''Brahmacharya'' (; sa,
ब्रह्मचर्य ) is a concept within
Indian religions that literally means to stay in conduct within one's own
Self
The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhoo ...
. In
Yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
,
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
,
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
and
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...
it generally refers to a lifestyle characterized by sexual continence or complete abstinence.
In the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist monastic traditions, ''brahmacharya'' implies, among other things, the mandatory renunciation of sex and marriage. It is considered necessary for a monk's spiritual practice. Western notions of the religious life as practiced in monastic settings mirror these characteristics.
Etymology
The word ''brahmacharya'' stems from two Sanskrit roots:
#''
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
'' (Devanagari: ब्रह्म) meaning one's own Self, ultimate unchanging reality, absolute consciousness, much discussed in the
Upanishads
The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
.
Brahma is also the Vedic God of creation, no different from the
Self
The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhoo ...
or Atman. (''Ayam Ātmā Brahma (अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म) The
Self
The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhoo ...
of mine is that Brahma)''
#''charya'' (चर्य), which means "occupation with, engaging, proceeding, behaviour, conduct, to follow, moving in, going after". This is often translated as activity, conduct, or mode of behaviour.
Hence, ''brahmacharya'' roughly means "to stay true to one's Self or ones own Atma" or "on the path of Brahma".
In ancient and medieval era Indian texts, the term ''brahmacharya'' is a concept with a more complex meaning indicating an overall lifestyle conducive to the pursuit of sacred knowledge and spiritual liberation.
''Brahmacharya'' is a means, not an end. It usually includes cleanliness,
ahimsa, simple living, studies, meditation, and voluntary restraints on certain foods (eating only
Sattvic food), on intoxicants, and on sexual behavior (both sex and masturbation, in some schools of thought).
[M Khandelwal (2001), Sexual Fluids, Emotions, Morality – Notes on the Gendering of Brahmacharya, in Celibacy, Culture, and Society: The Anthropology of Sexual Abstinence (Editors: Elisa Sobo and Sandra Bell), University of Wisconsin Press, , pages 157–174][Joseph Alter (2012), Moral Materialism, Penguin, , pages 65–67]
As a virtue
''Brahmacharya'' is traditionally regarded as one of the five
yamas
The Yamas ( sa, यम, translit=Yama), and their complement, the Niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Yoga philosophy. It means "reining in" or "control". These are restraints for proper conduct as given in the ...
in
Yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
, as declared in verse 2.30 of Patanjali's
Yoga Sutras
The ''Yoga Sutras of Patañjali'' is a collection of Sanskrit sutras ( aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga – 195 sutras (according to Vyāsa and Krishnamacharya) and 196 sutras (according to others, including BKS Iyengar). The ...
. It is a form of self-restraint regarded as a virtue, and an observance recommended depending on an individual's context. For a married practitioner it means marital fidelity (not cheating on one's spouse); for a single person it means celibacy.
[Brahmacharyam Pativratyam cha – Celibacy and Fidelity]
Himalayan Academy, Gutenberg Archives (2006)[ '' Louise Taylor (2001), A Woman's Book of Yoga, Tuttle, , page 3;]
''Jeffrey Long (2009), Jainism: An Introduction, IB Tauris, , page 109; Quote: The fourth vow – brahmacarya – means for laypersons, marital fidelity and pre-marital celibacy; for ascetics, it means absolute celibacy; John Cort explains, "Brahmacharya involves having sex only with one's spouse, as well as the avoidance of ardent gazing or lewd gestures (...) — Quoted by Long, ibid, page 101 Shandilya
Upanishad
The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
includes ''brahmacharya'' as one of ten
yamas
The Yamas ( sa, यम, translit=Yama), and their complement, the Niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Yoga philosophy. It means "reining in" or "control". These are restraints for proper conduct as given in the ...
in Chapter 1, defining it as "refraining from sexual intercourse in all places and in all states in mind, speech or body".
Patanjali in verse 2.38 states that the virtue of brahmacharya leads to the profit of ''virya'' (वीर्य).
[SV Bharti (2001), Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: With the Exposition of Vyasa, Motilal Banarsidas, , Appendix I, pages 536–539] This Sanskrit word, ''virya'', has been variously translated as virility and, by
Vyasa
Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...
, as strength and capacity. Vyasa explains that this virtue promotes other good qualities.
Other ancient and medieval era texts of Hinduism describe the fruits of this virtue differently. For example, Pada Chandrika, Raja Marttanda, Sutrartha Bodhini, Mani Prabha and Yoga Sudhakara each state that ''brahmacharya'' must be understood as the voluntary restraint of power.
Chandogya Upanishad in verses of chapter 8.5 extols ''brahmacharya'' as a sacrament and sacrifice which, once perfected, leads to realization of the Self (Atman), and thereafter becomes the habit of experiencing the
Self
The self is an individual as the object of that individual’s own reflective consciousness. Since the ''self'' is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self—or ''selfhoo ...
in others and everything.
Tattva Vaisharadi and Yoga Sarasangraha assert that ''brahmacharya'' leads to an increase in ''jñana-shakti'' (power of knowledge) and ''kriya-shakti'' (power of action).
The great epic
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
describes the objective of brahmacharya as knowledge of
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
(Book Five,
Udyoga Parva
The Udyoga Parva ( sa, उद्योग पर्वः), or ''the Book of Effort,'' is the fifth of eighteen books of the Indian Epic Mahabharata.van Buitenen, J.A.B. (1978) ''The Mahabharata: Book 4: The Book of the Virata; Book 5: The Book o ...
, the Book of Effort).
Brahmacharya leads one to union with the Supreme Self (Chapter 43). By subduing desire, the practice of self-restraint enables the student to learn, pay attention in
thought, word and deed to the ''guru'' (teacher), and discover the truth embodied in the Vedas and Upanishads. According to the epic, the practice of studying and learning requires the "aid of time," as well as personal effort, ability, discussion, and practice, all of which are helped by the virtue of brahmacharya.
A brahmachāri should do useful work, and the earnings he obtains should be given away as ''dakshina'' ("fee," "gift of thanks") to the guru. The epic declares that brahmacharya is one of twelve virtues, an essential part of ''angas'' in
yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
and the path of perfecting perseverance and the pursuit of knowledge.
[KM Ganguli (Translator), , Udyoga Parva, Chapter 43, pages 150–153]
In Jainism
![In-jain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/In-jain.png)
''Brahmacharya'' is one of the five major vows prescribed for the ''
śrāvakā'' (layman) and ascetics in
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...
. For those Jains who adopt the path of monks, celibacy in action, words and thoughts is expected. For lay Jains who are married, the virtue of ''brahmacharya'' requires remaining sexually faithful to one's chosen partner.
For lay Jains who are unmarried, chaste living requires Jains to avoid sex before marriage. ''Uttam brahmacharya'' (Supreme Celibacy) is one of the ten excellencies of a ''
Jain monk
Jain monasticism refers to the order of monks and nuns in the Jain community and can be divided into two major denominations: the ''Digambara'' and the '' Śvētāmbara''. The monastic practices of the two major sects vary greatly, but the ...
''. ''Brahmacharya'' is mentioned as one of the ''das
dharma'' (ten virtues) in ancient Jain texts like ''
Tattvartha Sutra
''Tattvārthasūtra'', meaning "On the Nature '' ''artha">nowiki/>''artha''.html" ;"title="artha.html" ;"title="nowiki/>''artha">nowiki/>''artha''">artha.html" ;"title="nowiki/>''artha">nowiki/>''artha''of Reality 'tattva'' (also known as ...
'', ''
Sarvārthasiddhi
''Sarvārthasiddhi'' is a famous Jain text authored by '' Ācārya Pujyapada''. It is the oldest extan commentary on ''Ācārya Umaswami's Tattvārthasūtra'' (another famous Jain text). Traditionally though, the oldest commentary on the Tatt ...
'' and ''
Puruşārthasiddhyupāya
Puruşārthasiddhyupāya (Purushartha Siddhyupaya) is a major Jain text authored by Acharya Amritchandra. Acharya Amritchandra was a Digambara Acharya who lived in the tenth century (Vikram Samvat). ''Puruşārthasiddhyupāya'' deals with the ...
''.
Among Sramanic traditions
Among the
Sramanic traditions (
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
,
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...
,
Ājīvika
''Ajivika'' (IAST: ) is one of the Āstika and nāstika, ''nāstika'' or "heterodox" schools of Indian philosophy.Natalia Isaeva (1993), Shankara and Indian Philosophy, State University of New York Press, , pages 20-23James Lochtefeld, "Ajivik ...
, and
Charvaka schools), ''brahmacharya'' is the term used for a self-imposed practice of celibacy generally considered a prerequisite for
spiritual practice
A spiritual practice or spiritual discipline (often including spiritual exercises) is the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of inducing spiritual experiences and cultivating spiritual developme ...
. The fourth of the five great vows of
Jain monk
Jain monasticism refers to the order of monks and nuns in the Jain community and can be divided into two major denominations: the ''Digambara'' and the '' Śvētāmbara''. The monastic practices of the two major sects vary greatly, but the ...
s, for example, is the vow of celibacy, which in this case means a total abstinence from the sensual pleasure of all five senses, including the avoidance of sexual thoughts and desires.
[Pravin Shah]
Five Great Vows (Maha-vratas) of Jainism
Jainism Literature Center, Harvard University Archives (2009) The
yogin
A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297-299, 331 Th ...
who is firmly grounded in the virtue of ''brahmacharya'' is said to gain great vitality.
As Asrama stage of life
Brahmacharya in Hinduism literally means "conduct consistent with
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
" or "on the path of Brahman".
[James Lochtefeld, "Brahmacharya" in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, pp. 120, Rosen Publishing. ] Historically ''brahmacharya'' referred to a stage of life ''(asrama)'' within the
Vedic ashram system. Ancient
Hindu culture divided the human lifespan into four stages: ''brahmacharya'', ''
Grihastha'', ''
Vanaprastha'' and ''
Sannyasa
''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' A ...
''. ''Brahamacarya asrama'' occupied the first 20–25 years of life roughly corresponding to adolescence. Upon the child's ''
Upanayanam
''Upanayana'' ( sa, उपनयनम्, lit=initiation, translit=Upanāyanam) is a Hindu educational sacrament, one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a ''guru'' ...
'', the young person would begin a life of study in the
Gurukula
A or ( sa, गुरुकुल, gurukul) is a type of education system in ancient India with ('students' or 'disciples') living near or with the guru, in the same house. The guru-shishya tradition is a sacred one in Hinduism and possibly ...
(the household of the
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
) dedicated to learning all aspects of ''dharma'' that is the "principles of righteous living". ''Dharma'' comprised personal responsibilities towards himself, family, society, humanity and God which included the environment, earth and nature. This educational period started when the child was five to eight years old and lasted until the age of 14 to 20 years. During this stage of life, the traditional
vedic sciences and various sastras were studied along with the religious texts contained within the
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...
and
Upanishads
The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
. This stage of life was characterized by the practice of
celibacy.
In one context, ''brahmacharya'' is the first of four ''
ashrama'' (age-based stages) of a human life, with ''
grihastha'' (householder), ''
vanaprastha'' (forest dweller), and ''
sannyasa
''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' A ...
'' (renunciation) being the other three ''asramas''. The ''brahmacharya'' (bachelor student) stage of life – from childhood up to twenty-five years of age – was focused on education and included the practice of
celibacy.
[RK Sharma (1999), Indian Society, Institutions and Change, , page 28] In this context, it connotes
chastity
Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains either from sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for example when ma ...
during the student stage of life for the purposes of learning from a ''
guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
'' (teacher), and during later stages of life for the purposes of attaining spiritual liberation (Sanskrit: ''
moksha
''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...
'').
Naradaparivrajaka Upanishad suggests that the brahmacharya (student) stage of life should extend from the age a child is ready to receive teachings from a ''guru'', and continue for a period of twelve years.
Graduation from the brahmacharya stage of life was marked by the
Samavartanam ceremony. The graduate was then ready to either start
Grihastha (householder) stage of life, or wait, or pursue a life of Sannyasa and solitude like
Rishis in forest.
Vyasa
Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...
in Chapter 234 of Shanti Parva in the
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
praises ''brahmacharya'' as an important stage of life necessary for learning, then adds ''Grihastha'' stage as the root of society and important to an individual's success.
;Brahmacharya for girls
The Vedas and Upanishads do not restrict the student stage of life to males.
Atharva Veda, for example, states
[S Jain (2003), The Right to Family Planning, in Sacred Rights: The Case for Contraception and Abortion in World Religions (Editor: Daniel C. Maguire), Oxford University Press, , page 134, Quote – "The Atharva Veda confirms... a brahmacārinī has better prospects of marriage than a girl who is uneducated"; "The Vedic period.... girls, like boys, are also expected to go through the brahmacharya..."]
;No age restrictions
Gonda
Jan Gonda
Jan Gonda (14 April 1905 – 28 July 1991) was a Dutch Indologist and the first Utrecht professor of Sanskrit. He was born in Gouda, in the Netherlands, and died in Utrecht. He studied with Willem Caland at Rijksuniversiteit, Utrecht (since 1990 ...
(1965), Change and Continuity in Indian Religion, Mouton & Co, The Hague, pages 284–285, 1965 print: , Reprinted in 1997: (page number may be different) states that there were no age restrictions for the start of brahmacharya in ancient India. Not only young men, but older people resorted to student stage of life, and sought teachers who were authoritative in certain subjects.
The Chandogya Upanishad, in Section 5.11, describes "wealthy and learned householders" becoming brahmacārīs (students) with Rishi Kaikeya, to gain knowledge about Atman (
inner Self) and Brahman (Ultimate Reality).
Historical references to brahmacharya
The Vedas discuss brahmacharya, both in the context of lifestyle and stage of one's life.
Rig Veda, for example, in Book 10 Chapter 136, mentions knowledge seekers as those with ''Kesin'' (long haired) and soil-colored clothes (yellow, orange, saffron) engaged in the affairs of ''Mananat'' (mind, meditation). Rigveda, however, refers to these people as ''Muni'' and ''Vati''. The
Atharva Veda
The Atharva Veda (, ' from ' and ''veda'', meaning "knowledge") is the "knowledge storehouse of ''atharvāṇas'', the procedures for everyday life".Laurie Patton (2004), Veda and Upanishad, in ''The Hindu World'' (Editors: Sushil Mittal and G ...
, completed by about 1000 BC, has more explicit discussion of ''Brahmacharya'', in Book XI Chapter 5.
[For source in Sanskrit]
Atharva Veda
Wikisource, Hymns 11.5 1 – 11.5 26; (ब्रह्मचारीष्णंश् चरति रोदसी उभे तस्मिन् देवाः संमनसो भवन्ति , स दाधार पृथिवीं दिवं च स आचार्यं तपसा पिपर्ति , , 1, , ब्रह्मचारिणं पितरो देवजनाः पृथग् देवा अनुसंयन्ति सर्वे , गन्धर्वा एनम् अन्व् आयन् त्रयस्त्रिंशत् त्रिशताः षट्सहस्राः सर्वान्त् स देवांस् तपसा पिपर्ति , , 2, , आचार्य उपनयमानो ब्रह्मचारिणं कृणुते गर्भम् अन्तः , तं रात्रीस् तिस्र उदरे बिभर्ति तं जातं द्रष्टुम् अभिसंयन्ति देवाः , , 3, , (...))
For English translation: Stephen N Hay and William Theodore De Bary (1988), Sources of Indian Tradition, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 18–19 This Chapter of Atharva Veda describes brahmacharya as that which leads to one's second birth (mind, Self-awareness), with Hymn 11.5.3 painting a symbolic picture that when a teacher accepts a brahmacārī, the student becomes his embryo.
The concept and practice of ''brahmacharya'' is extensively found among the older strata of the
Mukhya Upanishads
Principal Upanishads, also known as Mukhya Upanishads, are the most ancient and widely studied Upanishads of Hinduism. Composed between 800 BCE to the start of common era, these texts are connected to the Vedic tradition.
Content
The Principal U ...
in Hinduism. The 8th-century BC text
Chandogya Upanishad describes in Book 8, activities and lifestyle that is brahmacharya:
[Translation: S Swahananda (2010), Chandogya Upanishad, Vedanta Press, , Book VIII, Chapter 5, verse 1–4]
Original: अथ यद्यज्ञ इत्याचक्षते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्ब्रह्मचर्येण , ह्येव यो ज्ञाता तं विन्दतेऽथ यदिष्टमित्याचक्षते , ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्ब्रह्मचर्येण ह्येवेष्ट्वात्मानमनुविन्दते ॥ १ ॥ अथ यत्सत्त्रायणमित्याचक्षते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्ब्रह्मचर्येण , ह्येव सत आत्मनस्त्राणं विन्दतेऽथ यन्मौनमित्याचक्षते ,
ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तब्ब्रह्मचर्येण ह्येवात्मानमनुविद्य मनुते ' ॥ २ ॥ अथ यदनाशकायनमित्याचक्षते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तदेष , ह्यात्मा न नश्यति यं ब्रह्मचर्येणानुविन्दतेऽथ , यदरण्यायनमित्याचक्षते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तदरश्च ह वै , ण्यश्चार्णवौ ब्रह्मलोके तृतीयस्यामितो दिवि तदैरं , मदीयँ सरस्तदश्वत्थः सोमसवनस्तदपराजिता , पूर्ब्रह्मणः प्रभुविमितँ हिरण्मयम् ॥ ३ ॥ तद्य एवैतवरं च ण्यं चार्णवौ ब्रह्मलोके , ब्रह्मचर्येणानुविन्दन्ति तेषामेवैष ब्रह्मलोकस्तेषाँ , सर्वेषु लोकेषु कामचारो भवति ॥ ४ ॥
A hymn in another early Upanishad, the
Mundaka Upanishad in Book 3, Chapter 1 similarly states,
The Vedas and early Upanishadic texts of Hinduism in their discussion of ''brahmacharya'', make no mention of the age of the student at the start of brahmacharya, nor any restraint on sexual activity. However, there is a clear general consensus in both specific and various Upanishads (such as the Shandilya Upanishad) as well as Hindu smritis (such as the Manusmriti) that the male "student", referred to as the "Brahmachari
should abstain from the "release of semen." This rule may or may not apply to the guru. The verses 11.5.4.16 and 11.5.4.17 of the
Satpatha Brahamana present two different viewpoints on sexual activity, of the guru during the Brahmacharya ashrama, i.e., the teacher of the "student Brahmachari
, one against and one as a choice.
[Julius Eggeling]
Satapatha Brahmana
Madhyandina School version, Clarendon Press, Oxford, page 90 Similarly, in verse 11.5.4.18, the Satapatha Brahamana presents contrasting viewpoints on an eating restraint (regarding honey) for the brahmacārī student.
Among religious movements
In Indian traditions, a ''brahmacārī'' is a male and ''brahmacārinī'' a female.
George Chryssides
George D. Chryssides (born 1945) is a British academic and researcher on new religious movements and cults, has taught at several British universities, becoming head of Religious studies at the University of Wolverhampton in 2001. He is an hono ...
(2006), The A to Z of New Religious Movements, , page 56
Ashrams and Mathas
Various ''Ashrams'' (आश्रम, hermitage) and ''Matha'' (मठ, college of ascetics) of various schools of Hinduism call their male and female initiates as brahmacārī and brahmacārinī.
[Karen Pechilis (2004), The Graceful Guru: Hindu Female Gurus in India and the United States, Oxford University Press, , pages 74–101]
See also
*
Asceticism
*
Atma Shatkam
*
Monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
*
Yamas
The Yamas ( sa, यम, translit=Yama), and their complement, the Niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Yoga philosophy. It means "reining in" or "control". These are restraints for proper conduct as given in the ...
*
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The ''Yoga Sutras of Patañjali'' is a collection of Sanskrit sutras ( aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga – 195 sutras (according to Vyāsa and Krishnamacharya) and 196 sutras (according to others, including BKS Iyengar). The ...
References
Sources
*
*
Further reading
* Carl Olson, Celibacy and Religious Traditions, Oxford University Press,
*
Elisabeth Haich, ''Sexual Energy and Yoga''. Aurora Press, (1982)
* Stuart Sovatsky: "Eros, Consciousness and Kundalini: Tantric Celibacy and the Mysteries of Eros". Inner Traditions, Rochester, VT. (1999)
*
Swami Narayanananda: ''The Way to Peace, Power and Long Life''. N.U. Yoga Trust, Denmark, 2001 (1st ed. 1945)
* Swami Narayanananda: ''Brahmacharya, Its Necessity and Practice for Boys and Girls''. N.U. Yoga Trust, Denmark, 2001 (1st ed. 1960)
External links
Brahmacharya (online book on Brahmacharya by Panyas Shri Chandrashekhar Vijayji)Brahmacharya Hi Jeevan Hain PDF (Hindi)Brahmacharya Ki Mahima PDF (Hindi)Brahmacharya Ki Shakti By Swami Rama Tirtha PDF (Hindi)Nakedness, Nonviolence, and Brahmacharya: Gandhi's Experiments in Celibate SexualityVinay Lal (2000), Journal of the History of Sexuality, Vol. 9, No. 1/2, pp. 105–136
Seminal Truth: A Modern Science of Male Celibacy in North IndiaJoseph S. Alter, Medical Anthropology Quarterly, New Series, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Sep., 1997), pp. 275–298
Ritual, knowledge, and being: initiation and Veda study in ancient India Brian Smith (1986), Numen, 33(1): 65–89.
Renunciation in the Religious Traditions of South AsiaRichard Burghart (1983), Man, 18(4): 635–653.
Himalayan Academy, Gutenberg Archives
An interview with Swami Chidananda
Practice of Brahmacharyaby
Swami Sivananda
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The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Chapters 5, 6 and 7 discuss Vivekananda's views on Brahmacharya
Asceticism
Ashramas
Buddhist philosophical concepts
Hindu monasticism
Hindu philosophical concepts
Jain philosophical concepts
Relational ethics
Jain ethics
Hindu ethics
Celibacy
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