Brahmacharya

Brahmacharya (/ˌbrɑːməˈtʃɑːrjə/; Devanagari: ) literally means "going after Brahman (Supreme Reality, Self or God)". In Indian religions, it is also a concept with various context-driven meanings.

In one context, brahmacharya is the first of four ashrama (age-based stages) of a human life, with grihastha (householder), vanaprastha (forest dweller) and sannyasa (renunciation) being the other three asramas. The brahmacharya (bachelor student) stage of one's life, up to 25 years of age, was focused on education and included the practice of celibacy. In this context, it connotes chastity during the student stage of life for the purposes of learning from a guru (teacher), and during later stages of life for the purposes of attaining spiritual liberation (moksha).

In another context, brahmacharya is the virtue of celibacy when unmarried and fidelity when married. It represents a virtuous lifestyle that also includes simple living, meditation and other behaviors.

In the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist monastic traditions, brahmacharya implies, among other things, the mandatory renuncation of sex and marriage. It is considered necessary for a monk's spiritual practice. Western notions of the religious life as practiced in monastic settings mirror these characteristics.

The word brahmacharya stems from two Sanskrit roots:

The word brahmacharya thus literally means a lifestyle adopted to seek and understand Brahman – the Ultimate Reality. As Gonda explains, it means "devoting oneself to Brahman".

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