Chapter 15 - Āśrama-dharma-tattva
The principle of āśrama-dharma
Every Soul is in One of the Four Āśramas
15.1
[Janaka, the sage amongst kings, asked Yājñyavalkya, the sage among ṛṣīs, "O great souled sage, please instruct me on the qualifications of sannyāsa and the rules and regulations for following that āśrama]. Yājñyavalkya said,
"Upon completing one's life as a brahmacārī, one should accept the gṛhastha-āśrama. Having completed one's life as a gṛhastha, one should accept the āśrama of Vānaprastha. After living for some time as a detached Vānaprastha, one should accept the sannyāsa āśrama.
Of course, if renunciation awakens in a person earlier in his life, he may take sannyāsa directly from the brahmacārī āśrama, or even from the gṛhastha āśrama, without having to first pass though all the āśramas and become a Vānaprastha. In any āśrama, when one becomes anxious to renounce material enjoyment and render exclusive service to the Lord in divine love, then whether he has completed the religious practices that should be performed in the āśrama or not, whether he has completed his Vedic study or not, whether he has completed the studies or not, and whether he has performed the fire sacrifice or not as soon as that powerful tendency to renounce material enjoyment and serve the Lord awakens in his heart that very day let him give up his family, that very day let him accept the life of a wandering mendicant and go away as a sannyāsī.
(Jābālopaniṣad 4.1)
Definition of the Four Āśramas
15.2
Out of My universal form the gṛhastha āśrama originated from the loins, brahmacārya from the heart, Vānaprastha from the chest, and sannyāsa from the head.
(Bhāg. 11.17.14)
Rules for the Different Āśramas
15.3
Then the thread ceremony for the twice-born was inaugurated as were the rules to be followed for at least one year after acceptance and study of the Vedas, including rules for observing brahmacārya, vocations in terms of Vedic injunctions, various professional duties in household life, and the method of maintaining a livelihood by picking up rejected grains left behind in the fields.
(Bhāg. 3.12.42)
15.4
The four divisions of Vānaprastha, or retired life, are the vaikānasīs (those who retire from active life and live on half-boiled meals), vālakhilyas (those who quit their former stock of grains upon receipt of more), audumbara (those who live on what they get from the direction towards which they start after rising from bed), and phenapas (those who live on fruits that fall from the trees). The four divisions of sannyāsa, or the renounced order of life are kuṭīcakas (one who has just left the family, but who lives nearby in a kuṭira or hut, without attachment to his family), bahvodas (those who give up all material activities and engage in transcendental service), haṁsas (swanlike souls) and niñriyas (those whose actions are completely spiritual).
(Bhāg. 3.12.43)
Rules for Brahmacāris
15.5
Having undergone all the necessary purificatory rites since conception, and having attained the status of the twice-born by initiation in the gāyatrī mantra and investment with the sacred thread, brāhmaṇa boy should reside in the gurukula (as a brahmacāri), control his senses and mind, and carefully study the Vedas as explained by the guru.
(Bhāg. 11.17.22)
15.6
[Kṛṣṇa said] The ācārya is My very Self. One should never envy the ācārya or never blaspheme him or consider him an ordinary man, for he is the sum total of the demigods.
(Bhāg. 11.17.27)
15.7
In the morning and evening one should collect foodstuffs and other articles and deliver them to the spiritual master. Then, being self-controlled, one should accept only what the ācārya permits.
(Bhāg. 11.17.28)
15.8
The brahmacārī, should always serve the ācārya and follow him in walking, in resting, standing by with folded hands when he sits, and by attending him humbly in all circumstances.
(Bhāg. 11.17.29)
15.9
Behaving in this way, and strictly following a vow of celibacy, the brahmacārī should avoid sensual pleasures and reside in the āśrama of the ācārya to the end of his studies.
(Bhāg. 11.17.30)
15.10
Observing the principles, such a brāhmaṇa and life-long brahmacārī, who is My devotee, burns all the seeds of karma to ashes by his devotional austerity. Spotless and pure, free of material contamination, such a devotee brahmacārī is as brilliant as fire.
(Bhāg. 11.17.36)
All Āśramas are Meant for Serving Hari
15.11
Chastity, penance, purity, peacefulness, and kindness to all living beings constitute gṛhastha-dharma. A gṛhastha who approaches his wife for procreating children only on those days sanctioned by scripture is considered chaste. Worship of Hari should be practiced by everyone, regardless of their position in society; it is the duty of all varṇas and āśramas.
(Bhāg. 11.18.43)
Scriptures Make Concessions for Materialistic People
15.12
Everyone is naturally inclined to have sex, eat meat, and drink wine. There is no need for the scripture to encourage these things. The scriptures do, however, give concessions to people who are determined to do these things. They grant license to enjoy sex by allowing sexual intercourse with one's lawfully wedded wife at the proper time of the month. They grant a license to eat meat to those who perform a certain kind of sacrifice, and a license to drink wine to those who perform the Sautramaṛi sacrifice. The purpose of granting these licenses for sense gratification is only to restrict these activities and encourage people to give them up altogether. The real intention of the Vedic injunctions regarding sex, meat-eating, and wine-drinking is to make one abstain from these activities.
(Bhāg. 11.5.11)
Gṛhasthas Should Not Get Bewildered by Family Life
15.13
One should not become attached to one's family members, nor should one become bewildered trying to maintain them. Even though one may be a householder, he should not be negligent in his devotion to the Lord. An intelligent householder should realize that even the unseen enjoyments promised in the future, are as temporary as the so-called pleasures he has already seen.
(Bhāg. 11.17.52)
15.14
Relationships of wife, sons, relatives, and friends are like the relationships of pilgrims who meet by chance at a resting place for a few hours before going on their way. When one leaves his body to accept another body, such friends and relatives are forgotten, just as upon waking one forgets the characters in a dream.
(Bhāg. 11.17.53)
15.15
Having realized the truth of such transitory relationships, the gṛhastha lives in his house like a pilgrim, a guest, or a stranger in a strange land. Dedicating himself entirely to Kṛṣṇa and giving up attachment to his body, his relatives, his house and home, he is liberated even in this lifetime.
(Bhāg. 11.17.54)
A Gṛhastha May Live at Home, in the Forest, or on the Road
15.16
Having satisfied Me by executing his family duties properly while dedicating himself to Me, My devotee may continue to remain at home, he may go to the forest as a Vānaprastha, or if he has a son, he may take to wandering about as a sannyāsī.
(Bhāg. 11.17.55)
The Character of Those too Attached to Family Life
15.17
On the other hand, a gṛhastha whose heart is attached to hearth and home, who is always worried about money and children, and who is obsessed with sex, is a fool. Such a person is bound by the misconceptions of "I and mine."
(Bhāg. 11.17.56)
The Destination of Attached Householders
15.18
[At the time of death such a fool thinks] "Alas! My mother and father have reached old age. In my absence who will care for them? My wife and children are helpless without me. How can any of these poor souls survive without me?" With his heart thus overwhelmed by family sentiment, and filled with anxieties because of attachment to house and home, such a fool, filled with worries, dies unhappy and dissatisfied with his inability to realize his plans. He enters the blinding darkness of hell.
(Bhāg. 11.17.57-58)
Both Men and Women Should Avoid Family Attachment
15.19
The stupid woman who has not savored the aroma of the nectar of Your lotus feet will become the lover of a "man" a live corpse made of flesh, blood, bones, stool, bile, germs and air covered with skin, hair, beards, and mustaches.
(Bhāg. 10.60.45)
Enjoyment of Conjugal Pleasures in Household Life is Condemned
15.20
[In condemnation of materialistic devotees, the Lord said] Those who worship Me the giver of liberation in order to enjoy conjugal happiness, who perform all kinds of penance and sacrifice to that end, are fools deluded by sensual pleasure and ensnared by the illusions of māyā.
(Bhāg. 10.60.52)
The Purpose of Household Life
15.21
[Pṇthu Mahārāja told the four Kumāras] A person who is not very rich and who is attached to family life becomes highly glorified when saintly persons are present in his home. The master and servants engaged in offering the exalted visitors water, a sitting place and paraphernalia for reception are glorified, and the home itself is glorified.
(Bhāg. 4.22.11)
The Unholy Household
15.22
On the other hand, even though full of all opulence and material property, any householder's house where the devotees of the Lord are never allowed to come in, and where there is no water for washing their feet, is to be considered a tree in which venomous serpents live.
(Bhāg. 4.22.12)
The Duty of Vānaprasthas
15.23
A Vānaprastha should live by begging. He may accept food prepared from grains left behind in the fields and markets. By such a practice, he will become purified, free from delusion, and spiritually perfect.
(Bhāg. 11.18.25)
Homes are in Different Modes
15.24
In order to attain pure devotional service, one's faith, residence, eating, and activities should all be pure. From the mode of goodness, one can develop to the mode of pure goodness; therefore it is important to live in a place which is pure. The following is a description of residences in the different modes of nature: A hut in the forest is in the mode of goodness, an apartment in the city is in the mode of passion, and a room in a gambling den is in the mode of ignorance.
(Bhāg. 11.25.25)
Karma-sannyāsa, Jñāna-sannyāsa, and Tridaṇḍī-sannyāsa
15.25
There are three kinds of sannyāsa: karma-sannyāsa, jñāna-sannyāsa, and Vedic-sannyāsa.
(Padma Purāṇa, Svarga Khaṇḍa)
A Dhīra Sannyāsī
15.26
A sannyāsī is known as dhīra, or undisturbed, sober, and a self-realized soul when he goes to an unknown, remote place and freed from all obligations and false ego, quits his material body when it has become useless.
(Bhāg. 1.13.26)
A Narottama Sannyāsī
15.27
A Narottama, or first class human being, is one who awakens and understands, either by himself or from others, the falsity and misery of this material world and thus leaves home and depends fully on the Personality of Godhead residing within the heart.
(Bhāg. 1.13.27)
Prohibition Against Karma-sannyāsa in Kali-yuga
15.28
In this age of Kali, the following five kinds of karma-kāṇḍa practices are forbidden: offering a horse in sacrifice, offering a cow in sacrifice, accepting sannyāsa, offering oblations of flesh to the forefathers, and a man begetting children in his brother's wife.
(Malamāsattatva-dhṇta, Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Kṛṣṇa-janma-khaṇḍa 4.115.113)
The Meaning of the Word Tridaṇḍī
15.29
One who accepts in his mind the rod of chastisement for his speech, mind is known as a tridaṇḍī one who has accepted the threefold rod of chastisement.
(Manu-saṁhitā 12.10)
15.30
The word daṇḍa means "punishment." One who "punishes" the speech, mind, and actions means one who gives up attachment for material sense enjoyment and who accepts what is favorable for the truth and rejects what is unfavorable for perfection. Such a person is called a tridaṇḍī. It is not that anyone who carries around three sticks can be called a tridaṇḍī.
(Manu-saṁhitā 12.10, Kalukka Bhaṭṭa commentary on the above verse from Manu-saṁhitā).
Rūpa Gosvāmī's Definition of Tridaṇḍī
15.31
One who can control the forces of speech, mind, anger, the tongue, the belly, and the genitals is known as a Gosvāmī and is qualified to accept disciples all over the world.
(Upadeśāmṛta 1)
Tridaṇḍī-sannyāsa is Mentioned in the Ancient Vedas
15.32
In addition to the previously mentioned paramahaṁsas are these famous wandering sannyāsīs (parivrajakas), Samvartaka, Aruṛinandana, Audṁlaka, Śvetaketu, Durvāsṁ, ṇbhu, Nidṁgha, Jaḍa Bharata, Dattṁtreya, Raivata, and so on. They are all paramahaṁsas; none of them wear the outward signs of varṇāśrama the śikhā and sacred thread of a brāhmaṇa. They are not mad but behave like madmen. The paramahaṁsa, saying the mantra bhū-svāhā (I offer you to the earth) leaves aside all external paraphernalia of the renounced order, including the tridanḍa, staff, the waterpot, the begging bowl made from a gourd, the belt made of straw, the purifying cup for water, the tuft of hair, the sacred thread, and dedicates himself solely to following the order of the bona fide guru and the inner bg-sky direction of the Paramātmā.
(Jābālopanisad 6.1)
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Mentions Tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa
15.33
Some took away his tridaṇḍa, some stole his begging bowl, and others snatched away his waterpot. Some of them pulled away his āsana, others harassed him by taking his japa-mālā, his beads. Others grabbed at his clothing and took away his cloth.
(Bhāg. 11.23.34)
The Tridaṇḍī Attains Perfection According to the Manu-Saṁhitā
15.34
One who disciplines his mind, speech, and body and controls his lust and anger towards other living beings and thus gives up these bad qualities is a tridaṇḍī and attains liberation.
(Manu-saṁhitā 12.11)
The Hārīta-saṁhitā Glorifies Tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa
15.35
The tridaṇḍī sannyāsa gradually withdraws his senses from any connection with sight, sound, taste, smell, etc., and becomes indifferent. His mind is gradually freed from any trace of involvement with material enjoyment, and his behaviour becomes similarly pure. Such a sannyāsī has freed himself from family bondage and, becoming liberated, he tastes the nectar of spiritual bliss at the lotus feet of Śrī Viṣṇu.
(Hārīta-saṁhitā 6.23)
Śrīdhara Svāmī Mentions Tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa in his Bhāgavatam Commentary
15.36
After explaining the duties of other sannyāsīs such as bahūdaka the duties of a paramahaṁsa are described in ten and a half verses beginning with this one A paramahaṁsa may be one desiring liberation and thus fixed in knowledge or may be a devotee who disregards even liberation. He should perform proper religious duties without any attachment to material desires. He can give up all the external symptoms of varṇāśrama-dharma. He gives up the āśrama duties means he gives up attachment to them and performs them with no material motive.
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā commentary on Bhāg. 11.18.28)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Opinion on the Tridaṇḍī Verse of Bhāgavatam
15.37
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved of the ekam samasthaya parātma-niñṭham verse on account of the determination of the mendicant sannyāsī to engage in the service of Lord Mukuṇḍa. He gave his approval of this verse, indicating that is was very good. The real purpose of accepting sannyāsa is to dedicate oneself to the service of Mukuṇḍa. By serving Mukuṇḍa, one can actually be liberated from the bondage of material existence. After accepting the sannyāsa order, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu decided to go to Vṛndāvana and engage Himself wholly and solely in the service of Mukuṇḍa in a solitary place.
(Cc. Madhya 3.7-9)
A Tridaṇḍi-sannyāsī Keeps his Śikhā, Sacred Thread, and Sannyāsī Dress
15.38
A tridaṇḍī sannyāsī keeps his śikhā as well as his sacred thread after renunciation, He also carries a Kamaṇḍalu. He wears saffron cloth, and remaining fixed in purity, he chants the gāyatrī mantra and the japa of the holy name.
(Skanda Purāṇa, Sūta Saṁhitā)
15.39
Wearing one or two pieces of cloth, maintaining the tuft of hair, and continuing to wear the sacred thread, with a waterpot in his hand, a learned sannyāsī, who is the best of men, attains the Supreme Lord.
(Padma Purāṇa, Svarga Khaṇḍa Ādi 13)
The 108 Names of the Tridaṇḍī-sannyāsīs
15.40
There are 108 authorized Vedic names for sannyāsīs, principle among which are these 10: Tīrtha, āñrāma, Vana, āraṛya, Giri, Parvata, Sāgara, Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, and Purī. In addition there are Gabhastinemi, Vārāha, Kṣamitṁ, Paramārthī, Turyāśramī, Nirtha, Tridaṇḍī, Viṣṇudevata, Bhiksu, Yājāvara, Viñṭha, Nyāsī, Rābhasika, Muni, Viñṭhalala, Mahāvīra, Mahattara, Yathāgata, Naiskarmya, Paramādvaitī, Śuddhādvaitī, Jitendriya, Tapasvī, Yācaka, Nagna, Raddhantī, Bhajanonmukha, Sannyāsī, Maskarī, Klṁnta, Niragni, Nārasiāha, Auḍalomī, Mahāyogī, Sruvāka, Bhavapṁraga, Śramaṛa, Avadhūta, Śānta, Yathārha, Daṇḍī, Keśava, Nyataparigraha, Bhakti-sṁra, Akṣarī, Janārdana, Urdhva-manthī, Tyakta-gṇhā, Urdhvareta, Yatoñṭha-dhṇk, Virakta, Udṁsīna,
Tyāgī, Siddhāntī, Śrīdhara, Śikhī, Bodhāyana, Trivikrama, Govinda, Madhusūdana, Vaikhānasa, Yathāsva, Vāmana, Paramahaṁsa, Nārāyaṇa, Hṛṣikeśa, Parivrājaka, Maṅgala, Mādhava, Padmanābha, Auḍupaka, Bhrāmi, Vaiṣṇava, Viṣṇu, Dāmodara, Svāmī, Gosvāmī, Parmagava, Bhāgavata, Akiṣcana, Santa, Niskiṣcana, Yati, Kṣapaṛako, Aviñakta, Urdhva-puṇḍro, Muṇḍi, Sajjana.Nirviñayī, Harijana, Śrautī, Sādhu, Bṇhad-vratī, Sthavira, Tatpara, Paryaṭaka, Ācārya, and Svatantrī.
(Muktikopaniṣad and Sāttvata-saṁhitā)
**
A Tridaṇḍī-sannyāsī is Worshipable by all Āśramas
15.41
One who does not offer obeisances upon seeing gods and sannyāsīs should fast all day for his purification.
(Ekādaśī-tattve trispṛśaikādasī-prakaraṇa-dhṛta-smṛti-vākya)
A Paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇava Surpasses all the Āśramas
15.42
Seeing the great devotion of a Vaiṣṇava, even those in the highest āśrama as well as other devotees offer their obeisances. To one who has accepted the order of sannyāsa, one must bow down as would a son to his father. Everyone must bow down to a sannyāsī, and offer them respect, saying, "O saintly one, O sannyāsī." Nevertheless, devotees give up all concern for āśrama-dharma, and simply bow down before their instructing guru and Kṛṣṇa.
(Cb. Antya 8.150-153)
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's Example
15.43
Sārvabhauma said to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, [who appeared before him as a sannyāsī], "Your āśrama is great. In the opinion of the śāstra, You are worshipable by one such as myself.
(Cb. Antya 3.76)
Impersonalist Sannyāsīs are Condemned
15.44
Sannyāsīs always say the name of Nārāyaṇa and worship him in prema-bhakti-yoga. Not understanding the position of Nārāyaṇa, the followers of Śaṅkarācārya give up the path of bhakti; such fools attain only trouble and misery.
(Cb. Antya 3.54,55)
Only Unmotivated Devotional Service Gives Complete Satisfaction to the Soul
15.45
The supreme dharma for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.
(Bhāg. 1.2.6)
Fallen Sannyāsīs are Compared to Vomit-eaters
15.46
One who renounces worldly things, gives up the life of a gṛhastha, and leaves his home to be a mendicant, a sannyāsī, and who then leaves the sannyāsa āśrama to again pursue sex and money is like someone who vomits up a bad meal and then eats it again, for he is eager to taste what has already been rejected. Such a brazen sinner bg-sky and condemned man is certainly shameless.
(Bhāg. 7.15.36)
15.47
Sannyāsīs who at first consider that the body is subject to death, when it will be transformed into stool, worms, or ashes, but who again give importance to the body and glorify it as the self, are to be considered asat-tamaū, un-saintly, ignorant, and the greatest rascals.
(Bhāg. 7.15.37)
15.48
It is abominable for a person living in the gṛhastha-āśrama to give up the regulative principles of householder life. It is abominable for a brahmacārī not to follow the brahmacārī vows while living under the care of the guru. It is abominable for a Vānaprastha to live in the village and engage in so-called social activities, and it is abominable for a sannyāsī to be addicted to sense gratification.
(Bhāg. 7.15.38)
15.49
One who acts in this way is to be considered the lowest renegade. Such a pretender is bewildered by the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should either reject him from any position, or taking compassion upon him, teach him, if possible, to resume his original position.
(Bhāg. 7.15.39)
Sannyāsīs Should Not Become Vāntāsīs
15.50
After taking sannyāsa, a sannyāsī should not remain in his home town, surrounded by family and relatives.
(Cc. Madhya 3.177)
The Behaviour of the Great Souls Who are Transcendental to all the Āśramas
15.51
When the completely opulent Supreme Lord sees the total surrender of a devotee, He is pleased to award that soul His personal service; thus He bestows His causeless mercy upon that soul, and at that time the devotee rises above the ordinary material considerations of the Vedas. He thus shakes off all attachments to the external strictures of the Vedas (such as those recommending karma-kānḍa) which are meant for people in general.
(Bhāg. 4.29.46)
15.52
[Kṛṣṇa said] Having taken complete shelter of My lotus feet, a saintly person renounces mundane religious and social duties and worships Me alone. Indeed, he is the best of men.
(Bhāg. 11.11.32)
The Vedic Explanation of Paramahaṁsa
15.53
A paramahaṁsa gives up the following as being material and irrelevant: his children, wife, friends, relatives, śikhā, sacred thread, yajña, charity, study of the Vedas, social and Vedic duties. These things are all of this world, they have a connection with the fallible and temporary. Such a paramahaṁsa accepts only the bare necessities required to keep body and soul together. The paramahaṁsa may sometimes accept the daṇḍa, śikhā, sacred thread, and dress of a sannyāsī in order to benefit the fallen souls of this world. For a paramahaṁsa the daṇḍa, śikhā, sacred tread, cloth etc. are not important.
(Paramahaṁsa Upaniṣad 1-2)
The Supreme Lord, a Paramahaṁsa, is Transcendental to all Material Considerations
15.54
O daṇḍa, within my heart, I find you to be external and useless. [since Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a devotee, He is the topmost paramahaṁsa. What need has He to carry a symbol of elevated status within the varṇas and āśramas of human society? A sannyāsa daṇḍa in His hands is redundant] Saying this, Śrī Balarāma, with great violence, broke into three pieces the tridaṇḍī staff of renunciation belonging to Śrī Caitanya.
(Cb. Antya 2.205-206)
15.54a
Nityānanda Prabhu broke Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sannyāsa daṇḍa in three places.
(Cc. Madhya 5.143)
15.55
The pastime of the breaking of the staff is very deep. Only one whose devotion is fixed upon the lotus feet of the two Lords can understand it.
(Cc. Madhya 5.158)
For Those who are Paramahaṁsas, and are Therefore Transcendental to all Considerations of Āśrama, the Red Cloth of a Sannyāsī is Inappropriate
15.56
Red cloth is unfit for a paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇava to wear.
(Cc. Antya 13.61)
Bhāgavatam Gives the Characteristic Behaviour of a Paramahaṁsa
15.57
When a person is actually advanced and takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is very dear to him, he is agitated and loudly chants the holy name. He also laughs, cries, and chants just like a madman, not caring for outsiders.
(Bhāg. 11.2.40)
The Mentality of a Paramahaṁsa
15.58
I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder , a Vānaprastha, or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the maintainer of the gopīs.
(Cc. 13.80 from Padyāvalī 63)
Thus ends the 15th Jewel of the Gauḍīya-Kaṇṭhahāra, entitled Āśrama-dharma-tattva.