Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.12.8
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyHonor Motherly Relationships With Clear Boundaries
“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.”
What the purport teaches
- The relationship between the disciple and the spiritual master’s wife is like that of son and mother.
- If both are young, the brahmacārī should not accept hair care, oil massage or bathing from her, even when offered with motherly affection.
- The purport names seven mothers: one’s own mother, the teacher’s wife, a brāhmaṇa’s wife, the king’s wife, the cow, the nurse and the earth. It also stresses avoiding unnecessary association even within family relationships.
Try this today
Write one sentence explaining why motherly affection does not remove the boundary described in this verse.
Ask yourself
How can affectionate respect coexist with boundaries that support spiritual discipline?
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.