mekhalÄjina-daṇá¸Äká¹£a-
brahma-sÅ«tra-kamaṇá¸alÅ«n
jaá¹ilo 'dhauta-dad-vÄso
'rakta-pÄ«á¹haḥ kuÅ›Än dadhat
mekhalÄ - belt; ajina - deerskin; daṇá¸a - staff; aká¹£a - bead necklace; brahma-sÅ«tra - brÄhmaṇa thread; kamaṇá¸alÅ«n - and waterpot; jaá¹ilaḥ - with matted, unruly hair; adhauta - without polishing, bleaching or ironing; dat-vÄsaḥ - the teeth and clothes; arakta-pÄ«á¹haḥ - without accepting a luxurious or sensuous seat; kuÅ›Än - kuÅ›a grass; dadhat - carrying in his hand.
The brahmacÄrÄ« should regularly dress with a belt of straw and deerskin garments. He should wear matted hair, carry a rod and waterpot and be decorated with aká¹£a beads and a sacred thread. Carrying pure kuÅ›a grass in his hand, he should never accept a luxurious or sensuous sitting place. He should not unnecessarily polish his teeth, nor should he bleach and iron his clothes.
The word adhauta-dad-vÄsa indicates that a renounced brahmacÄrÄ« is not concerned with a glistening smile to attract the opposite sex, nor does he pay much attention to his outer garments. BrahmacÄrÄ« life is meant for austerity and obedience to the spiritual master so that later in life, when one becomes a businessman, politician or intellectual brÄhmaṇa, one will be able to call upon resources of character, discipline, self-control, austerity and humility. Student life, as described here, is far different from the mindless hedonism known as modern education. Of course, in the modern age, Kṛṣṇa conscious brahmacÄrÄ«s cannot artificially adopt the ancient dress and ritualistic duties described here; but the essential values of self-control, purity and obedience to a bona fide spiritual master are just as necessary today as they were in Vedic times.
