Brahmacharya is as "going after Brahman." (Supreme Reality, Self, God). In India, Brahman is the Supreme Reality, Self, or God and is a concept with various context-driven meanings.
In one context, Brahmacharya is the first of
four Ashrama (age-based stages) of human life, with Grihastha (householder), Vanaprastha (forest dweller) and Sannyasa (renunciation) being the other three Asramas. Brahmacharya (bachelor student) stage of one's life, up to 25 years of age, was focused on education and included the practice of celibacy.
In Indian traditions, it connotes chastity during student stage of life to learn from a guru (teacher), and during later stages of life to attain spiritual liberation (moksha).
In another context, Brahmacharya is a virtue, where it means celibacy when unmarried, and fidelity when married. It represents a good lifestyle that also includes simple living, meditation, and other behaviors.
Among the Hindu, Jain and Buddhist monastic traditions, Brahmacharya implies, among other things, mandatory renouncing of sex and marriage. It is considered necessary for a monk's spiritual practice. These characteristics mirror the Western notions of the religious life as practiced in monastic settings.
"Practice of Brahmacharya gives good health, inner strength, peace of mind and long life. It invigorates the mind and nerves. It helps to conserve physical and mental energy. It augments memory, will force and brain power. It bestows tremendous strength and vitality. Strength and fortitude are obtained... He who is established in Brahmacharya will have lustrous eyes, a sweet voice, and a beautiful complexion."- Swami Sivananda
Practice of BrahmacharyaBrahmacharya is considered a vital part of a yoga practice and
meditation since the conservation of energy that comes from practicing celibacy is converted into Ojas and Tejas (spiritual energy).
Brahmacharya is one of
the five Yamas in yoga, as stated in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. It is considered a form of self-restraint and its meaning for the individual varies. For the married practitioner, it means marital fidelity, and for the single practitioner, it means celibacy.
Sandilya Upanishad includes Brahmacharya as one of ten Yamas in Chapter 1 and defines it as "refraining from sexual intercourse in all places and all states in mind, speech or body."
Patanjali in verse 2.38 says that the virtue of Brahmacharya leads to the profit of Virya or virility.
Another definition, as explained by Pada Chandrika, Raja Marttanda, Sutrartha Bodhini, Mani Prabha and Yoga Sudhakara state that Brahmacharya must be understood as the voluntary restraint of power.
In the Epic Mahabharata, in Book Five Udyoga Parva (the Book of Effort), Brahmacharya is described to be the Brahman, which leads one to union with the Supreme Soul. It embodies the practice of self-restraint, the ability to overcome the desire to learn, discover truths (in Vedas and Upanishads), understand reality, pay attention in thought,
chant power-mantras, word and deed to the guru (teacher).
The famous yogis who practiced this Yama are Sankara, Jesus, Gandhi, Hanuman, Lakshmana, and Bhishma from the Mahabharata. From their practice of brahmacharya, they were said to have unbelievable amounts of energy, will-power, and thought-power to do great works for the world.
