Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.17.23
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyStudent Discipline Builds Lasting Character
“The brahmacārī should regularly dress with a belt of straw and deerskin garments. He should wear matted hair, carry a rod and waterpot and be decorated with akṣa beads and a sacred thread. Carrying pure kuśa grass in his hand, he should never accept a luxurious or sensuous sitting place. He should not unnecessarily polish his teeth, nor should he bleach and iron his clothes.”
What the purport teaches
- A renounced brahmacārī is not concerned with an attractive smile or elaborate outer garments. Student life is meant for austerity and obedience to the spiritual master.
- This training builds character, discipline, self-control, austerity and humility that can support responsibilities later in life.
- Modern Kṛṣṇa conscious brahmacārīs cannot artificially adopt all the ancient dress and ritual duties described here. Self-control, purity and obedience to a bona fide spiritual master remain essential.
Try this today
Forgo one unnecessary effort to make your appearance impressive, and use that time for disciplined study.
Ask yourself
Am I giving more attention to outward appearance than to character and self-control?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.