Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.17.24
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyRestraint in Daily Brahmacārī Life
“A brahmacārī should always remain silent while bathing, eating, attending sacrificial performances, chanting japa or passing stool and urine. He should not cut his nails and hair, including the armpit and pubic hair.”
What the purport teaches
- A brahmacārī should remain silent while bathing, eating, attending sacrificial performances and chanting japa.
- He should also remain silent while passing stool and urine, and should not cut his nails or hair, including armpit and pubic hair.
- The purport notes that Nārada Muni gives a similar technical description of Vedic brahmacārī life.
Try this today
During your japa today, refrain from unrelated conversation.
Ask yourself
How could restraint in speech make your daily discipline more attentive?
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.