Shloka 14
Prāyaścitta, the ‘Elephant Bath’ Problem, and the Opening of Ajāmila-Upākhyāna
तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण शमेन च दमेन च । त्यागेन सत्यशौचाभ्यां यमेन नियमेन वा ॥ १३ ॥ देहवाग्बुद्धिजं धीरा धर्मज्ञा: श्रद्धयान्विता: । क्षिपन्त्यघं महदपि वेणुगुल्ममिवानल: ॥ १४ ॥
tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ yamena niyamena vā
ด้วยตบะ พรหมจรรย์ ชมะ-ดมะ การสละ ความสัตย์และความสะอาด รวมทั้งยามะ-นิยามะ—ผู้มีศรัทธา รู้ธรรม และสุขุม ย่อมขจัดบาปแห่งกาย วาจา ใจ; ดุจไฟเผาเถาแห้งใต้กอไผ่
Tapaḥ is explained in the smṛti-śāstra as follows: manasaś cendriyāṇāṁ ca aikāgryaṁ paramaṁ tapaḥ. “Complete control of the mind and senses and their complete concentration on one kind of activity is called tapaḥ. ” Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to concentrate the mind on devotional service. This is first-class tapaḥ. Brahmacarya, the life of celibacy, has eight aspects: one should not think of women, speak about sex life, dally with women, look lustfully at women, talk intimately with women or decide to engage in sexual intercourse, nor should one endeavor for sex life or engage in sex life. One should not even think of women or look at them, to say nothing of talking with them. This is called first-class brahmacarya. If a brahmacārī or sannyāsī talks with a woman in a secluded place, naturally there will be a possibility of sex life without anyone’s knowledge. Therefore a complete brahmacārī practices just the opposite. If one is a perfect brahmacārī, he can very easily control the mind and senses, give charity, speak truthfully and so forth. To begin, however, one must control the tongue and the process of eating.
FAQs
It says that steady, faithful knowers of dharma can destroy even great sins—those arising from body, speech, and mind—through disciplines like austerity, brahmacarya, self-restraint, renunciation, truthfulness, purity, and the practices of yama and niyama.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse to Mahārāja Parīkṣit while explaining the principles of atonement and purification in the context of the Ajāmila narrative in Canto 6, Chapter 1.
Practice truthfulness, cleanliness, regulated habits, sense-control, and conscious restraint in speech and thought; adopt simple living and intentional renunciation—these disciplines purify inner tendencies and reduce sinful reactions.