Bramhacharya Tapotamam

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text "Bramhacharya Tapotamam" by Yatindrasuri, based on the text you provided:

The text, attributed to Acharya Dev Shrimad Vijay Yatindrasurishwarji Maharaj, extols the virtues and significance of Brahmacharya (celibacy or continence) in the Jain tradition. It begins by reminiscing about a golden age in India, a time of unparalleled prosperity and spiritual advancement, evidenced by divine pronouncements praising this land. This greatness, the text asserts, was primarily due to the munis, maharshis, and mahatmas who, with selfless renunciation and foresight, established profound spiritual and social laws. Among these, Brahmacharya is identified as the primary and most superior principle, the root of India's glory.

Definition and Types of Brahmacharya:

• The text defines Brahmacharya as the abandonment of sexual intercourse in body, mind, and speech, at all times, in all states, and in all places.
• This leads to three types: physical (kayik), mental (manasik), and verbal (vachik) Brahmacharya.
• Mental Brahmacharya is considered the most superior because its practice naturally leads to the adherence of physical and verbal Brahmacharya. The text criticizes those who neglect mental Brahmacharya, highlighting that the mind is the source of all actions performed by the senses and is the cause of both bondage and liberation.

The Importance of Mental Brahmacharya:

• Quoting a saying, the text explains that what is thought in the mind is spoken, what is spoken is done, and what is done yields its fruit. This underscores the primacy of the mind.
• The ability to control the mind is crucial for practicing any form of Brahmacharya.
• A mythological story of Brahma's penance being disrupted by the apsara Tilottama illustrates the power of uncontrolled desires and the ease with which even great ascetics can fall prey to mental indulgence, losing the fruits of their penance.

Brahmacharya and Liberation:

• The text refutes the notion that a son is necessary for liberation or heavenly abode, citing examples of great sages like Tilottama, Hanuman, and Bhishma Pitahmah who attained liberation through Brahmacharya without progeny.
• It emphasizes that true Brahmacharya leads to heavenly realms and even liberation, and simply having a son does not guarantee auspiciousness; an unrighteous son can bring misfortune to both father and lineage.

The Power and Impact of Brahmacharya:

• The text quotes Acharya Dev Shri Hemchandrasurishwarji Maharaj, stating that those who observe Brahmacharya diligently become long-lived, possess well-formed and strong bodies, are energetic, and highly valorous.
• Brahmacharya is described as the life force of righteous conduct and the primary cause of attaining Para Brahma (the Supreme Reality).
• Individuals practicing Brahmacharya are respected and worshipped even by revered beings.
• The text highlights that the practice of Brahmacharya bestows immense power, transforming individuals from ordinary humans to divine beings (Nar se Narayan).

Brahmacharya for Both Ascetics and Householders:

• The text clarifies that Brahmacharya is not restricted to ascetics (sadhu, muni, or sanyasi) but is a valuable ornament for householders as well.
• A distinction is made in the degree of practice for householders and ascetics based on their capabilities. Householders should view all women other than their wives as mothers or sisters. Even when engaging with their wives, they should adhere to marital norms, particularly during the prescribed marital periods (ritukala).
• Householders who practice unbroken Brahmacharya in mind, speech, and body, remaining unaffected by desires, perform an "Asidharavrata" (sword-edge vow), a rare feat even for couples sharing the same bed.

The Ideal of Asidharavrata and the Example of Vijay Seth-Sathani:

• The text explains Asidharavrata as a state where a man and woman sleep in the same bed but maintain complete control over their mind, speech, and body, remaining untouched by desire.
• The example of Seth and Sethani Vijay (Vijay Seth-Sethani) is mentioned as a testament to such practice.

Types of Women and Their Impact:

• Women are categorized into excellent (uttam), medium (madhyam), and inferior (jaghhanya).
• Excellent women remain devoted to their husbands, uphold their chastity, do not remember or desire other men, avoid secret conversations or contact with unrelated men, and strive to keep their families on the righteous path.
• Medium women do not cause distress to their husbands or compromise their chastity but may fail to bring their families into harmony, sometimes creating discord and becoming a source of anxiety or trouble for their husbands.

The Current State of Society and the Call to Brahmacharya:

• The text laments the current state of society, which it describes as being enveloped in darkness due to widespread unrighteousness and promiscuity.
• It criticizes both householders and ascetics for deviating from their duties. Householders have abandoned their vow of contentment with their own wives and indulge in satisfying their desires with others. Ascetics, who should be the pinnacle of mental Brahmacharya, have succumbed to sensual pleasures and compromised their vows.
• This decline causes immense sorrow to the author.
• The text concludes with a powerful reaffirmation: "तपस्तप इति आहुः ब्रह्मचर्यं तपोत्तमम्। ऊर्ध्वरेता भवेद् यस्तु स देवो न तु मानवः॥" (They call penance, penance; Brahmacharya is the best penance. He who becomes urdhvareta [one who controls semen/sexual energy] is a god, not a human.)
• It urges every householder and ascetic to practice Brahmacharya for self-improvement and the welfare of humanity.

In essence, the text presents Brahmacharya as the foundational principle for individual and societal well-being, the key to spiritual attainment, and the ultimate form of penance, capable of transforming one into a divine being. It calls for a revival of this practice in the current era of moral decline.