760412 - Lecture SB 07.12.01 - Bombay

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

760412SB-BOMBAY - April 12, 1976 - 20.02 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) (chants verse; devotees respond) (break)

brahmacārī guru-kule

vasan dānto guror hitam

ācaran dāsavan nīco

gurau suḍṛdha-sauhṛdaḥ

(SB 7.12.1)

Translation: (01:23) "Nārada Muni continued to speak that the student should completely practice how to control the senses, be submissive. Firmly in friendly attitude upon the spiritual master, with great vow, the brahmacārī should live at gurukula only for the benefit of the guru."

Prabhupāda:

brahmacārī guru-kule

vasan dānto guror hitam

ācaran dāsavan nīco

gurau suḍṛdha-sauhṛdaḥ

(SB 7.12.1)

So as it is stated that human life is meant for tapasya, austerity. Tapasā. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1), that this human form of life is meant for tapasya, not to live like cats and dogs. That is not human form of life. And tapasya, austerity, begins from brahmācārya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena vā (SB 6.1.13). This is tapasya. Brahmācārya means restraining sex life, celibacy. That is brahmācārya. So when one is serious about advancement of spiritual consciousness, he must live under the control of the guru to learn how to become brahmacārī. This is the main purpose.

The whole Vedic civilization is on the basis of controlling the senses. The yoga practice, it is also meant for controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. By some artificial bodily exercise one can control the senses. That is called yoga. But one who becomes directly a devotee, his sense control is automatically done, if he is devotee. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If one is devotee, then he does not like anything material. And the sex enjoyment is the topmost pleasure in this material world. So naturally one who is devotee, he doesn't require to practice brahmācārya separately—paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59)—because sex pleasure may be very nice in this material world, but when one gets a sense of spiritual pleasure, then this pleasure becomes abominable. It is said by Yamunācārya,

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor

nava-nava-dhāmany rantum āsīt

tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

"Since I have begun to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness and getting relish, then, since then, when I think of . . ." bata nārī-saṅgame, "sex pleasure with woman, I spit on it and my mouth becomes curved, 'Eh,' like that."

Actually it is the position, but because we are under the spell of māyā, we are captivated, bewildered, that after sex life, not only human being, but anyone who is living within this material world, beginning from Brahmā down to the smallest insect, everyone is after sex life. We have heard that even Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, they became sexually excited. It is said that Lord Brahmā was enchanted by daughter, what to speak of others. This material world is so, I mean to say, bewildering, that sometimes the first-class person also becomes bewildered by sex life. Therefore it is strictly prohibited that one should not remain in a solitary place with woman even though the woman is mother, sister or daughter. This is the injunction of the śāstra.

mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā

nāviviktāsano bhavet

balavān indriya-grāmo

vidvāṁsam api karṣati

(SB 9.19.17).

This is the order, that mātrā . . . mātrā means "along with mother"; svasrā mean "along with sister"; and duhitrā means "along with daughter." "One should not sit down in a solitary place even with mother, sister or daughter."

So one may be surprised, that "Nobody becomes agitated sitting before mother, sister or daughter." But śāstra says, "No, no. They are agitated." Then you can say, "Maybe agitates some fool rascal." "No." Vidvaṁsam api karṣati: "Even though one is very advanced, learned, they also become agitated." Therefore you should be very, very careful. Very, very careful. And another place is, another . . . just like in our Society, compulsorily we have to mix with women—not only women, very beautiful young girls. But if one is not agitated even in this association of beautiful women and girls, then he is to be considered paramahaṁsa. He is very advanced. Those who are not . . . paramahaṁsa means he's above all these material qualities.

So we cannot avoid in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That was the problem from the very beginning. In India there is restriction between men and women, free intermingling, but in your country there is no such restriction. Therefore I got my disciples married. They criticize me that I have become a marriage-maker. Anyway, I wanted at least to regulate. That is required. Dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi (BG 7.11). Kṛṣṇa also says.

Now, a married man also can be brahmacārī. If a married man stick to one wife, and before sex, if he takes permission from his spiritual master, then he is brahmacārī. Not whimsically. When the spiritual master orders him that "Now you can beget a child," then he is brahmacārī. Śrīla Vīrarāghavācārya, he has described in his comment that there are two kinds of brahmacārī. One brahmacārī is naiṣṭhikī-brahmacārī; he doesn't marry. And another brahmacārī is . . . although he marries, he is fully under control of the spiritual master, even for sex. That is . . . he is also brahmacārī.

So why so much restriction on the sex life? It is . . . the people do not understand throughout the whole world. They are captivated by sex life, especially in the Western countries. Puṁsaṁ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etat (SB 5.5.8). Material existence means a desire of sex life, both man and woman. Puṁsaṁ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etat. Not only in human society, in animal society, in bird society, everywhere, that is material life. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ (SB 5.5.8). And when they are united for this purpose, a man and woman, they . . . we are already attached to the material activities. Then our attachment becomes more and more strong. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ.

Then, out of this attachment, ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). In this way, being united, then they want gṛha, apartment, to live together. Then they want some land. Formerly there was no service; the gṛhastha used to produce the food grains from the land. Neither there was factories or big, big offices to get job. One had to produce his own food from the land. So simply apartment will not help; I must require some land for eating. Gṛha-kṣetra-sūta. Then we desire for some children. Sūta, āpta, then friends. Sūta, āpta. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta vittaiḥ. But all these establishment can be maintained by money only. Then money.

Then, in this way, gradually, janasya moho 'ham. We are already bewildered. We are attached to this material world. But when we are united, man and woman together, our attachment for this material world becomes increased. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Material world means "I am this body, and in relationship with this body everything is mine," this conception. They forget altogether that "Nothing is mine. Even this body is not mine. Even I am not mine. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's." That is wanted. Unless we get to that status of life, that "Nothing belongs to me. This body also belongs to Kṛṣṇa; I, as spirit soul, belong to Kṛṣṇa; and everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa . . ." Then we become liberated. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13).

This human form of life is meant for tapasya, to learn how to become detached from this material world. And the beginning is this brahmacārī life. Brahmacārī gurukule vasan dāntaḥ. Dānta means self-controlled. That is real teaching. Either a gṛhastha lives . . . if a gṛhastha lives, even he has got wife, he does not . . . one side, according to Vedic civilization, there is no sex life except for begetting a nice child, and that also with garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In other words, whimsically sex life is completely stopped in Vedic civilization. There everything under regulation. Therefore brahmacārī means how to control the senses, to keep under his own control. Not that "I am now sexually inclined. I must have immediately sex." No. Dānta. That is taught. Just like in our Society, even gṛhastha, he is also under restriction, and what to speak of brahmacārī. But we should always remember that this human life is meant for controlling the senses. Athāto brahma jijñāsā (Vedanta-Sutra). It is simply meant for inquiring about our spiritual life. That is perfect civilization.

Therefore brahmacārī means living under direction of guru, guror hitam. And guror hitam: how he can be simply thinking of benefiting the spiritual master. Unless that position comes, nobody can serve guru. It is not an artificial thing. The brahmacārī, the disciple, must have genuine love for guru. Then he can be under his control. Otherwise why one should be under the control of another person? Therefore it is said, ācaran dāsavat. Dāsa. Dāsa means servant. Not only servant, but menial servant. Menial servant means just like the sweeper, the cobbler, like that. They are called menial servant. So in India there is system. The sweeper class is different, the cobbler class is different, and domestic servant is different, and the barber, he is also servant, different. The washerman, he is also servant.

So nīca means just like the washerman or the barber or the cobbler. They are less than the domestic servant at home. They are śūdras, and they are considered less than the śūdras, pañcama. So a disciple is expected to live in gurukula or—gurukula means at the shelter of guru—nīcavat, menial servant. Menial servant. Nīcavat. Ācaran dāsavan nīco gurau sudṛdha sauhṛdaḥ (SB 7.12.1). This can be possible when one is very thickly related with the guru. Otherwise, ordinary relationship will not do. One who has got actually the conviction, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo (Gurvastaka verse 8) . . . one who is convinced that "If I can please my guru, then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased." This is called sudṛdha, full faith. Yasya prasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi (Gurvastaka verse 8). "And if I displease my guru, then I have no place." In this way . . . of course, guru cannot be a false guru. False guru has no such thing. If one guru is genuine and the disciple is genuine, then both of them are benefited, and they go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! (end)