In terms of formalized religious practice, celibacy is institutionalized
in the life stage of brahmacharya, in the sense of chaste discipleship. In this
sense a brahmachariis not simply celibate, although certainly and pri-
marily that, but also a novice scholar who submits himself to the absolute
authority of a guru (adept master). As the first stage of the ideal life course,
brahmacharya is roughly congruent with the age through which most chil-
dren attend school, with marriage when a young man is in his early to mid-
twenties. In the idealized scheme, a brahmachari is a high-caste Brahman
boy who must learn by rote the Vedic scriptures and all of the formal rit-
ual protocol associated with those scriptures. The concept of chastity is rel-
evant here insofar as a boy who is able to control his desire is not dis-
tracted, better able to learn—in the sense that he has a greater capacity for
memory—and also in appropriately good physical health, both strong and
pure. Although brahmacharya as a life stage is associated with ritual and
Vedic learning, it also has much wider pedagogical salience as a model for
all forms of instruction, both explicitly spiritual, as when a person submits
to the devotional teaching of a holy man, as well as more secular, as when
a person learns a craft, a musical instrument, or a martial art from an ac-
complished teacher. It is significant that these “secular” forms of the mas-
ter-disciple relationship are only secular in terms of content. The mode of
instruction and the attitude of complete submission to authority and total
identification with the guru that are incumbent on the disciple stem directly
from the idealized Vedic model. Celibacy factors into this attitude because
of the extent to which a disciple must be able to focus his whole being on
the act of learning and literally embody the knowledge his guru imparts.
Hindu scriptures are replete with references to the link between sex,
fertility, and mastery of power, both supernatural and natural—and the
link is complex. In many instances, it is also inherently ambiguous, insofar
as sex—understood as an analog for divine creation—is the source of great
power, but also—understood as an instinctual, bestial, subhuman drive—is
regarded as an act through which all power can be lost if it is not carefully
controlled. In any case, the deity who is celibacy incarnate, most clearly
manifests shakti, iconographically embodies the physiology of ojas, and
translates all of this explicitly into the domain of martial arts is Lord Hanu-
man, hero of the epic Ramayana. Although he is most closely associated
with wrestling and is known for having performed feats of incredible
strength, in fact the nature of Hanuman’s power is more complex. To be-
gin with, Hanuman is a monkey, or the son of a nymph and a monkey, and
is thought to possess the nascent attributes of his simian lineage. This is
made clear in many of the myths and folktales associated with him that, in
essence, depict him “monkeying around.” In one notable instance, as an in-
fant, he flew off intent on eating the sun, manifest as the chariot of the god466 Religion and Spiritual Development: India