* Code of conduct for life-long celibates ( particularly for the Naisthik Brahamchary).* Special instructions to avoid contact with women, in ev- ery way.
Code of conduct for life-long celibates ( particularly for the Naisthik Brahamchary).
Suvrat said:-
O King! Lord Shri Hari lived there, after building the temple (of Dvarikeshwara) and then pleased His devotees, by discussing religious topics. 1.
Once Mukandanand the foremost of Brahmins bowed down to Him with respect, and with folded hands, asked Him. 2.
Mukundanand said:-
I want to hear the complete code of conduct from Thee, as laid down for lifelong celibates like us, who have taken your shelter. 3.
Suvrat said:-
O King! When thus, asked by the great lifelong celibate, the promo- ter of the devotional cult was pleased and said the following. 4.
Sage Narayan said:-
O you best of Brahmins- you have asked a good question. I shall tell you the rules regarding lifelong celibates in detail, as per the scriptures. 5.
Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya- these three castes are known as dvi-jatis: twice-born. They alone are qualified for celibate’s life. 6.
After conducting the rites like foetal conception (Garbhadhana) and others, additionally, having undergone the rite of wearing sacred thread (second birth), in due course such a twice-born (Dvija) is qualified to observe the life of a celibate- studentship. 7.
The vow, named Savitri, conducted for three nights, is recommended for a less intelligent person as student. Prajapatya vow, that lasts for a year is recommended for a weak person. A person who is intelligent, and yet is still inclined towards household affairs, is recommended to observe the vow named Brahma, for twelve years; because his dislike for household affairs feeble. 8 - 9.
Celibacy continuing lifelong is called Naishtika vow. Alternatively, for one who does not want it, the option is householder stage: Grihastasrama. A person who consciously accepts detachment towards worldly affairs is very rare. 10.
The last one, who is inclined to the indifference, should immediately take resort towards an efficient teacher for his betterment. He should acquire the knowledge and study the greatness of Lord Vishnu. 11.
He should study Vedas with all its parts and meaning from the teacher according to one’s own capacity and then, give him gifts or fees in form of gold, money and so on, according to his own monetary condition. 12.
One who has become the follower of Uddhava, the path due to acute inclination for ascetism, is known as a lifelong celibate. I shall now tell you about his rules. 13.
A person, who has confined himself to a lifelong celibacy and is serving his preceptor, should thus, devote himself towards Shri Hari. 14.
Such a Brahmin should always wear, a sacred thread, keep a lock of hair, on the crown of the head and a couple twin of Tulsi beads thread around his neck. 15.
He should wear a waist-band made of Munja grass, a stick in his hand made of Palasha or Bilva, should have Darbha grass in his hand and a deer skin, as a carpet to sit on. He should have a special shaped clean metal pot full of water in his hands and a clear cloth sieve to filter the water. 16 - 17.
He must keep hairs on his body at five places. If germs or insects like lice can occur there then, he should apply the sacred ashes of Agnihotra and nothing else. 18.
In case of excessive insects, death of either of the parents or in some difficult condition, he can chop of the hair except the head lock, armpit and the organ of generation and that also at the place of pilgrimage. 20.
garments and an upper garment made of jute or wool, for putting on at lunch-time. He should have a patched garment, a blanket or some long covering cloth. In addition to the latter point, he should have two small pieces of clothes and a cloth to cover his head. All these clothes should be only of a reddish ochre colour. 20 - 21.
He can keep Shaligram and the vessels required for the worship. He can also keep metal vessels, required for cooking food, for worshipping the idol of god, the books, discussing the principles of scriptures, necessary for his study, a piece of blanket as a seat, a cloth bag for a rosary (to count the beads), rosary, Gopi-chandan and a pair of footwear. These are the only items he can store. 22 - 24.
If he stores more items, apart from the items enumerated above, he should fast, for those many days that he keeps the items with him, to get himself purified. 25.
Special instructions to avoid contact with women, in every way. He should not stare at ladies passionately; whether they are just standing, playing or doing anything else. The stories or information about them occurring in erotic literature should not be heard or discussed. 26.
He, the celibate should not joke or speak secretly with a lady nor should he ask another person to speak with them. He should not aspire for them, at heart. 27.
He should not touch any part of her body; nor the clothes she has put on. If it is washed and dried or washed and still wet, there is no blemish. 28.
He should not touch an idol of a lady that is made of wood, metal, cotton, soil or even a picture. The only exception is that of a Goddess. 29.
A lifelong celibate should not look at the private part of a lady, intentionally, even from a distance. He should not look even at a small naked girl. 30.
He should not speak with a lady or draw her picture. Likewise, he should not touch or look at even pictures of intercourse. 31.
He should not live in a house where erotic pictures, such as of an intercourse and others are openly displayed. Moreover, he should never sit in front of a lady, whilst facing her. 32.
He should not send anything, to a lady secretly. The same way, he should not accept anything from her secretly. 33.
He should not speak or hear the topic and/ or gossips, regarding a lady in front of a man or even Shri Hari. 34.
He should not sleep in a room, where a couple is sleeping in the next room or is separated by one wall only. If they are just living there, then there is no sin. 35.
He should not live in a house where a lady lives, even though many men may be living there. They should not excrete urine or stool, at the place where ladies are moving around. 36.
A celibate should never do such act, in the same place, where the ladies do it. 37.
He should keep himself away from a lady, at the distance of one Dhanu (a unit of measuring distance=about six ft.), except in emergency. In case of a narrow space, he should always protect his body from a female touch. 38.
A celibate should never live with a lady, in a lonely place secretly. A celibate, even though an old one, should never walk with a lady on the road. 39.
A celibate should never go by a carriage along with woman; even in a case of an emergency, he should not sit with a lady in a cart and so on. 40.
He should not take food at a place, where a lady cooks and serves the food and not a male. He should not touch a male actor who is dressed in female attire. 41.
A celibate should never discuss virtues or vices of a lady. He should never employ any lady for household monastery work, like cleaning the house and any other such work. 42.
If the celibate unknowingly breaks any of these rules, has to observe a fast, for one day, as laid down in the scriptures. 43.
Touching a lady directly or talking to her secretly is prohibited. This should be understood in a case of other ladies, than his near relatives or to those who are directly related. 44.
He should not live secretly, even with his mother. A celibate, who has taken a hard religious vow, should not touch his mother directly. 45.
If it is very much necessary to talk to the near related lady for some work, he should talk with her, without touching her and not otherwise (should not talk). 46.
At times, in emergency or in some adverse conditions; touching or talking with the lady is allowed. I shall tell you about it in short. 47.
If he has to ask for food, water, vessels, fuel or about his residence, he should speak to a man, it being addressed to a woman. This is the way to speak with a lady, when it is very much necessary. Now I shall tell you about the times, he can directly speak with a lady. 48 - 49.
When some lady tries to enter his hut forcibly and then he speaks with her. In such a case he is allowed to speak to her. 50.
In case of emergency like water, fire, fearful and long toothed animal, or some direct danger from weapon or poison, falling of a tree or a house or some dangerous disease, in such horrible emergencies; talking or touching a lady is allowed. Otherwise, it is strictly prohibited. 51 - 52.
Attachment with a lady is strictly prohibited by all means. Attachment towards a lady is always considered to be creating a bond. 53.
He should never shed semen intentionally. If it has poured out automatically he should fast for one day. 54.
If he pours out the semen unknowingly, he should observe Chandrayana vrata, and if he directly sheds it to a lady, he has failed to observe the great vow. 55.
Such a person can never become a lifelong celibate, even if he undergoes hundreds of atonement rites. Thus, he has slipped from the path of Uddhava cult and that very circle. 56.
He should undergo expiation rite and then accept the life of a householder. There, he should serve the saints and concentrate upon Lord Shri Lakshminarayan. 57.
If he does not find any woman to marry, due to shortage of money or family, he should adopt fourth stage of life: Sannyas- Ashrama and observe penance to get rid from the bondage. 58.
O you best one! There (in that Ashrama) also, he should devote himself at the service of Lord Krishna. His sin will then, be washed away and he will reach the place of god after death. 59.
Thus ends the fiftieth chapter entitled, ‘narration of the items permitted to be stored by Brahmachari; abstinence from woman contact,’ in the fifth Prakaran of Satsangi jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra. (the rules of the code of conduct). 50