Tapasya begins—brahmacarya, celibacy, no sex life. That is the beginning of tapasya. Meditation means tapasya. So tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena (SB 6.1.13). Śama, to control the senses, to keep in equilibrium. Senses may not be agitated. Damena, even it is agitated, by my knowledge I have to curb down. Just like if I become agitated by seeing a beautiful girl - or for woman, a beautiful boy . . . that is natural. Yuvatīnāṁ yathā yūni yūnām yathā yuvaḥ (Vijñāpti-pañcaka). Young boy, young girl, they are naturally attracted. There is nothing surprising. But tapasya means that "I have taken vow, no illicit sex." That is knowledge. "Why? Even if I am attracted, I shall not do this." This is tapasya. And "Because I am now attracted, now we shall enjoy"—that is not tapasya. Tapasya means even one is attracted, he should not act. That is tapasya. There may be some difficulty to control, but that should be practiced. It can be practiced. It is not very difficult. But one has to practice the determination: "Now I have taken vow before Deity, because at the time of initiation it is promised before the Deity, before the fire and before the spiritual master, before the Vaiṣṇava, that 'I'll not have illicit sex.' That is promised. How can I break it?" This is tapasya. "I have taken vow before the Deity, before fire, before my spiritual master, before the Vaiṣṇavas, 'No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no drinking or intoxication, no gambling.' I have promised it. If I am gentleman, how can I break my promise?" This is called jñāna.
With knowledge one has to respect. That is called tapasya. With knowledge. Otherwise, to become attracted, that is not unnatural. Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to say . . . He was sannyāsī. He said that "Even if I see a doll made of wood, a beautiful woman, My mind becomes agitated." So what to speak of us? So this is the example, Caitanya Mahāprabhu giving Himself . . . to be agitated in the mind, that is not unnatural, but if you practice, then you'll not be agitated anymore. If you practice by your knowledge, then you'll not be agitated. That is called dhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). You have to become dhīra.
Dhīra and adhīra, there are two classes of men. One is sober, even there is cause of agitation, still he remains firm. He is called dhīra. And adhīra means as soon as there is cause of agitation, he became a victim. That is called adhīra. So we have to become dhīra. We have been adhīra in so many different forms of life, because I am coming to this human form of life after evolution of 8,000,000 forms of body. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa viṁśati (Padma Purāṇa). That is evolution. So after . . . bahu sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). After many, many years I have got this opportunity. In other, lower animal life, I have enjoyed the senses in so many ways. So sense enjoyment is not very difficult. Even there . . . viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt (SB 11.9.29). The hogs and pigs, they have got facility for sense enjoyment. They do not care even who is who. Even she is mother or she is sister or she is daughter, they will enjoy sex. That is hog life. You have seen. There is no discrimination. The monkeys, they are enjoying sex life. So everyone enjoys sense life.
So "Why? I have got this valuable life, human form of life. Why I shall become a living entity like hogs and dogs?" This is called tapasya. "Why I shall become hogs and dogs and again I shall put myself in the cycle of birth and death? I have got this life after so many evolutionary process. Why not practice little tapasya in this life?" This is knowledge.