Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 30


Sanskrit:

एवंवृत्तो गुरुकुले वसेद् भोगविवर्जित: ।विद्या समाप्यते यावद् बिभ्रद् व्रतमखण्डितम् ॥ ३० ॥

ITRANS:

evaṁ-vṛtto gurukulevased bhoga-vivarjitaḥvidyā samāpyate yāvadbibhrad vratam akhaṇḍitam

Translation:

Until the student has completed his Vedic education he should remain engaged in the āśrama of the spiritual master, should remain completely free of material sense gratification and should not break his vow of celibacy [brahmacarya].

Purport:

This verse describes the upakurvāṇa-brahmacārī, who enters gṛhastha-āśrama, or family life, after completing his Vedic education. The word evaṁ-vṛttaḥ indicates that although one may eventually marry and become prominent in society as an intellectual, politician or businessman, during student life one must remain without false prestige as a humble servant of the bona fide spiritual master. The naiṣṭhiki-brahmacārī, who never marries, is described in the following verse.