Enigmas

Commentary:

 Bhishma-an enigma

Bhishma is full of enigmas: he is generally faithful to his guru; but obedience to his father forces him to defy Parashurama. He loves the Pandavas but sides with Duryodhana.  His loyalty is with Krishna and Arjuna, but he supports Dhritarashtra.

Bhishma's oath creates problems for the dynasty when he refuses to marry even when it becomes clear that Vichitravirya will not continue the line by providing an heir. Amba's rage has dire consequences when later she is born of Drupada, the King of Panchala, to take her revenge as Shikhandi. 

His stubborn refusal to marry Amba is his downfall. He even refuses to obey his guru, Parashuram, citing obedience to his father as a higher principle. Even after the death of Vichitravirya, when his vow has become moot, he refuses to continue the line. Bhishma took the matter of giviing his word very seriously. When Duryodhana made him swear loyalty, his oath was more important than his friendship with the Pandavas.  His vow of loyalty to the throne of Hastinapura also causes many problems. Nonetheless, Bhishma is a symbol of righteousness and dharma, so much so that Yudhisthira consults him on the proper way to lead his kingdom. 

 Brahmacharya

The oath of celibacy taken by Bhishma is called brahmacharya in sanskrit. In a very traditional sense, brahmacharya means strict sexual control or total celibacy. In India, when a person takes a vow to never get married, he is referred to as a "brahmachari".

The well-known rishi Yajnavalkya says, "Brahmacharya is abstaining from all kinds of  sexual enjoyment for ever, in all places and in all conditions, physically, mentally and verbally."

The meaning is twofold: "brahma" and "charya". Brahma literally means the supreme consciousness and "charya" means to "live in" or "be established in".  Brahma-charya means "to be established in divine consciousness". 

. Patanjali  uses brahmacharya to mean "total abstinence," celibacy, or chastity.

According to Vedic sources, there are eight forms of sexual indulgence to be avoided by one practicing bhramacharya: Darshan or looking at women with passionate resolve, Sparshan or touching them, Keli or play, Kirtan or praising the qualities of the other sex, Guhya-Bhashan or talking in private, Sankalpa or determination, Adhyavasaya or nearing the other sex with the desire for gratification and Kriyanivritti or the actual sexual act.  

The above interpretation of brahmacharya is especially applicable for those yogis who have taken the vow of sannyasa (renunciation) and have given up attachment to worldly objects. Even they find it extremely hard to follow strictly the guidelines for brahmacharya. Since such strict definition is not applicable for a householder, most commentators have suggested a more practical meaning of brahmacharya – chastity and faithfulness in marriage and moderation in all sensual enjoyments through the five senses.

Devotees of Krishna practice renunciation by engaging their senses in devotional service and so free themselves from worldly attachment.

Sannyasa

 Srila Prabhupada comments: "Lord Caitanya was an ideal sannyasi, and when He was at Puri His feminine devotees could not even come near to offer their respects. They were advised to bow down from a distant place. This is not a sign of hatred for women as a class, but it is a stricture imposed on the sannyasi not to have close connections with women. One has to follow the rules and regulations of a particular status of life in order to purify his existence. For a sannyasi, intimate relations with women and possession of wealth for sense gratification are strictly forbidden. The ideal sannyasi was Lord Caitanya Himself, and we can learn from His life that He was very strict in regards to women. Although He is considered to be the most liberal incarnation of Godhead, accepting the most fallen conditioned souls, He strictly followed the rules and regulations of the sannyasa order of life in connection with association with woman."

 On a personal note, I practiced strict brahmacharya vows for 15 years between 1976 and 1991, having taken sannyasa vows in 1984, at the age of 29. I think it was premature of me to renounce all association with women at the age of 22. I did my best to practice a very strict form of religious belief; perhaps it was fanaticism. I don't regret giving my best years to Srila Prabhupada and Sridhar Maharaja. I benefited greatly by my association with the devotees of Krishna. I learned much from my gurus. I thought I would live my entire life as a celibate monk, but our mission in America was still in embryonic stages. After Shridhar Maharaja passed on it became increasingly difficult for me to live as a sannyasi in the United States.  Perhaps it was the lack of strong devotional communities or my own need to explore a different path; I'm not sure, but I've moved on. From my personal experience I wouldn't recommend sannyasa for anyone under the age of 40, and that only if there's a strong community interested in backing those who have taken to the renounced order of life. To be a true wandering mendicant is not so much sanctioned by the American way of life. Perhaps it works better in India. They used to tell me that there were "too many chiefs, not enough Indians." Well,  perhaps in India there are enough Indians to support the renounced order of life. In my experience, yoga as a practice is too young in the United States to support the renounced order. This is only my own personal perception.