Real Meaning Of ‘ Brahmacharya’.

‘Brahmacharya/ब्रह्मचर्य’ is the most important yet difficult to understand term; we come across in our spiritual path. This is because; most of the people read the meaning of this term from common english dictionaries, where it is translated as ‘ celibacy’ and celibacy is described as-
” Celibacy is the practice of not having sex, especially because you have made a religious promise not to- ( cambridge learner’s dictionary) and ” The state of not being married and having sex, especially for religious reasons.( Oxford learners dictonary). Both has a common meaning- ” Complete sexual abstinence”

Without knowing true meaning of this term ‘,brahmacharya’, most of the seekers follow this misinterpreted meaning and land up in confusion. In an attempt to practice it with efforts, they suffer from the emotions of guilt, regrets and inferiority complex.

The definition/ meaning of ‘ brahmacharya’; mentioned in any english dictionaries do not match at all with the original and true meaning of the word brahmacharya/ब्रह्मचर्य.

Brahmacharya is the sanskrit word. And its real meaning is –

“ब्रह्मणि चरति इति ब्रह्मचर्यम्।”
ब्रह्मणि= ब्रहम्( परब्रह्म) मे ( sigular, 7th case of the word ‘Brahman’)
चरति= चर्( विचरण करना)चरति= to move/ roam/wander/pervade/ to be engaged in.
So “Brahmacharya’ is to engage/roam in (Para)Brahma.”  When mind engages/engrosses in the Brahma swaroop Atman; it is ‘Brahmacharya’. And the one who follows this i.e  always in own nature – Brahmaswaroop, is Brahmachari.

ब्रह्मणि चरति इति ब्रह्मचर्यम्।
ब्रह्म स्वरूप आत्मा में रमण/ चरण करना ब्रह्मचर्य है।

However, this does not mean that, (celibacy) control over sensual desires, thoughts and activities is not necesary or beneficial for spiritual progress; it is very much needed indeed.
Brahmachari is engrossed in his own nature of Brahmaswaroop, which is beyond the body mind intellect level- beyond the reach of the senses. This is the reason; why brahmachari is not seen indulged in sensual pleasures. His control over this desire is automatic and effortless; as they find no interest in the joys and pleasures at BMI level. This control is out of their understanding that these pleasures at BMI level are ephemeral and only in traces. Real joy/Bliss is of Brahman/ our own nature; which is eternal and the highest; without any gradations.

How can we control these desires; without much efforts like them?

If you learn the scriptures in an authentic way, they never ask the seekers to forcibly shut off these desires.  But they talk the importance of holding the force of such desires and directing it towards the higher one. And for that; they have given us four means ( sadhan) also–Viveka, Vairagya, Shamadi shadsampatti and mumukshutvam.

Untill and unless you cultivate viveka( discrimination between eternal and ephemeral); vairagya is impossible and untill and unless you develope viveka and vairagya well; you cannot practice shama,dama,etc.(mind and sense control)

In spiritual path, ultimate goal is the Eternal Bliss of our own true nature of Brahmaswaroop Atman. Before this Bliss, pleasures at physical, mental and intellectual level are nothing or worthless. That means our very aim is to go beyond these joys and pleasures of lower nature(at the physical, mental and intellectual level).
But we are so much addicted to these pleasures, that it seems impossible to transend them. We want Eternal Bliss too. That means; we want the higher position without leaving the lower one. How is it possible?
For higher position, you have to be ready to leave lower position. Mumukshtvam, the fourth sadhan/means solves the same purpose. It is the intense desire to liberate. If one has this mumukshutvam/ desire for liberation, every other desire will fail to attract him.
Sensual pleasures are very appealing. These are the greatest distracters for the spiritual seekers in early stages. When desire for higher grows in intensity, these distractions of lower nature start reducing automatically.

The wise ones; who has tasted the Bliss of Brahman ( by abiding with own nature of Brahman), no more find any joys or pleasures at physical, mental and intellectual level.

There are three important terms in vedanta- Supression, Expression, and Sublimation.
Supression of the desire for sensual pleasure is harmful and dangerous. It is forceful control of the desires. But that does not mean that it must get expressed anyhow ( in thoughts and actions.) These desires must be channelised in proper way. Here comes the role of moral codes of conduct. If one expresses these in ethical way; as prescribed by the scriptures; there is no wrong or harm in fulfilling them. But that doesn’t mean that one should continue to indulge in them. If one really wants to progress in spiritual path, one has to reduce this also, slowly with proper understanding. Sublimation of desire is to direct its force towards the higher, educating the mind that these are ephemeral and negligible in compare with that of the highest.

If you ask a heavy drunker to stop drinking alcohol, and he stops it all of a sudden, he will suffer from its withdrawal effects. And also, although he stops drinking alcohol, he will engage in thoughts of alcohol continuously. This will not solve the purpose. But proper understanding of the harmful effects of alcohol i.e educating the mind of its bad effects will destroy his drinking tendency at the root level. He will quit his habit by his own wish automaticaly. This is called the sublimation of desire.
The knowledge alone can help the intellect to remove the bad tendencies from the root level.

When we do regular sadhanas like japa, upasana, worships, meditation, etc and try to engage our mind in Brahmavichara or thoughts of God continuously, our every other thought takes a back seat. When we experience the Bliss of the divine, our interest in pleasures at BMI level start decresing day by day.

You find no pleasure in toy bike, when you get your real dream bike.

You must have experienced that the intellectual joy is greater than mental joy and mental joy is greater than physical one.

Bliss of the Brahman /Self Realisation is the highest and the ultimate Bliss- beyond the BMI level. That’s why one who attains it, is no more get attracted by the joys of lower nature.

I want to quote a very funny but useful real example to explain this concept.
My son used to eat pizzas from the small and local brands previously; when there were no dominos outlets in our city. He used to enjoy pizzas very often. One day; we came across the advertisement of dominos outlet in our city; first time. So at one weekend, we took him to dominos and enjoyed a very tasty pizaa. He liked the taste of that pizza so much that he declared that he would never eat the pizza from any other brand thenceforth. Now he is a grown up engineer and doing job in software company but he eats only dominos pizza and not of any else’s brand.

Coming to the original topic of Brahmacharya, it is not true that if you supress the desires of sensual pleasures( be a celibate), you will progress in spiritual path. But constant indulging in the thoughts of Brahman/ Brahmavichara, will definitely eliminate these desires from the root level. Your interest in them will fade over the time. It will be at ease and effortless for you.

Swami Paramanandaji always says-” परमात्मासे जुडे रहो, जग अपने आप छुट जाएगा। you don’t need to leave anything( worldly) with force…. just continue your sadhana honestly ( constantly connect with the Lord), all these pleasures and joys of the lower nature will automatucaly fail to distract you.
If you always stay in brahmavichara in the very background  and carry your daily routine of gruhastha; following the moral codes of conduct,  you will also be called as Brahmachari ( even if you are not a celibate.)
But if you follow complete abstinence(100% celibate), without staying in Brahmavichara, then you are not a brahmachari.

Brahmacharya does not mean celibacy. That is just one aspect/ after effect of it. Brahmachari is ecstatic by his own nature. one can be married and still be a brahmachari.

There are many characters in our puranas, who were Brahmachari; yet engaged in physical contact at few occasions. Those acts were not for the recreational but procreational purpose. Most prominent person is Bhagwan Veda Vyasa, who was called by Satyawati; for her daughter in laws ( who were childless and widows); for the purpose of procreation. And thus, the births of Dhrutarashtra, Pandu and Vidura happened. Most of you must be knowing these stories from Mahabharata.
Lord Krishna is Brahmachari (even if he had the wives.) Adi Shankaracharya onces entered in the body of a king subtly, because he was challenged for shastrarth with Bharati ( wife of Mandana Mishra) on the topic of kaamsutra. He remained in his body for a month; learned the details about kaama, then returened in own body, and won against Bharati. Still he is called as a brahmachari.

The verse from ‘Bhaja Govindam’ by ‘Bhagwan Adi Shankaracharya’ also states,

योगरतो वा भोगरतो वा
सङ्गरतो वा सङ्गविहीन
यस्य ब्रह्मणि रमते चित्तम्
नन्दति नन्दति नन्दतिएवम्।
The one who has awakened to this great Truth/ Brahman, it is immaterial thereafter whether he is in bhoga or in yoga, in a crowd or living alone, his is the real joy.

Thus ‘brahmacharya’ is staying in infinity, knowing our vast true nature, understanding that we are not just the body mind complex. Celibacy naturally happens after that. Brahmachari  never get caught up in the senses after this stage.

So;  don’t think much about how to control the desires of sensual pleasures and be a celibate but constantly dwell in the thoughts of Parabrahma/ Paramatma. After that; you may or may not be a celibate ;  but you will be definitely a Brahmachari..!

With this much understanding, I hope; no one will be a Bhramachari/ भ्रमचारी = भ्रम/ misconception मे रहनेवाला but everybody will try to be a Brahmachari/ब्रह्मचारी= परब्रह्ममे लीन/रमनेवाला।
  Hari Om !

BMI= Body,Mind,Intellect.