Pushkar. Some Hindus have attributed
this lack of worshipto his status as the
creator. After all, since creation has been
completed, why should one bother with
Brahma, whose work is done? In the
puranas, texts on Hindu mythology, this
lack of worship is usually ascribed to a
curse—sometimes by the god Shiva but
in other stories by the sage Bhrgu.
Brahmacharin
(“seeker of Brahman”) A term with sev-
eral possible meanings depending on
the context. In the dharma literature,
which gives instruction on religious
duties, a brahmacharin is a person in a
period of religious study. This period is
the first of the four ashramas (“stages of
life”) of a twice-bornman, that is, a man
born into one of three groups in Indian
society: brahmin, kshatriya, or vaishya.
Such men are eligible to receive the ado-
lescent religious initiationknown as the
“second birth.” According to the ideal,
after his initiation and adornment with
the sacred thread—the most visible sign
of a twice-born man—the brah-
macharin shall live in his guru’shouse-
hold and study the Veda, the oldest
Hindu religious text, in addition to per-
forming other religious acts. Since brah-
macharins are focused on gaining
religious knowledge, this is supposed to
be a very austere time of life marked by
strict celibacy, hard work, service to the
teacher, meticulous observance of all
religious rites, and avoidance of luxuries
such as beds, cosmetics, and bodily
ornaments. Once this period of study is
over, the student will marry and enter
the second ashrama, that of the house-
holder. The system described in the
dharma literature is an idealized model,
and one cannot be sure that it was ever
strictly followed. Although many con-
temporary brahmin boys still undergo
the “second birth,” other elements—
such as the asceticlifestyle and empha-
sis on the study of the Veda—are largely
ignored in contemporary times.
Some of the term’s original mean-
ing remains in an ascetic context.
Brahmacharincan also be defined as a
novice or junior monk, whose duty is to
serve and learn from the senior monks,
or as the name of two particular ascetic
groups. One of these groups is the pres-
tigious Swaminarayan sect, whose
members are recruited solely from the
casteof brahmins. The other is an orga-
nization called the Brahmachari
Sanyasis, devotees (bhakta) of the god
Shiva who are distinct from the
DashanamiSanyasis. The Brahmachari
Sanyasis have an ashram on Mount
Girnar and in the bathing (snana)
festival known as the Kumbha Mela,
the Brahmachari Naga (fighting)
Sanyasis have a recognized place
among the other Naga groups. For
further information see G. S. Ghurye,
Indian Sadhus, 1964.Brahmacharya
(“going after Brahman”) In its most tra-
ditional sense, this word refers to the
lifestyle of a young man belonging to a
particular class during his life as a stu-
dent (brahmacharin). This period is the
first of the four ashramas (“stages of
life”) of a twice-bornman, that is, a
man born into one of three groups in
Indian society: brahmin, kshatriya, or
vaishya. Such men are eligible to
receive the adolescent religious initia-
tionknown as the “second birth.” His
life as a student will then commence,
and he will move into his guru’shouse-
hold and study the sacred texts, the
Vedas. This is conceived as a period of
intense study, religious practice, and an
austere lifestyle marked by the restraint
of desires, for which the hallmark is
celibacy. Although the model of the
four ashramas is largely archaic in mod-
ern times, the word brahmacharyastill
connotes this sort of austere religious
lifestyle, and it is often used as a syn-
onym for celibacy.Brahmahatya
(“brahminmurder”) In the dharma lit-
erature, which gives instruction on reli-
gious duties, brahmahatya is one of theBrahmacharin