Brahmacharya Ashram Or The Student Stage

Bhagavata Purana And Manu Smriti Relate The Duties Of A Brahmachari

Jul 15, 2009

The human life span is divided into four ashrams or stages. Brahmacharya Ashram is the first stage in which the student receives spiritual instruction.

This article elucidates in greater detail on Brahmacharya Ashram, which is the first stage. A complete definition of Brahmacharya would be “Period of living celibate, self-restraint and study supervised by an authorized spiritual master” [1]. In common usage, Brahmacharya is taken to mean celibacy because that was one of the important requirements during that period of life.

Chapter 17 of Canto 11 of the Bhagavata Purana [2] and Chapter 2 of the Manu Smriti [3] discuss Brahmacharya in detail and the following discussion is based on these works.

The Bhagavata Purana And The Manu Smriti

The Bhagavata Purana was written by the sage Veda Vyasa. It is a complete description of Krishna as the Supreme Divinity. Canto 11 of the Bhagavata Purana is the advice given by Krishna to his friend Uddhava just before his ascension. This dialogue is independently referred to as Uddhava Gita and is held on par with the Bhagvad Gita by many Hindus. It is in this sermon that Krishna explains to Uddhava the four ashrams.

The Manu Smriti, also known as the Laws of Manu is a prescription by Manu on how society should be governed and administered. Brahmacharya Ashram is discussed in the second chapter of the text.

The Initiation Into Brahmacharya Ashram

Of the four castes prevalent in Hindi society, males from three castes were initiated into formal student life. The Manu Smriti prescribes the proper ages at which the initiation should take place. Brahmins (priests) were to be initiated between the ages of five and sixteen; the Kshatriyas (warriors) between the ages of six and twenty two and the Vaisyas (merchants) between the ages of eight and twenty four. If males of these three castes are not initiated in the given period then they lose their status in society.

The Manu Smriti also describes in detail the different clothing that the students of different castes should wear during Brahmacharya Ashram. For example Brahmins should wear upper garments of black antelope skins, Kshatriyas should wear upper garments of spotted deer skin and Vaisyas should wear upper garments of he-goat skin. The Bhagavata Purana indicates that such codes need not be strictly followed.

Duties Of A Brahmachari

During the period of his education the Brahmachari has to live in his guru’s hermitage and focus on studying Vedic literature. Sexual and material gratifications are considered impediments to the learning process and therefore the Brahmachari must live a celibate and simple life. He must shun the company of women and give up all luxuries of life.

The rituals of worship are an important part of Brahmacharya Ashram. The Brahmachari must learn to worship the demi-Gods, the teachers, the cows and all elderly people in the proper manner. The rituals of worship at sunrise and sunset are to be conducted without fail.

The guru is to be worshiped as the Supreme Deity. The Brahmachari must collect the food and offer it to the guru and then accepts as his share whatever the guru gives him. He must serve the guru as a humble servant always alert to any order that the guru may have for him.

According to the Manu Smriti there is no set period of study or set curriculum. Each student decides what is best for him according to his needs and abilities. The period of study varies from nine years to thirty six years. Also some students study three Vedas (Riga, Yajur and Sama), some study two Vedas and some only one.

The Completion Of Brahmacharya Ashram

A student, who is desirous of moving to the Grahasta Ashram stage and starting a family, should first seek the permission of the guru and after offering suitable remuneration to the guru, known as guru dakshina, return home. Members of all three castes can end the Brahmacharya Ashram and start married life. However if a Brahmin wants to continue with his education he can do so, but must remain celibate during that period.

The copyright of the article Brahmacharya Ashram Or The Student Stage in Hindu Culture is owned by Harsh Nevatia. Permission to republish Brahmacharya Ashram Or The Student Stage in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.