after becoming householder again become

bR^ihmacaarii does not belong to any specific aashrama (yati,

vaanaprastha.

 

kaNvamini was a naiShThika bR^ihmacaarii and he created an aashrama

on the baks of maalini and remained dedicated to educating many

students.

 

This concept of naiShThika bR^ihmacaarii later was adopted in

bauddha and jaina aacaarya.

 

Now finally how the concept of celibacy did became the synonymous

meaning is also interesting. I MO, any thing that becomes a

diversion must be avoided must have become the golden rule and thus

the conventional meaning of celibacy remained associated with the

word bR^ihmacaarii.

 

As far as vidhiniSheda is concerned is clearly documented in the

manusmR^iti in (2.175-179) and needs to be read in original.

 

Just few thoughts.

 

Dr. Yadu

 

advaitin , bhaskar.yr@i... wrote:

>

> If the above

> statement is true, then grihasthas (householders) have no place in

the

> spiritual path. Or are they expected to live in brahmacharya?

>

> praNAms

> Hare Krishna

>

> Ofcourse, bramacharya (celibacy) is an absolute necessary for

> brahmacharya, vAnaprasTha & athyAshrama (saNyAsa)...but it does

not anyway

> mean that gruhasthA-s have excluded from the path of realization.

>

> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

> bhaskar

--- End forwarded message ---