Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.12.6
सुशीलो मितभुग्दक्ष: श्रद्दधानो जितेन्द्रिय: ।
यावदर्थं व्यवहरेत् स्त्रीषु स्त्रीनिर्जितेषु च ॥ ६ ॥
suśīlo mita-bhug dakṣaḥ
[susheelo mita-bhug dakshah]
śraddadhāno jitendriyaḥ
[shraddadhaano jitendriyah]
yāvad-arthaṁ vyavaharet
[yaavad-artham vyavaharet]
strīṣu strī-nirjiteṣu ca
[streeshu stree-nirjiteshu cha]
Word-for-word
su-śīlaḥ
—
very polite and well-behaved
mita-bhuk
—
eating only exactly what he needs, neither more nor less
dakṣaḥ
—
expert or without laziness, always busy
śraddadhānaḥ
—
possessing full faith in the instructions of the śāstra and the spiritual master
jita-indriyaḥ
—
having full control over the senses
yāvat-artham
—
as much as necessary
vyavaharet
—
should behave externally
strīṣu
—
unto women
strī-nirjiteṣu
—
men who are henpecked, controlled by women
ca
—
also.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
suśīlo mita-bhug dakṣaḥ
su-śīlaḥ
very polite and well-behaved
mita-bhuk
eating only exactly what he needs, neither more nor less
dakṣaḥ
expert or without laziness, always busy
śraddadhāno jitendriyaḥ
śraddadhānaḥ
possessing full faith in the instructions of the śāstra and the spiritual master
jita-indriyaḥ
having full control over the senses
yāvat-artham
as much as necessary
yāvad-arthaṁ vyavaharet
vyavaharet
should behave externally
strīṣu strī-nirjiteṣu ca
strīṣu
unto women
strī-nirjiteṣu
men who are henpecked, controlled by women
ca
also.
A brahmacārī should be quite well-behaved and gentle and should not eat or collect more than necessary. He must always be active and expert, fully believing in the instructions of the spiritual master and the śāstra. Fully controlling his senses, he should associate only as much as necessary with women or those controlled by women.
Purport
A brahmacārī should be very careful not to mix with women or with men addicted to women. Although when he goes out to beg alms it is necessary to talk with women and with men very much attached to women, this association should be very short, and he should talk with them only about begging alms, and not more. A brahmacārī should be very careful in associating with men who are attached to women.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
A brahmacārī should be well behaved, in control of his eating, industrious, faithful, in control of his senses, and should interact with women and men who are controlled by women only as much as necessary.
He may have to go to householders to beg, or go to the guru’s house (assuming the guru is married) to do service. That much he can interact with women.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Well-behaved, gentle, not over-eating or over-collecting, active, expert, full faith in guru and śāstra, controlled senses, minimal association with women or men attached to women. Even necessary contact is brief and businesslike.
Reflection Questions
- Which 'necessary' association in your life has expanded beyond businesslike contact?
- How could brevity restore protection without becoming coldness?
My note
Source: vedabase.io