SB 11.17.23 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

मेखलाजिनदण्डाक्षब्रह्मसूत्रकमण्डलून् । जटिलोऽधौतदद्वासोऽरक्तपीठ: कुशान् दधत् ॥ २३ ॥

Verse text

mekhalājina-daṇḍākṣa- brahma-sūtra-kamaṇḍalūn jaṭilo ’dhauta-dad-vāso ’rakta-pīṭhaḥ kuśān dadhat

Synonyms

mekhalā — belt ; ajina — deerskin ; daṇḍa — staff ; akṣa — bead necklace ; brahma — sūtra — brāhmaṇa thread ; kamaṇḍalūn — and waterpot ; jaṭilaḥ — with matted, unruly hair ; adhauta — without polishing, bleaching or ironing ; dat — vāsaḥ — the teeth and clothes ; arakta — pīṭhaḥ — without accepting a luxurious or sensuous seat ; kuśān — kuśa grass ; dadhat — carrying in his hand .

Translation

The brahmacārī should regularly dress with a belt of straw and deerskin garments. He should wear matted hair, carry a rod and waterpot and be decorated with akṣa beads and a sacred thread. Carrying pure kuśa grass in his hand, he should never accept a luxurious or sensuous sitting place. He should not unnecessarily polish his teeth, nor should he bleach and iron his clothes.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The brahmacārī should regularly dress with a belt of straw and deerskin garments. He should have matted hair, carry a rod and waterpot and be decorated with beads and a sacred thread. Carrying pure kuśa grass in his hand, he should never accept a colorful seat. He should not wash his teeth or clothing. He wears a belt and carries kuśa grass. He wears a string of beads. His hair is matted because he does not use oil. He does not wash his teeth or clothing. He should not have a painted seat for show.

Purport

The word adhauta-dad-vāsa indicates that a renounced brahmacārī is not concerned with a glistening smile to attract the opposite sex, nor does he pay much attention to his outer garments. Brahmacārī life is meant for austerity and obedience to the spiritual master so that later in life, when one becomes a businessman, politician or intellectual brāhmaṇa, one will be able to call upon resources of character, discipline, self-control, austerity and humility. Student life, as described here, is far different from the mindless hedonism known as modern education. Of course, in the modern age, Kṛṣṇa conscious brahmacārīs cannot artificially adopt the ancient dress and ritualistic duties described here; but the essential values of self-control, purity and obedience to a bona fide spiritual master are just as necessary today as they were in Vedic times.