Brahmachari

3.
TO INTENSELY SURRENDER : one sip of

buttermilk, “I’ve wasted this time of sip for s.g.” He
wasn’t proud of his austerity. He was ashamed for
wasting time for sip. That is how intensely he wanted
to practice.
practice.
(4) AUSTERITY NOT FOR AUSTERITY SAKE

AUSTERITY FOR SERVICE SAKE
(Austerity for maximizing absorption in seva)
Six goswamis wanted to minimize their bodily needs
to
Maximize their time of absorption in service to the
Lord.
It was not for the sake of austerity itself;
It was for the sake of service
Austerity really means –

No s.g. for me, utilize all time and energy for
Krishna.
Krishna sees sincerity of purpose
What we learn from the Goswamis is that

they were never PROUD of their austerities, but
thought they were always FALLEN.
They were always VERY VERY HUMBLE.
Whatever they did was to increaseTHE INTENSITY
TO INCREASE THEIR DEVOTION.
That type of austerity is needed.
Raghunath das goswami gives a standard, that makes

us feel, “I am a fallen soul.”
Whenever you get proud, think of Raghunath das
goswami, “I am attached to Sambar, Rice, Sabji. Just
see Raghunath das goswami.”
brahmacäré guru-kule
vasan dänto guror hitam
äcaran däsavan néco
gurau sudåòha-sauhådaù
TRANSLATION
Närada Muni said: A student should practice
completely (1) controlling his senses. He should be
(2) submissive and should have an
(3) attitude of firm friendship for the spiritual
master. With a (4) great vow, the brahmacäri should
(5) live at the guru-kula, (6) only for the benefit of
the guru. [SB 7.12.1]
So upakrame avasäne ca caraëau çirasä namet. Just at

the lotus feet of guru the brahmacäré... So our
students, they are very obedient. And if our students
see the guru hundred times, he practices this
process, offering obeisances while meeting and
while going. These things are to be practiced.
Then dänta. Brahmacäré guru-kule vasan dänta [SB
7.12.1]. Then he'll be controlled, self-controlled.
Obedience is the first law of discipline. If there is
no obedience, there cannot be any discipline. And
if there is no discipline you cannot manage
anything. That is not possible.
Therefore this is very essential, that the students
should be very disciplined. Disciple means one who
follows discipline. This is disciple, çiñya. The
Sanskrit word is also the same, çiñya. Çiñya, it comes
from the verb çäs, çäsana, ruling. So çiñya means
one who voluntarily accepts the ruling of the
spiritual master. He is called çiñya. Çiñya, çäsana,
çästra, çästra, çäsana—these things are the same,
from the same root
Therefore brahmacäré 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 brahmacäré, 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, äcaran däsavat. Däsa. Däsa
means servant. Not only servant, but menial servant.
Menial servant means just like the sweeper,
cobbler, barber, washerman etc. They are less
than the domestic servant at home. They are
çüdras, and they are considered less than the
çüdras, païcama. So a disciple is expected to live in
gurukula, at the shelter of guru.
Äcaran däsavan néco gurau sudådha sauhådaù. 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 prasädäd bhagavat-prasädo... One who is convinced that "If I can please
my guru, then Kåñëa will be pleased..." This is called sudådha, full faith. Yasya prasädän na
gatiù kuto 'pi. "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.
…these brahmacärés, sannyäsés, they should go to every householder's house and take some
alms….. A small collection, it is going to the temple for offering prasädam to the Lord and the
prasädam to the Vaiñëavas, brähmaëas. Therefore something must be given. If we open this
guru-kula as we are contemplating, the students should be trained up to go house to house
and take little alms. It doesn't matter one has to give one kilogram. No. Whatever you can, you
must give. This is the system all over India still. So here it is said that säyaà prätaç cared
bhaikñyam. Twice in a day the brahmacärés should be trained up to collect alms: in the morning,
in the evening.
And bhaikñyam, and gurave tan nivedayet. And whatever collection is there, it should be
offered to the guru. Not that something kept for my own purpose. No. Everything should be
offered, whatever you collect. You cannot keep because everything in the gurukula or in the
temple, it is for the interest of the guru. In the beginning it was said, vasan dänto guror hitam.
Everything, all collection, either in cash or kind, that is for the benefit of guru, not the personal
benefit.
The brahmacäré will collect dahl, rice, attar, and everything. It will be prepared, offered to the
Deity. That's a fact. But if by mistake guru forgets to call a particular disciple—"My dear son,
please come, take your prasädam"—then he should not take prasädam. "Guru has forgotten, so
I shall not go and take, myself, the foodstuff. I shall fast." This is brahmacäré. Here it is said,
bhuïjéta yady anujïäto.
Everything is there, prasädam is ready, but you can eat if you are ordered by the spiritual
master. This is called tapasya. Not that "Guru is not here and so much foodstuff... Let me eat
sumptuously and sleep twenty-four hours." This is not brahmacäré. We should be very careful.
Without order of guru... Of course, our students are trained up. They ask permission. But here it
is said that he should not ask permission even. If guru calls him, then he can take; otherwise
guru has forgotten to call him somehow or other, so he should starve, or he should fast on that
day. So this is discipline and hardship, voluntary hardship. The brahmacäré may come from the
royal house... Just like our Kåñëa is actually son of Vasudeva, and He was brahmacäré. And
when Sudämä Vipra... Kåñëa was supposed to be kñatriya and Sudämä Vipra was brähmaëa, so
brähmaëas and kñatriyas are especially meant for going to the gurukula and live very strictly
according to the principle of gurukula.

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3.

TO INTENSELY SURRENDER : one sip of

(4) AUSTERITY NOT FOR AUSTERITY SAKE

Austerity really means –

What we learn from the Goswamis is that

Raghunath das goswami gives a standard, that makes

So upakrame avasäne ca caraëau çirasä namet. Just at

Therefore brahmacäré means living under direction

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