Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्यम्)

The meaning of the term Brahmacharya is staying on the path of Brahman by controlling Chitta which may lead to realization of Brahman. It is mentioned as celibacy in English, but that is just one part of Brahmacharya. There are multiple interpretations by wise people of this Yama.

Scriptural Occurances:

1.    ब्रह्मचर्येण कन्या युवानं विन्दते पतिम् |

brahmacaryeṇa kanyā yuvānaṁ vindate patim |

Meaning : A youthful Kanya (कन्या, girl) who graduates from Brahmacarya, obtains a suitable husband.

Atharva Veda 11.5.18

2.   Patanjal Yoga Sutras (2.29) enlists Yama as one of the limbs of Ashtanga Yoga as below.

यमनियमासनप्राणायामप्रत्याहारधारणाध्यानसमाधयोऽष्टावङ्गानि ।। २.२९ ।।

yamaniyamāsanaprāṇāyāmapratyāhāradhāraṇādhyānasamādhayo'ṣṭāvaṅgāni ।। 2.29 ।।

The 8 limbs of yoga are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dharna, Dhyana, Samadhi.

3.   Further Patanjali mentions the 5 Yamas in Sutra 2.30

अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः ।। २.३० ।।

ahiṁsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryāparigrahā yamāḥ ।। 2.30 ।।

The five Yama as per Patanjali are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha.As per other texts the number may vary.

4.   The 10 Yamas as per Shandilya Upanishad are as below.

“.... तत्राहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यदयाजप- क्षमाधृतिमिताहारशौचानि चेति यमादश ....”

".... tatrāhiṁsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryadayājapa- kṣamādhr̥timitāhāraśaucāni ceti yamādaśa ...."

Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Daya, Japa, Kshama, Dhriti, Mitahara and Aarjava. Shandilya Upanishad Verse 1. (https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/shandilya.html)

5.   Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swatmaram also mentions Brahmacharya as below.

अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं बरह्मछर्यं कष्हमा धॄतिः |

दयार्जवं मिताहारः शौछं छैव यमा दश || १७ ||

ahiṁsā satyamasteyaṁ barahmacharyaṁ kaṣhamā dhr̥̄tiḥ |

dayārjavaṁ mitāhāraḥ śauchaṁ chaiva yamā daśa || 17 ||

Meaning: “Non-violence, truth, non-stealing, continence (being absorbed in a pure state of consciousness), forgiveness, endurance, compassion, humility, moderate diet and cleanliness are the ten rules of conduct (yama). (ii)”

Ref: Swami Muktibodhananda, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 2013 ed. Pg. 56 Chap. 1 verse 16. Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, India

Why Brahmacharya is required?

Brahmacharya is a virtue that a person is expected to bear. It is a Yama that a person can follow. Below are reasons for it.

a.   Swami Sivananda 1997, Practice of Brahmacharya, Worldwide Web, A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION

“Brahmacharya is absolute freedom from sexual desires and thoughts. A real Brahmachari will not feel any difference in touching a woman, a piece of paper or a block of wood. Brahmacharya is meant for both men and women. Bhishma, Hanuman, Lakshman, Mira Bai, Sulabha and Gargi were all established in Brahmacharya. Mere control of the animal passion will not constitute Brahmacharya. This is incomplete Brahmacharya. You must control all the organs—the ears that want to hear lustful stories, the lustful eye that wants to see objects that excite passion, the tongue that wants to taste exciting things and the skin that wants to touch exciting objects.” – page 24

b. Osho(1977), Zen: The Path of Paradox, Vol. 1, Talks on Zen, Pune, Osho.com (Audio Discourse)  

Chapter 8

“The other day I was talking about three dimensions: intellectuality, emotionality, sexuality. These are the three dimensions of your inner being. And there is a fourth dimension - brahmacharya. The word brahmacharya is so profound that there is no way to translate it. It does not mean just celibacy; celibacy is a very poor word. Celibacy is negative, it simply says: no sex. Brahmacharya is positive. It says: a divine life. The meaning of brahmacharya is "behaving like a god, living like a god." Brahma means god and charya means living - living like a god, being like a god, behaving like a god. To be godly is brahmacharya.

Brahmacharya is the fourth dimension of your being. Three dimensions are available to everybody. When all three dimensions function in tune, in step, in a dance, then the fourth arises as a fragrance. The fourth is a song that arises out of these three dancing together, embracing each other, melting, merging, into each other. Then arises the fourth. The fourth is the beyond, the transcendental. “

Link: https://www.osho.com/osho-online-library/osho-talks/sexuality-celibacy-brahmacharya-aff22f29-916?p=57bbef1cc657ad7b5c0c44705eebffa5 c. Osho (1977), Zen: The Path of Paradox, Vol 1, Pune, Osho.com (Audio Discourse)

Chapter 2. Chapter title: Ignorance is Ultimate (Talks : 12 June 1977 am in Buddha Hall)

“Only a bored man -- bored with sex -- can really become a celibate. A BRAHMACHARYA ARISES, a pure BRAHMACHARYA arises -- out of sheer boredom. If you are not yet bored, then your BRAHMACHARYA will be a repression and I am not in favour of any repression because repression keeps the joy in sex alive”

d. Osho, Yoga: A New Direction, Discourse : Yoga The Alpha & Omega Vol 05 - Discourse 7,

Topic: The Alchemy of Being: Brahmacharya

“Brahmacharya is not against sex. If it is against sex then sex can never disappear. Brahmacharya is a transmutation of the energy: it is not being against sex, rather it is changing the whole energy from the sex center to the higher centers. When it reaches to the seventh center of man, the sahasrar, then brahmacharya happens. If it remains in the first center, the muladhar, then sex; when it reaches to the seventh center, then samadhi. The same energy moves. It is not being against it; rather, it is an art how to use it. “