Tirukural 370
Brahmacharya is learnt during the first 25 years of life ( Brahmcharyāshram) and this restraint is practiced all through life. The main goal during this stage of life is to learn as much as one can. To achieve this we give up all the comforts and pleasures of life and concentrate only on our studies. This training is like a ride in a hot air balloon. To go up you need to get rid of all unnecessary baggage and just carry what is absolutely essential. The student learns to control all his/her senses (taste, smell, touch, vision and hearing) and the pleasures experienced through them.
How does uncontrolled ‘Desire’ lead to ‘Destruction’
How do we develop extreme liking, weakness or attachment for objects and people? How does this lead to destruction?
ायतो िवषयान् पंुस : संगः तेषु उपजायते |
संगात् संजायते काम : कामात् ोधो अ भजायते ||
ोधात् भव त संमोह : संमोहात् ृ तिव म :
ृ त ं शा बु धनाश : बु धनाशात् ण य त ||
Bhagavad Gitā, II:62, 63
When we constantly think about an object or a person,
we develop an attachment (for that object or person).
Out of that attachment arises a desire
(to possess that object or person).
When this desire is not fulfilled, we develop anger.
Anger destroys our memory of past experiences
and prevents us from thinking clearly.
The higher intellect (and the capacity to make decisions -
‘good & bad’,‘moral & immoral’,
'ethical & unethical) is destroyed.
This ultimately leads to our destruction
(Of the individual, community or nation) and we perish.
Bhagavad Gitā, II:62, 63
We can see a lot of common people and even world leaders and famous people experiencing this outcome.
This does not mean that later on in life, during the next stage - Gruhasthāshram (house holder), we do not enjoy good food or relationship between husband and wife but we try not to become slaves of these enjoyments and forget our duties or the ultimate goal in life. The training during Brahmcharyāshram helps adults to control all their senses at appropriate times and set a good example for their children.
“Brahmacharya...means not suppression of one or more
senses but complete mastery over them all…
Conquest means using them as my slaves.”
M. K. Gāndhi in ‘Bapu’s Letters to Mira’, p.257
In computer jargon, it is ‘garbage in, garbage out’. If we put in wrong data, the computer will give us wrong results. We cannot expect anything good to come out of our mouths and in our actions if we put a lot of ‘garbage’ in our minds through our eyes and ears (watching certain movies, listening to certain music, reading trashy books, or watching videos, etc).
“Brahmacharya.....is purity not merely of body (actions)
but of both speech and thought also.”
M. K. Gāndhi in ‘Harijan’: February 29, 1936
Other Characteristics of an Ideal Person
These values are mentioned in following shlok-s in Bhagavad Gitā: अभयं स संशु धः ानयोग व थ तः ।
दानं दम च य च ा ायः तप आजवम् ॥१६ :१॥
Abhayam, Satv-shamshuddhihi, gnān yog vyavasthitihi;
Dānam, damah, cha Yagnah, cha svādhyāyah, tapa,