Exposition of the Duties of the Brahmachari

Verse 1 (skanda.2.210.1)

श्रीनारायण उवाच । ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थश्च वानप्रस्थो यतिस्तथा । एत आश्रमिणः प्रोक्ताश्चत्वारो मुनिसत्तम

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca brahmacārī gṛhasthaśca vānaprastho yatistathā eta āśramiṇaḥ proktāścatvāro munisattama

Shri Narayana said: The Brahmachari, the Grihastha, the Vanaprastha, and likewise the Yati -- these, O best of sages, are declared to be the four orders of life.

Verse 2 (skanda.2.210.2)

संस्कारैः संस्कृतो यस्तु शुद्धयोनिर्द्विजातिताम् । प्राप्तः स हि ब्रह्मचारी तद्धर्मानादितो ब्रुवे

saṁskāraiḥ saṁskṛto yastu śuddhayonirdvijātitām prāptaḥ sa hi brahmacārī taddharmānādito bruve

He of pure lineage who, purified by the sacraments, has attained the standing of the twice-born, is indeed the Brahmachari; I shall now declare his duties from the beginning.

Verse 3 (skanda.2.210.3)

वर्णी वेदमधीयीत वसन्गुरुगृहे शुचिः । जितेन्द्रियो जितक्रोधो विनीतस्तथ्यभाषणः

varṇī vedamadhīyīta vasangurugṛhe śuciḥ jitendriyo jitakrodho vinītastathyabhāṣaṇaḥ

The Brahmachari should study the Veda while dwelling in his teacher's house, keeping himself pure, his senses mastered, his anger conquered, humble, and speaking only the truth.

Verse 4 (skanda.2.210.4)

सायं प्रातश्चरेद्धोमं भिक्षाचर्यां च संयतः । कुर्यात्त्रिकालं संध्यां च विष्णुपूजां तथान्वहम्

sāyaṁ prātaścareddhomaṁ bhikṣācaryāṁ ca saṁyataḥ kuryāttrikālaṁ saṁdhyāṁ ca viṣṇupūjāṁ tathānvaham

With self-restraint he should perform the fire-offering morning and evening and go about begging alms; he should perform the threefold Sandhya, and likewise worship Vishnu every day.

Verse 5 (skanda.2.210.5)

गुर्वाज्ञयैव भुञ्जीत मितमन्नमनाकुलः । गुरुसेवापरो नित्यं भवेद्व्यसनवर्जितः

gurvājñayaiva bhuñjīta mitamannamanākulaḥ gurusevāparo nityaṁ bhavedvyasanavarjitaḥ

He should eat only by his guru's leave, taking limited food with an undisturbed mind; ever devoted to serving his guru, he should remain free of every vice.

Verse 6 (skanda.2.210.6)

स्नाने च भोजने होमे जपे मौनमुपाश्रयेत् । छिन्द्यान्न नखरोमाणि दन्तान्नैवातिधावयेत्

snāne ca bhojane home jape maunamupāśrayet chindyānna nakharomāṇi dantānnaivātidhāvayet

He should keep silence while bathing, eating, performing the fire-offering, and repeating japa; he should not cut his nails or body hair needlessly, nor scrub his teeth to excess.

Verse 7 (skanda.2.210.7)

नातिधावेच्च वासांसि भवेन्निष्कपटो गुरौ । आहूतोध्ययनं कुर्यादादावन्ते च तं नमेत्

nātidhāvecca vāsāṁsi bhavenniṣkapaṭo gurau āhūtodhyayanaṁ kuryādādāvante ca taṁ namet

He should not scrub his garments to excess either, and should remain free of deceit toward his guru; when called he should take up his study, bowing to the guru both at its start and at its close.

Verse 8 (skanda.2.210.8)

अस्पृश्यान्न स्पृशेच्चासौ नाऽसंभाष्यांश्च भाषयेत् । अभक्ष्यं भक्षयेन्नैव नाऽपेयं च पिबेत्क्वचित्

aspṛśyānna spṛśeccāsau nā'saṁbhāṣyāṁśca bhāṣayet abhakṣyaṁ bhakṣayennaiva nā'peyaṁ ca pibetkvacit

He should not touch the untouchable, nor converse with those unfit to be conversed with; he should never eat what is forbidden as food, nor ever drink what is forbidden as drink.

Verse 9 (skanda.2.210.9)

मेखलामजिनं दण्डं बिभृयाच्च कमण्डलुम् । सिते द्वे वाससी ब्रह्मसूत्रं च जपमालिकाम्

mekhalāmajinaṁ daṇḍaṁ bibhṛyācca kamaṇḍalum site dve vāsasī brahmasūtraṁ ca japamālikām

He should wear the girdle, the deerskin, the staff, and carry the water-pot; and also two white garments, the sacred thread, and a rosary for japa.

Verse 10 (skanda.2.210.10)

दर्भपाणिश्च जटिलः केशसंस्कारवर्जितः । अङ्गरागं पुष्पहारान्भूषणानि च वर्जयेत्

darbhapāṇiśca jaṭilaḥ keśasaṁskāravarjitaḥ aṅgarāgaṁ puṣpahārānbhūṣaṇāni ca varjayet

Holding kusha grass in hand, wearing his hair matted and untended, he should give up cosmetic unguents, garlands of flowers, and ornaments.

Verse 11 (skanda.2.210.11)

तैलाभ्यङ्गं न कुर्वीत कज्जले नाञ्जनं तथा । वर्जयेच्च प्रयत्नेन संसर्गं मद्यमांसयोः

tailābhyaṅgaṁ na kurvīta kajjale nāñjanaṁ tathā varjayecca prayatnena saṁsargaṁ madyamāṁsayoḥ

He should not anoint himself with oil, nor apply collyrium to his eyes; and he should diligently avoid all contact with wine and meat.

Verse 12 (skanda.2.210.12)

स्त्रीणां निरीक्षणं स्पर्शं भाषणं क्रीडनादि च । वर्जयेत्सर्वथा वर्णी स्त्रियाश्चाप्यवलेखनम्

strīṇāṁ nirīkṣaṇaṁ sparśaṁ bhāṣaṇaṁ krīḍanādi ca varjayetsarvathā varṇī striyāścāpyavalekhanam

The Brahmachari should altogether give up looking at women, touching them, conversing or playing with them, and even drawing a likeness of a woman.

Verse 13 (skanda.2.210.13)

विना च देवप्रतिमां काष्ठचित्रादियोषितम् । अपि नैव स्पृशेद्धीमान्न च बुद्ध्यावलोकयेत्

vinā ca devapratimāṁ kāṣṭhacitrādiyoṣitam api naiva spṛśeddhīmānna ca buddhyāvalokayet

Apart from the image of a goddess, the wise Brahmachari should not even touch a female figure carved in wood or drawn in a picture, nor deliberately gaze upon it.

Verse 14 (skanda.2.210.14)

प्राणिमात्रं च मिथुनीभूतं नेक्षेत कर्हिचित् । स्त्रीणां गुणाश्चाप्यगुणाञ्छृणुयान्नैव नो वदेत्

prāṇimātraṁ ca mithunībhūtaṁ nekṣeta karhicit strīṇāṁ guṇāścāpyaguṇāñchṛṇuyānnaiva no vadet

He should never look upon any living creature in the act of mating; and he should neither listen to nor speak of the merits or faults of women.

Verse 15 (skanda.2.210.15)

अस्पृशन्नेव वन्देत गुरुपत्नीमपि स्वकाम् । जनन्यापि न तिष्ठेत रहःस्थाने तु कर्हिचित्

aspṛśanneva vandeta gurupatnīmapi svakām jananyāpi na tiṣṭheta rahaḥsthāne tu karhicit

He should salute even his own guru's wife without touching her; and he should never remain alone with a woman in a secluded place, even with his own mother.

Verse 16 (skanda.2.210.16)

एवंवृत्तो वसेत्तत्र यावद्विद्यासमापनम् । ततो विरक्तो न्यासी स्याद्वर्णी वा नैष्ठिको भवेत् । अनधिकारिता प्रोक्ता नैष्ठिकव्रतिनां कलौ

evaṁvṛtto vasettatra yāvadvidyāsamāpanam tato virakto nyāsī syādvarṇī vā naiṣṭhiko bhavet anadhikāritā proktā naiṣṭhikavratināṁ kalau

Living thus, he should remain there until his learning is complete; thereafter, if he has grown dispassionate, he may become a renunciant, or else remain a Brahmachari or take the Naishthika vow. But it is declared that in the Kali age those bound by the Naishthika vow have no such standing.

Verse 17 (skanda.2.210.17)

न संधाविति विज्ञेयं कलीति शब्दसंग्रहात् । वनी स्यादथ वा ब्रह्मन्नविरक्तो भवेद्गृही

na saṁdhāviti vijñeyaṁ kalīti śabdasaṁgrahāt vanī syādatha vā brahmannavirakto bhavedgṛhī

From the very sense carried by the word 'Kali' it should be understood that this path is not fitting then; O brahmin, let him instead become a forest-dweller, or, if not yet dispassionate, a householder.

Verse 18 (skanda.2.210.18)

प्राजापत्यं च सावित्रं ब्राह्मं नैष्ठिकमेव च । चतुर्विधं ब्रह्मचर्यं तत्रैकं शक्तितः श्रयेत्

prājāpatyaṁ ca sāvitraṁ brāhmaṁ naiṣṭhikameva ca caturvidhaṁ brahmacaryaṁ tatraikaṁ śaktitaḥ śrayet

Prajapatya, Savitra, Brahma, and Naishthika -- these are the four kinds of Brahmacharya; one should take up any one of them according to one's own capacity.