Suppose one lives for hundred
years. Twenty-five years remain brahmacäré at the shelter of
guru, twenty-five years. So guru teaches him to remain brahmacäré,
naiñöhika-brahmacäré. Just like my Guru Mahäräja,
Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura Prabhupäda.
He was brahmacäré. He was brahmacäré, strict brahmacäré,
ideal personality. So that is recommended for everyone. Up to twenty-five
years’ age, nobody should have any connection with woman. That is brahmacäré.
Strictly. That brahmacäré rules and regulation are there in
the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, that he would go door to door
for collecting alms for his spiritual master, and address every woman as
mother, from the very beginning. From five years old, if a child is trained
to call all woman as “Mother,” naturally his culture is different. Because
he has learned to call all woman as “Mother.” He has no other idea. A small
child, any woman comes before him, he knows “(S)He is my mother.” So this
was the practice. That is not only religiously, but morally, it is so good,
to look upon all woman as mother. That is the system still in India, any
unknown woman who has no introduction with you, (s)he is addressed “Mätäjé.”
Address her. She may be just like daughter or granddaughter, but one would
address, as a respect to the woman, as “Mother, Mätäjé.”
This is Indian system. Now some rascals have introduced “Bhaginéjé,
sister.” But that is not shastric. In the çästra, all the woman,
except one’s wife, should be addressed as “Mother.”
That is the instruction by Cäëakya
Paëòita, a great politician moralist. He said that “Who is
learned scholar?” He was himself very learned scholar, but he is giving
definition of learned scholar. What is that? Mätåvat para-däreñu:
“Anyone who sees all woman...” Para-däreñu. Para-dära
means other’s wife. Para-däreñu. Mätåvat. Not his
own wife, but other’s wife. So except one has got one wife, and all others,
other’s wife. So mätåvat para-däreñu, to treat and
see other’s wife as mother. Mätåvat para-däreñu.
Para-dravyeñu loñöravat: “And other’s property as garbage
in the street.” As nobody is interested in the garbage on the street, similarly,
if one is not interested in anyone’s property... It may be insignificant
thing, but one cannot touch it. Tena tyaktena bhuïjéthä
mä gådhaù kasya svid dhanam [Éço mantra
1]. This is the Upaniñad. Éçopaniñad, Vedic
injunction. Mä gådhaù kasya svid dhanam: “Don’t touch
any other property.” Tena tyaktena bhuïjéthäù:
“Whatever is given by Kåñëa, God, as His prasädam,
you accept it. That you can enjoy. Don’t touch anything.” So similarly,
a person should be so nicely trained up that the one wife with religious,
by performing religious ceremony, is given to him, he should be satisfied
with her, not to see other women, adulteration. This is Kali-yuga. This
is Kali-yuga. Now this adulteration, prostitution, is common affair, common
affair. Nobody sees other’s wife as his mother, nobody. And neither the
woman sees other’s husband as father. No.
(A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 7th January
1974. Shrimad Bhagavatam lecture 1:6:10.)
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