Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.8.1
Mukti· LiberationCelibacy Supports Steady Spiritual Austerity
“The great sage Maitreya said: The four great Kumāra sages headed by Sanaka, as well as Nārada, Ṛbhu, Haṁsa, Aruṇi and Yati, all sons of Brahmā, did not live at home, but became ūrdhva-retā, or naiṣṭhika-brahmacārīs, unadulterated celibates.”
What the purport teaches
- The system of brahmacarya has existed since the birth of Brahmā. His sons headed by Sanaka and Nārada remained unmarried celibates.
- The purport describes this discipline as supporting steady austerity and progress toward spiritual perfection, even to the spiritual world.
- Here, “they did not live at home” means that they did not accept wives. A brahmacārī may live in a house without entering married household life.
Try this today
Choose one unnecessary sense pleasure to set aside today as a small exercise in self-restraint.
Ask yourself
How could greater self-restraint help me become steadier in spiritual life?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.