Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7 - Chapter 12

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1 Sanskrit: श्रीनारद उवाचब्रह्मचारी गुरुकुले वसन्दान्तो गुरोर्हितम् ।आचरन्दासवन्नीचो गुरौ सुद‍ृढसौहृद: ॥ १ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-nārada uvācabrahmacārī gurukulevasan dānto guror hitamācaran dāsavan nīcogurau sudṛḍha-sauhṛdaḥ Translation: Nārada Muni said: A student should practice completely controlling his senses. He should be submissive and should have an attitude of firm friendship for the spiritual master. With a great vow, the brahmacārī should live at the gurukula, only for the benefit of the guru....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 2 Sanskrit: सायं प्रातरुपासीत गुर्वग्‍न्यर्कसुरोत्तमान् ।सन्ध्ये उभे च यतवाग्जपन्ब्रह्म समाहित: ॥ २ ॥ ITRANS: sāyaṁ prātar upāsītagurv-agny-arka-surottamānsandhye ubhe ca yata-vāgjapan brahma samāhitaḥ Translation: At both junctions of day and night, namely, in the early morning and in the evening, he should be fully absorbed in thoughts of the spiritual master, fire, the sun-god and Lord Viṣṇu and by chanting the Gāyatrī mantra he should worship them....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 3 Sanskrit: छन्दांस्यधीयीत गुरोराहूतश्चेत् सुयन्त्रित: ।उपक्रमेऽवसाने च चरणौ शिरसा नमेत् ॥ ३ ॥ ITRANS: chandāṁsy adhīyīta gurorāhūtaś cet suyantritaḥupakrame ’vasāne cacaraṇau śirasā namet Translation: Being called by the spiritual master, the student should study the Vedic mantras regularly. Every day, before beginning his studies and at the end of his studies, the disciple should respectfully offer obeisances unto the spiritual master. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 4 Sanskrit: मेखलाजिनवासांसि जटादण्डकमण्डलून् ।बिभृयादुपवीतं च दर्भपाणिर्यथोदितम् ॥ ४ ॥ ITRANS: mekhalājina-vāsāṁsijaṭā-daṇḍa-kamaṇḍalūnbibhṛyād upavītaṁ cadarbha-pāṇir yathoditam Translation: Carrying pure kuśa grass in his hand, the brahmacārī should dress regularly with a belt of straw and with deerskin garments. He should wear matted hair, carry a rod and waterpot and be decorated with a sacred thread, as recommended in the śāstras. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 5 Sanskrit: सायं प्रातश्चरेद्भ‍ैक्ष्यं गुरवे तन्निवेदयेत् ।भुञ्जीत यद्यनुज्ञातो नो चेदुपवसेत् क्‍वचित् ॥ ५ ॥ ITRANS: sāyaṁ prātaś cared bhaikṣyaṁgurave tan nivedayetbhuñjīta yady anujñātono ced upavaset kvacit Translation: The brahmacārī should go out morning and evening to collect alms, and he should offer all that he collects to the spiritual master. He should eat only if ordered to take food by the spiritual master; otherwise, if the spiritual master does not give this order, he may sometimes have to fast....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 6 Sanskrit: सुशीलो मितभुग्दक्ष: श्रद्दधानो जितेन्द्रिय: ।यावदर्थं व्यवहरेत् स्त्रीषु स्त्रीनिर्जितेषु च ॥ ६ ॥ ITRANS: suśīlo mita-bhug dakṣaḥśraddadhāno jitendriyaḥyāvad-arthaṁ vyavaharetstrīṣu strī-nirjiteṣu ca Translation: A brahmacārī should be quite well-behaved and gentle and should not eat or collect more than necessary. He must always be active and expert, fully believing in the instructions of the spiritual master and the śāstra. Fully controlling his senses, he should associate only as much as necessary with women or those controlled by women....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 7 Sanskrit: वर्जयेत्प्रमदागाथामगृहस्थो बृहद्‌व्रत: ।इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्त्यपि यतेर्मन: ॥ ७ ॥ ITRANS: varjayet pramadā-gāthāmagṛhastho bṛhad-vrataḥindriyāṇi pramāthīniharanty api yater manaḥ Translation: A brahmacārī, or one who has not accepted the gṛhastha-āśrama [family life], must rigidly avoid talking with women or about women, for the senses are so powerful that they may agitate even the mind of a sannyāsī, a member of the renounced order of life....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 8 Sanskrit: केशप्रसाधनोन्मर्दस्‍नपनाभ्यञ्जनादिकम् ।गुरुस्त्रीभिर्युवतिभि: कारयेन्नात्मनो युवा ॥ ८ ॥ ITRANS: keśa-prasādhanonmarda-snapanābhyañjanādikamguru-strībhir yuvatibhiḥkārayen nātmano yuvā Translation: If the wife of the spiritual master is young, a young brahmacārī should not allow her to care for his hair, massage his body with oil, or bathe him with affection like a mother. Purport: The relationship between the student or disciple and the wife of the spiritual master or teacher is like that between son and mother....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 9 Sanskrit: नन्वग्नि: प्रमदा नाम घृतकुम्भसम: पुमान् ।सुतामपि रहो जह्यादन्यदा यावदर्थकृत् ॥ ९ ॥ ITRANS: nanv agniḥ pramadā nāmaghṛta-kumbha-samaḥ pumānsutām api raho jahyādanyadā yāvad-artha-kṛt Translation: Woman is compared to fire, and man is compared to a butter pot. Therefore a man should avoid associating even with his own daughter in a secluded place. Similarly, he should also avoid association with other women. One should associate with women only for important business and not otherwise....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 10 Sanskrit: कल्पयित्वात्मना यावदाभासमिदमीश्वर: ।द्वैतं तावन्न विरमेत्ततो ह्यस्य विपर्यय: ॥ १० ॥ ITRANS: kalpayitvātmanā yāvadābhāsam idam īśvaraḥdvaitaṁ tāvan na viramettato hy asya viparyayaḥ Translation: As long as a living entity is not completely self-realized — as long as he is not independent of the misconception of identifying with his body, which is nothing but a reflection of the original body and senses — he cannot be relieved of the conception of duality, which is epitomized by the duality between man and woman....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 11 Sanskrit: एतत्सर्वं गृहस्थस्य समाम्नातं यतेरपि ।गुरुवृत्तिर्विकल्पेन गृहस्थस्यर्तुगामिन: ॥ ११ ॥ ITRANS: etat sarvaṁ gṛhasthasyasamāmnātaṁ yater apiguru-vṛttir vikalpenagṛhasthasyartu-gāminaḥ Translation: All the rules and regulations apply equally to the householder and the sannyāsī, the member of the renounced order of life. The gṛhastha, however, is given permission by the spiritual master to indulge in sex during the period favorable for procreation. Purport: It is sometimes misunderstood that a gṛhastha, a householder, is permitted to indulge in sex at any time....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 12 Sanskrit: अञ्जनाभ्यञ्जनोन्मर्दस्त्र्यवलेखामिषं मधु ।स्रग्गन्धलेपालङ्कारांस्त्यजेयुर्ये बृहद्‌व्रता: ॥ १२ ॥ ITRANS: añjanābhyañjanonmarda-stry-avalekhāmiṣaṁ madhusrag-gandha-lepālaṅkārāṁstyajeyur ye bṛhad-vratāḥ Translation: Brahmacārīs or gṛhasthas who have taken the vow of celibacy as described above should not indulge in the following: applying powder or ointment to the eyes, massaging the head with oil, massaging the body with the hands, seeing a woman or painting a woman’s picture, eating meat, drinking wine, decorating the body with flower garlands, smearing scented ointment on the body, or decorating the body with ornaments....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 15 Sanskrit: अग्नौ गुरावात्मनि च सर्वभूतेष्वधोक्षजम् ।भूतै: स्वधामभि: पश्येदप्रविष्टं प्रविष्टवत् ॥ १५ ॥ ITRANS: agnau gurāv ātmani casarva-bhūteṣv adhokṣajambhūtaiḥ sva-dhāmabhiḥ paśyedapraviṣṭaṁ praviṣṭavat Translation: One should realize that in the fire, in the spiritual master, in one’s self and in all living entities — in all circumstances and conditions — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, has simultaneously entered and not entered. He is situated externally and internally as the full controller of everything....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 16 Sanskrit: एवं विधो ब्रह्मचारी वानप्रस्थो यतिर्गृही ।चरन्विदितविज्ञान: परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति ॥ १६ ॥ ITRANS: evaṁ vidho brahmacārīvānaprastho yatir gṛhīcaran vidita-vijñānaḥparaṁ brahmādhigacchati Translation: By practicing in this way, whether one be in the brahmacārī-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama or sannyāsa-āśrama, one must always realize the all-pervading presence of the Supreme Lord, for in this way it is possible to understand the Absolute Truth. Purport: This is the beginning of self-realization....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7 - Chapter 1 - Verse 17 Sanskrit: वानप्रस्थस्य वक्ष्यामि नियमान्मुनिसम्मतान् ।यानास्थाय मुनिर्गच्छेद‍ृषिलोकमुहाञ्जसा ॥ १७ ॥ ITRANS: vānaprasthasya vakṣyāminiyamān muni-sammatānyān āsthāya munir gacchedṛṣi-lokam uhāñjasā Translation: O King, I shall now describe the qualifications for a vānaprastha, one who has retired from family life. By rigidly following the rules and regulations for the vānaprastha, one can easily be elevated to the upper planetary system known as Maharloka. Purport: