॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Wednesday, 25 January 2023 VII.12 - Sage Narada explains the tough standards of conduct for a Brahmachari and a Vanaprastha.
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Srimad Bhagavatam is the scripture that inculcates Bhakti and shows the path to liberation. This can be accomplished only by living life rightly. How to live the ideal life of a Brahmachari? How to withdraw from the world of activity and family ties and withdraw into the forest as a Vanaprastha? These are now explained unambiguously by Sage Narada to King Yudhishthira.
The Brahmachari should live under the care of the true spiritual master, offering him sincere respect and obeisance, acting as his obedient attendant, and always carrying out his order. The Brahmachari should engage himself in spiritual activities and study the Vedic literature under the direction of the spiritual master. According to the Brahmacharya system, he should wear a deerskin secured by a belt, sport matted hair and should bear a staff, waterpot and sacred thread. He should collect alms daily, and whatever alms he has collected, he should offer to the spiritual master. A Brahmachari should accept food in the form of Prasada upon the order of the spiritual master, and if the spiritual master sometimes forgets to order the disciple to eat, the disciple should not take Prasada of his own initiative; rather, he should fast. The Brahmachari should be trained to be satisfied with eating what is absolutely necessary, he should be very expert in executing responsibilities, he should be faithful, and he should control his senses and try to avoid the association of women as far as possible.
All the four stages of life called Ashramas are recognized for spiritual progress, and therefore although the Grihastha Ashrama gives the opportunity and permission for a worldly life of pleasures and acquisition and enjoyment, including sexual activity for a certain time mainly to extend the progeny, it does not allow unrestricted indulgence of any kind.
After the Grihastha Ashrama comes another Ashrama, known as Vanaprastha, midway between Grihastha and Sannyasa. A person in the Vanaprastha order is quite restricted in eating food. He should not cook food over fire, although he is allowed to eat caru, grains that have been offered in a Homa fire. He may eat fruits and grains that have grown naturally. Living in a thatched cottage, the Vanaprastha should endure all kinds of heat and cold. He should not cut his nails or hair, and he should give up grooming and cleaning himself. He should wear tree bark, hold a staff, and practise living in the forest, taking a vow to live there for twelve years, eight years, four years, two years or at least one year. At last, when because of old age he can no longer perform the activities of a Vanaprastha, he should gradually stop everything and in this way give up his body.
These are indeed high standards of conduct not attainable by most of us. So whenever we bemoan our life of difficulties and disappointments, we should remember that we are the makers of our destiny and unless we raise our lives to a much higher standard of conduct, we will continue to be stuck. No doubt prayer and the company of holy people will help us in this journey always.
I shall quote three shlokas to stress what Narada says.
नन्वग्नि: प्रमदा नाम घृतकुम्भसम: पुमान् । सुतामपि रहो जह्यादन्यदा यावदर्थकृत् ॥
T: The irresistible power of temptation from the opposite sex is like a blazing fire and man is full of vulnerabilities like a pot of ghee. It will catch fire easily. Therefore man should stay away from the opposite sex always, even his own daughter, and never allow himself to be in the company of the opposite sex alone if he is serious about spiritual progress. This is critical for a Brahmachari.
यदाकल्प: स्वक्रियायां व्याधिभिर्जरयाथवा । आन्वीक्षिक्यां वा विद्यायां कुर्यादनशनादिकम् ॥
T: A Vanaprastha, if and when he is unable to perform his prescribed duties for advancement in spiritual consciousness or study of the Vedas, because of disease or old age, should practice fasting, and not taking any food.
इत्यक्षरतयात्मानं चिन्मात्रमवशेषितम् । ज्ञात्वाद्वयोऽथ विरमेद् दग्धयोनिरिवानल: ॥
T: Man is essentially all soul, the same as Brahman. Once the material body and its attachments are completely dropped and merged into the five elements, what remains is pure consciousness. Only that is of the nature of pure, unlimited, eternal bliss, and no duality remains in that state. It is like fire after all firewood has been burnt.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
