Brahmacharin

(“seeker of Brahman”) A term with several possible meanings depending on
the context. In the dharma literature,
which gives instruction on religious
duties, a brahmacharin is a person in a
period of religious study. This period is
the first of the four ashramas (“stages of
life”) of a twice-born man, that is, a man
born into one of three groups in Indian
society: brahmin, kshatriya, or vaishya.
Such men are eligible to receive the adolescent religious initiation known as the
“second birth.” According to the ideal,
after his initiation and adornment with
the sacred thread—the most visible sign
of a twice-born man—the brahmacharin shall live in his guru’s household and study the Veda, the oldest
Hindu religious text, in addition to performing other religious acts. Since brahmacharins are focused on gaining
religious knowledge, this is supposed to
be a very austere time of life marked by
strict celibacy, hard work, service to the
teacher, meticulous observance of all
religious rites, and avoidance of luxuries
such as beds, cosmetics, and bodily
ornaments. Once this period of study is
over, the student will marry and enter
the second ashrama, that of the householder. The system described in the
dharma literature is an idealized model,
and one cannot be sure that it was ever
strictly followed. Although many contemporary brahmin boys still undergo
the “second birth,” other elements—
such as the ascetic lifestyle and emphasis on the study of the Veda—are largely
ignored in contemporary times.
Some of the term’s original meaning remains in an ascetic context.
Brahmacharin can also be defined as a
novice or junior monk, whose duty is to
serve and learn from the senior monks,
or as the name of two particular ascetic
groups. One of these groups is the prestigious Swaminarayan sect, whose
members are recruited solely from the
caste of brahmins. The other is an organization called the Brahmachari
Sanyasis, devotees (bhakta) of the god
Shiva who are distinct from the
Dashanami Sanyasis. The Brahmachari
Sanyasis have an ashram on Mount
Girnar and in the bathing (snana)
festival known as the Kumbha Mela,
the Brahmachari Naga (fighting)
Sanyasis have a recognized place
among the other Naga groups. For
further information see G. S. Ghurye,
Indian Sadhus, 1964.