brahmacaryaá¹ tapaḥ Å›aucaá¹
santoṣo bhūta-sauhṛdam
gá¹›hasthasyÄpy á¹›tau gantuḥ
sarveá¹£Äá¹ mad-upÄsanam

 brahma-caryam - celibacy; tapaḥ - austerity; Å›aucam - purity of mind without attachment or repulsion; santoá¹£aḥ - full satisfaction; bhÅ«ta - toward all living entities; sauhá¹›dam - friendship; gá¹›hasthasya - of the householder; api - also; á¹›tau - at the proper time; gantuḥ - approaching his wife; sarveá¹£Äm - of all human beings; mat - of Me; upÄsanam - worship.


Text

A householder may approach his wife for sex only at the time prescribed for begetting children. Otherwise, the householder should practice celibacy, austerity, cleanliness of mind and body, satisfaction in his natural position, and friendship toward all living entities. Worship of Me is to be practiced by all human beings, regardless of social or occupational divisions.

Purport

Sarveá¹£Äá¹ mad-upÄsanam indicates that all followers of the varṇÄÅ›rama system must worship Lord Kṛṣṇa or risk falling down from their position. As stated in ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (11.5.3), na bhajanty avajÄnanti sthÄnÄd bhraṣṭÄḥ patanty adhaḥ: even though one may be advanced in the performance of Vedic rituals and customs, without worshiping the Supreme Lord one will certainly fall down.

Those in the householder ÄÅ›rama are not authorized to enjoy life like pigs and dogs, freely exercising their sexual potency. A religious householder should approach his wife at the prescribed time and place and beget a saintly child for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, it is specifically mentioned here that a householder must practice celibacy along with all of the other members of advanced human civilization. The word Å›aucam indicates cleanliness of mind and body, or else freedom from attachment and repulsion. One who faithfully worships God as the supreme controller experiences santoá¹£a, full satisfaction in whatever situation the Lord arranges. By seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa within everyone, one becomes bhÅ«ta-suhá¹›t, the well-wishing friend of all.