View source for There is four division of life: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. The system is gradually to give him detachment. In the brahmacari life he is taught sufficiently that this life is meant for understanding Brahman

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{{terms|"There is four division of life: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. The system is gradually to give him detachment. In the brahmacārī life he is taught sufficiently that this life is meant for understanding Brahman"}}
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{{compiler|MahaprabhuCaitanya}}
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[[Category:There Is]]
[[Category:Four Asramas]]
[[Category:Brahmacari]]
[[Category:Grhastha]]
[[Category:Vanaprastha]]
[[Category:Sannyasa]]
[[Category:System]]
[[Category:Gradually]]
[[Category:Give]]
[[Category:Detachment]]
[[Category:Life]]
[[Category:Taught]]
[[Category:Sufficient]]
[[Category:Is Meant For]]
[[Category:Understanding]]
[[Category:Brahman]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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There is four division of life: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. The system is gradually to give him detachment. In the brahmacārī life he is taught sufficiently that this life is meant for understanding Brahman. Brahmacārī, brahme cārati: he has no other business than to understand what is Brahman. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa (BG 18.54): to make him brāhmaṇa, that is brahmacārī, brahme cārati.
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[[Vanisource:720809 - Lecture SB 01.02.11 - London|720809 - Lecture SB 01.02.11 - London]]
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Pradyumna: (leads chanting of synonyms)

vadanti—they say; tat—that; tattva-vidaḥ—the learned souls; tattvam—the Absolute Truth; yat—which; jñānam—knowledge; advayam—nondual; brahma iti—known as Brahman; paramātmā iti—known as Paramātmā; bhagavān iti—known as Bhagavān; śabdyate—it so sounded.

(07:58)

Translation: "Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān."

Prabhupāda: So in the previous verse it has been concluded that jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā.

(indistinct) ...lābho jīveta yāvatā jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.10|SB 1.2.10]]). Don't directly (indistinct).

(break) People are engaged twenty-four hours—night duty, day duty, no rest, working like ass, for eating, sleeping, mating. That's all. Ass…, karmī..., karmīs are compared with ass. I have several times described ass. In India, ass is engaged to bear the burden of cloth of the washerman. Tons of cloth is loaded on the back of the ass, and it takes to the, I mean to say, washing ghat, water place, and he is given little morsel, little grass, and he is satisfied standing there. And again in the evening he is loaded with tons of clothing, and he brings back to the shop of the washerman. This is ass.

He is bearing so big burden, only for little grass. But he can go away from that place and eat grass anywhere—there is sufficient grass. But no, he will stick to that washerman's place. He is under the impression that "This washerman is protecting me, giving this grass." That is his impression. "If I go away, I may not get the grass." So this is ass. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, the ass is forced to get out of this.

There is four division of life: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. The system is gradually to give him detachment. In the brahmacārī life he is taught sufficiently that this life is meant for understanding Brahman. Brahmacārī, brahme cārati: he has no other business than to understand what is Brahman. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa ([[Vanisource:BG 18.54|BG 18.54]]): to make him brāhmaṇa, that is brahmacārī, brahme cārati. He is disciplined, he is initiated, he is given sacred thread. Proper position of brāhmaṇa—cleanliness, truthfulness—so many things are taught in brahmacārī life, so that he can become a brāhmaṇa, brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. That is called brahmacārī āśrama.

Then in spite of repeatedly teaching him that there is no need of enjoying this material world, because this is false enjoyment, temporary enjoyment—real enjoyment in the spiritual world—if he still wants to enjoy this material world, then the spiritual master orders, "All right, you can marry." Marriage is not essential, but one who cannot control him, then marriage is allowed: "All right."

So because he has been trained up in his early life about the nature of this world, the gṛhastha who has been trained as brahmacārī, he cannot remain for many days as gṛhastha. Or even if he likes, the śāstra says, "No, you cannot remain in household life more than fifty years. That's all. Now you get retired." So retirement means at that time the children are grown-up, so the husband and wife goes out of home and travels in many tīrthas, pilgrimages, just to detach his attachment for the home life. That is called vānaprastha.

Vānaprastha is allowed to come back again home, remain for some time again with children, again go away. When the man is properly trained up, detached from house, then wife is requested that "You go home. You live with your grown-up children," and he takes sannyāsa. That is required. Na indriya-prītir. Kāmasya na indriya-prītir ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.10|SB 1.2.10]]). Kāmasya. Not that whole life I shall enjoy the senses.
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