Source
Texts:
Lord
Krishna's Description of the Varnâs'rama
System
Text
1-2:
S'rî
Uddhava said: 'O Lotus-eyed One, You previously described the
religious principles modeled by bhakti of all
varnâs'rama
followers and even the [ignorant] two-legged beings;
You should explain to me that process of man executing his
occupational duties, by which there, given by You, may be the
loving service.
S'rî
Uddhava said: My dear Lord, previously You described the
principles of devotional service that are to be practiced by
followers of the varnâs'rama system and even ordinary,
unregulated human beings. My dear lotus-eyed Lord, now
please explain to me how all human beings can achieve loving
service unto You by the execution of their prescribed
duties.
Text
3-4:
The religious
principles by which there is the supreme happiness and of which
You, as said [11.13],
previously, dear Mâdhava, o Mighty-armed One, in the form
of Lord Hamsa spoke to Brahmâ, will these days, after
having been taught by You before and having ruled for such a
very long time, o Subduer of the enemies, not be common anymore
in the human society [see also 5.6:
10 and
11.5:
36 and
kali-yuga].
My
dear Lord, O mighty-armed one, previously in Your form of
Lord Hamsa You spoke to Lord Brahmâ those religious
principles that bring supreme happiness to the practitioner.
My dear Mâdhava, now much time has passed, and that
which You previously instructed will soon practically cease
to exist, O subduer of the enemy.
Text
5-6:
Dear Acyuta,
there is no other speaker, creator and protector of the dharma
but You; not on earth, nor even in the assembly of Brahmâ
where You're present in the form of a part of You [viz. the
Vedas, see also 10:
87]. When
the earth is abandoned by Your lordship, o Madhusûdana, o
Creator, Protector and Speaker, then who, o God, will speak of
what is lost then?
My
dear Lord Acyuta, there is no speaker, creator and protector
of supreme religious principles other than Your Lordship,
either on the earth or even in the assembly of Lord
Brahmâ, where the personified Vedas reside. Thus, my
dear Lord Madhusûdana, when You, who are the very
creator, protector and speaker of spiritual knowledge,
abandon the earth, who will again speak this lost
knowledge?
Text
7
Therefore, with
You still among us, please describe to me o Master, o Knower of
All Dharma, the way how and by whom the original duties with
the mark of Your bhakti may be executed.'
Therefore,
my Lord, since You are the knower of all religious
principles, please describe to me the human beings who may
execute the path of loving service to You and how such
service is to be rendered.
Text
8
S'rî
S'uka said: 'He, the Supreme Lord Hari, thus pleased being
questioned by the best of His devotees, for the highest welfare
of all conditioned souls spoke on the eternal duties of the
dharma.
S'rî
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: S'rî Uddhava, the
best of devotees, thus inquired from the Lord. Hearing his
question, the Personality of Godhead, S'rî Krishna,
was pleased and for the welfare of all conditioned souls
spoke those religious principles that are eternal.
Text
9
The Supreme
Lord said: 'This dharmic question of yours is for normal human
beings the cause of the highest welfare; please, Uddhava, learn
from Me about them [the duties] as followed by those in
observance of the varnâs'rama
system.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead said - My dear Uddhava, your
question is faithful to religious principles and thus gives
rise to the highest perfection in life, pure devotional
service, for both ordinary human beings and the followers of
the varnâs'rama system. Now please learn from Me those
supreme religious principles.
Text
10
In the
beginning there is the age of krita
wherein the class of human beings is called
hamsa;
the citizens then are by birth well known with the performance
of the duties - hence do the learned know it as krita-yuga, the
age of the fulfillment of duty.
In
the beginning, in Satya-yuga, there is only one social
class, called hamsa, to which all human beings belong. In
that age all people are unalloyed devotees of the Lord from
birth, and thus learned scholars call this first age
Krita-yuga, or the age in which all religious duties are
perfectly fulfilled.
Text
11
At first is the
Veda indeed expressed with the pranava,
with Me as the duty in the form of the bull of religion
[see 1.16:
18 and
1.
17: 24],
by which they, fixed in austerity freed from sins, worship Me,
Lord Hamsa.
In
Satya-yuga the undivided Veda is expressed by the syllable
om, and I am the only object of mental activities. I become
manifest as the four-legged bull of religion, and thus the
inhabitants of Satya-yuga, fixed in austerity and free from
all sins, worship Me as Lord Hamsa.
Text
12
At the
beginning of tretâ-yuga, o greatly fortunate one,
appeared from the prânâ from My heart the threefold
of the knowing [the three Vedas] and from that appeared
I in the three forms of sacrifice [hence the name
tretâ, see ritvik].
O
greatly fortunate one, at the beginning of Tretâ-yuga
Vedic knowledge appeared from My heart, which is the abode
of the air of life, in three divisions - as Rig, Sâma
and Yajur. Then from that knowledge I appeared as threefold
sacrifice.
Text
13
Generated from
the Original Personality were the learned, the warriors, the
merchants and the workers [the varnas]
born and by their personal activities recognized as
[respectively] being from the mouth, the arms, the
thighs and legs of the universal form [compare
2.1:
37].
In
Tretâ-yuga the four social orders were manifested from
the universal form of the Personality of Godhead. The
brâhmanas appeared from the Lord's face, the
kshatriyas from the Lord's arms, the vais'yas from the
Lord's thighs and the s'ûdras from the legs of that
mighty form. Each social division was recognized by its
particular duties and behavior.
Text
14
The
householders are situated in My loins, the celibate students in
My heart, in My chest there are the ones dwelling in the forest
and the renounced order is situated in My head [see
âs'ramas].
The
married order of life appeared from the loins of My
universal form, and the celibate students came from My
heart. The forest-dwelling retired order of life appeared
from My chest, and the renounced order of life was situated
within the head of My universal form.
Text
15
The higher or
lower natures of the human beings of the varnas and
âs'ramas appeared according the superior or inferior
positions of birth [in My body].
The
various occupational and social divisions of human society
appeared according to inferior and superior natures manifest
in the situation of the individual's birth.
Text
16
Equanimity,
sense-control, austerity, cleanliness, contentment,
forgiveness, sincerity, devotion to Me, compassion and
truthfulness; these then are the natural qualities of the
brahmins [compare 7.11:
21 and B.G.
18:
42].
Peacefulness,
self-control, austerity, cleanliness, satisfaction,
tolerance, simple straightforwardness, devotion to Me, mercy
and truthfulness are the natural qualities of the
brâhmanas.
Text
17
Ardor, physical
strength, determination, heroism, tolerance, generosity,
endeavor, steadiness, being mindful of the brahminical and
leadership; these then are the natural qualities of the
kshatriyas [compare 7.11:
22 and B.G.
18:
43].
Faith
in Vedic civilization, dedication to charity, freedom from
hypocrisy, service to the brâhmanas and perpetually
desiring to accumulate more money are the natural qualities
of the vais'yas.
Text
18
Belief in God
and dedication to charity, straightforwardness, love for the
brahminical and restlessness about the accumulation of money;
these then are the natural qualities of the vais'yas
[compare 7.11:
23 and B.G.
18:
44].
Faith
in Vedic civilization, dedication to charity, freedom from
hypocrisy, service to the brâhmanas and perpetually
desiring to accumulate more money are the natural qualities
of the vais'yas.
Text
19
To be of
service with the brahmins, the cows and the godly and to be
unduplicitous in that and have peace with what was acquired;
these then are the natural qualities of the s'ûdras
[compare 7.11:
24 and B.G.
18:
44].
Service
without duplicity to the brâhmanas, cows, demigods and
other worshipable personalities, and complete satisfaction
with whatever income is obtained in such service, are the
natural qualities of s'ûdras.
Text
20
Unclean,
deceitful, thievish, faithless, of useless quarrel, lusty, of
anger and also hankering; this is the nature of those residing
in the lowest position [the outcaste].
Dirtiness,
dishonesty, thievery, faithlessness, useless quarrel, lust,
anger and hankering constitute the nature of those in the
lowest position outside the varnâs'rama system.
Text
21
Nonviolence,
truthfulness, honesty, being free from lust, anger and greed
and desiring the welfare and happiness of all living entities;
this is the duty for all the members of society.
Nonviolence,
truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare
of all others and freedom from lust, anger and greed
constitute duties for all members of society.
Text
22
In due order
[with samskâras]
achieving second birth with the acquittance [usually with
initiation into the gâyatrî,
receiving the sacred thread], should a twice born one
residing in the community of the guru, self-controlled, as
summoned, study the scriptures [see also B.G.
16:
24].
The
twice-born member of society achieves second birth through
the sequence of purificatory ceremonies culminating in
Gâyatrî initiation. Being summoned by the
spiritual master, he should reside within the guru's
âs'rama and with a self-controlled mind carefully
study the Vedic literature.
Text
23
With a belt, a
deerskin [or these days: simple clothes], a staff
[or other means of transport], prayer beads, a brahmin
thread, a waterpot, matted hair [devotees these days are
shaven], with teeth well maintained and clothes properly
covering [*]
is he [the brahmacârî], carrying kus'a
[being of the prayer mat], not after the highest
seat.
The
brahmacârî 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 aksha beads
and a sacred thread. Carrying pure kus'a 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.
Text
24
Bathing
and eating, attending sacrifices and doing the rosary, passing
stool and urine, he does in silence [vaishnavas do murmur
with
japa];
he should not [completely, these days] cut his nails or
hair, including the hair under his arms and in the pubic
area [see also
s'îkhâ].
A
brahmacârî should always remain silent while
bathing, eating, attending sacrificial performances,
chanting japa or passing stool and urine. He should not cut
his nails and hair, including the armpit and pubic
hair.
Text
25
One
who is of the vow of celibacy should never spill his semen and,
when it flowed out its own, take a bath, control his breath and
chant the gâyatrî
[see also ûrdhva-retah].
One
observing the vow of celibate brahmacârî life
should never pass semen. If the semen by chance spills out
by itself, the brahmacârî should immediately
take bath in water, control his breath by
prânâyâma and chant the
Gâyatrî mantra.
Text
26
Purified with
the consciousness fixed in respect for the fire-god, the sun
[see cakra],
the cows, the learned, the spiritual master, the elderly and
the godfearing, should he, observing silence, do
japa at the
two junctions of time [morning and evening, compare:
11.14:
35].
Purified
and fixed in consciousness, the brahmacârî
should worship the fire-god, sun, âcârya, cows,
brâhmanas, guru, elderly respectable persons and
demigods. He should perform such worship at sunrise and
sunset, without speaking but by silently chanting or
murmuring the appropriate mantras.
Text
27
The teacher of
example [the âcârya] one should know as Me;
he should never at any time enviously be disrespected with the
idea of him being a mortal being, for the guru is the
representative of all the gods [see also
heuristic
and compare e.g. 7.14:
17,
10
81: 39 ,
10.45:
32 and
11.15:
27].
One
should know the âcârya as Myself and never
disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking
him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the
demigods.
Text
28
In the evening
and morning bringing him the food that was collected,
delivering that together with other articles, should one in
self-control be pleased to accept what is allotted [by
him].
In
the morning and evening one should collect foodstuffs and
other articles and deliver them to the spiritual master.
Then, being self-controlled, one should accept for oneself
that which is allotted by the âcârya.
Text
29
Always engaged
in serving the âcârya should one humbly at not too
great a distance with folded hands honor his path, his resting,
his sitting and his standing.
While
engaged in serving the spiritual master one should remain as
a humble servant, and thus when the guru is walking the
servant should humbly walk behind. When the guru lies down
to sleep, the servant should also lie down nearby, and when
the guru has awakened, the servant should sit near him,
massaging his lotus feet and rendering other, similar
services. When the guru is sitting down on his âsana,
the servant should stand nearby with folded hands, awaiting
the guru's order. In this way one should always worship the
spiritual master.
Text
30
Thus engaged
should he [the upakurvâna
brahmacârî],
free from [unregulated] sense gratification, carry on
unbroken in the vow [of celibacy], living in the school
of the guru until the education is completed [see also
kumâras].
Until
the student has completed his Vedic education he should
remain engaged in the âs'rama of the spiritual master,
should remain completely free of material sense
gratification and should not break his vow of celibacy
[brahmacarya].
Text
31
If he
[naishthhika,
for life] desires to climb up to the world of the verses
[Maharloka]
to be engaged in the Absolute Truth should he for the purpose
of the study of the true self offer his body to the guru in
respect of the great vow [see yama].
If
the brahmacârî student desires to ascend to the
Maharloka or Brahmaloka planets, then he should completely
surrender his activities to the spiritual master and,
observing the powerful vow of perpetual celibacy, dedicate
himself to superior Vedic studies.
Text
32
Vedically
enlightened and sinless should one worship Me in the fire, in
the spiritual master, in oneself and in all living beings as
the Supreme Non-dual Conception [see also B.G.
5:
18,
siddhânta
and advaita].
Thus
enlightened in Vedic knowledge by service to the spiritual
master, freed from all sins and duality, one should worship
Me as the Supersoul, as I appear within fire, the spiritual
master, one's own self and all living entities.
Text
33
With
[sexually receptive] women, or sex-minded living
beings, glancing, touching, conversing and joking and such is
the first thing that someone not keeping a household [the
sannyâsî, the vânaprastha and the
brahmacârî] should forsake [see
11.14:
29
and 6.1:
56-68].
Those
who are not married - sannyâsîs,
vânaprasthas and brahmacârîs - should
never associate with women by glancing, touching,
conversing, joking or sporting. Neither should they ever
associate with any living entity engaged in sexual
activities.
Text
34-35
Cleanliness,
washing the hands, bathing, in the morning and evening being of
religious service, worshiping Me, visiting holy places, doing
the rosary, avoiding things untouchable, things not fit for
consumption and things not to discuss; this is the voluntary
penance that, with Me existing in all beings, for restraining
the mind, the words and the body is enjoined for all spiritual
departments, o Uddhava.
My
dear Uddhava, general cleanliness, washing the hands,
bathing, performing religious services at sunrise, noon and
sunset, worshiping Me, visiting holy places, chanting japa,
avoiding that which is untouchable, uneatable or not to be
discussed, and remembering My existence within all living
entities as the Supersoul - these principles should be
followed by all members of society through regulation of the
mind, words and body.
Text
36
A brahmin thus
observing the great vow becomes bright like fire My devotee,
spotless with the karma burned by the intensity of the
penance.
A
brâhmana observing the great vow of celibacy becomes
brilliant like fire and by serious austerity burns to ashes
the propensity to perform material activities. Free from the
contamination of material desire, he becomes My
devotee.
Text
37
Thus properly
having studied the vedic literatures should he [as a
brahmacârî], caring for what's next [see
next paragraph], offer the guru remuneration, and tidy
himself [and leave **]
with the permission of the guru.
A
brahmacârî who has completed his Vedic education
and desires to enter household life should offer proper
remuneration to the spiritual master, bathe, cut his hair,
put on proper clothes, and so on. Then, taking permission
from the guru, he should go back to his home.
Text
38
He should enter
either family life or the forest [becoming a recluse]
or, as the best of the twice born, become a monk; not being
surrendered to Me, should one proceed from one spiritual
department to the other âs'rama and not act
otherwise.
A
brahmacârî desiring to fulfill his material
desires should live at home with his family, and a
householder who is eager to purify his consciousness should
enter the forest, whereas a purified brâhmana should
accept the renounced order of life. One who is not
surrendered to Me should move progressively from one
âs'rama to another, never acting otherwise.
Text
39
Desiring a
household should one marry a wife with similar characteristics
that is beyond reproach but younger of age, and with the first
one of the same vocation may follow another one [of a lower
caste].
One
who desires to establish family life should marry a wife of
his own caste, who is beyond reproach and younger in age. If
one desires to accept many wives he must marry them after
the first marriage, and each wife should be of a
successively lower caste.
Text
40
Sacrifice,
vedic study and charity are there for all the twice born; but
only of the brahmin is there the acceptance of charity, the
teaching of the vedic knowledge and the officiating in
sacrifices [compare 7.11:
14].
All
twice-born men - brâhmanas, kshatriyas and vais'yas -
must perform sacrifice, study the Vedic literature and give
charity. Only the brâhmanas, however, accept charity,
teach the Vedic knowledge and perform sacrifice on behalf of
others.
Text
41
Considering the
acceptance of charity detrimental to the penance, the spiritual
influence and the glory, he should live by the other two
[of teaching and sacrifice] or, seeing these two
discrepant, live on gathering ears of corn left in the field
['of the stones', live on the dole, see also
6.7:
36,
7.15:
30 and B.G.
9:
22].
A
brâhmana who considers that accepting charity from
others will destroy his austerity, spiritual influence and
fame should maintain himself by the other two brahminical
occupations, namely teaching Vedic knowledge and performing
sacrifice. If the brâhmana considers that those two
occupations also compromise his spiritual position, then he
should collect rejected grains in agricultural fields and
live without any dependence on others.
Text
42
For certain is
the body of a brahmin meant for the hardship of
[voluntary] penances in this world and for unlimited
happiness in the hereafter and not for futile sense
gratification [and the consequent involuntary penances of
war, disease and incarceration, see also 11.6:
9 and B.G.
17:
14-19].
The
body of a brâhmana is not intended to enjoy
insignificant material sense gratification; rather, by
accepting difficult austerities in his life, a
brâhmana will enjoy unlimited happiness after
death.
Text
43
Fully satisfied
occupied with gleaning grains and magnanimously, dispassionate
cultivating the dharma, can even staying at home he who set his
mind upon Me, being not so attached achieve liberation
[compare B.G. 3:
22 and
10.69].
A
brâhmana householder should remain satisfied in mind
by gleaning rejected grains from agricultural fields and
marketplaces. Keeping himself free of personal desire, he
should practice magnanimous religious principles, with
consciousness absorbed in Me. In this way a brâhmana
may stay at home as a householder without very much
attachment and thus achieve liberation.
Text
44
Those who
uplift the learned and the ones suffering [poverty and
disease] surrendered to Me, them will I, like a boat in the
ocean, very soon deliver from all miseries.
Just
as a ship rescues those who have fallen into the ocean,
similarly, I very quickly rescue from all calamities those
persons who uplift brâhmanas and devotees suffering in
a poverty-stricken condition.
Text
45
Like a bull
elephant who fearlessly protects other elephants and himself,
does the king, like a father redeem himself by redeeming all
the citizens from difficulties.
Just
as the chief bull elephant protects all other elephants in
his herd and defends himself as well, similarly, a fearless
king, just like a father, must save all of the citizens from
difficulty and also protect himself.
Text
46
Thus enjoys the
human ruler that way with Indra, with a heavenly vehicle as
brilliant as the sun on earth removing all the sins [see
also 4.20:
14].
An
earthly king who protects himself and all citizens by
removing all sins from his kingdom will certainly enjoy with
Lord Indra in airplanes as brilliant as the sun.
Text
47
If a learned
one is in debt must the calamity be overcome by doing business
behaving like a merchant or, still afflicted with misfortune,
must he take to the sword [go in politics]; in no case
can he behave like a dog [follow a lower
master].
If
a brâhmana cannot support himself through his regular
duties and is thus suffering, he may adopt the occupation of
a merchant and overcome his destitute condition by buying
and selling material things. If he continues to suffer
extreme poverty even as a merchant, then he may adopt the
occupation of a kshatriya, taking sword in hand. But he
cannot in any circumstances become like a dog, accepting an
ordinary master.
Text
48
A king may
maintain himself acting like a merchant, or suffering want do
so by hunting or in the form of a man of learning; in no
circumstance can he follow the dog's course.
A
king or other member of the royal order who cannot maintain
himself by his normal occupation may act as a vais'ya, may
live by hunting or may act as a brâhmana by teaching
others Vedic knowledge. But he may not under any
circumstances adopt the profession of a s'ûdra.
Text
49
A vais'ya may
adopt the business of a s'ûdra and a s'ûdra may
adopt the way of an artisan, making baskets and mats to be
freed from an awkward situation, but with the work done should
one not desire an inferior livelihood [see also
7.11:
17].
A
vais'ya, or mercantile man, who cannot maintain himself may
adopt the occupation of a s'ûdra, and a s'ûdra
who cannot find a master can engage in simple activities
like making baskets and mats of straw. However, all members
of society who have adopted inferior occupations in
emergency situations must give up those substitute
occupations when the difficulties have passed.
Text
50
According one's
prosperity should one daily be of respect for the
manifestations of My potency - the gods, the sages, the
forefathers and all living entities - by studying the vedic
knowledge and by offerings of food and such with [the
mantras] svadhâ ['blessed be'] and
svâhâ ['hail to', this rule thus applies to
normal householders, see also 11.5:
41]
.
One
in the grihastha order of life should daily worship the
sages by Vedic study, the forefathers by offering the mantra
svadhâ, the demigods by chanting svâhâ,
all living entities by offering shares of one's meals, and
human beings by offering grains and water. Thus considering
the demigods, sages, forefathers, living entities and human
beings to be manifestations of My potency, one should daily
perform these five sacrifices.
Text
51
Unembarrassed
with one's dependents whether one is of money acquired without
endeavor or of money acquired by honest work, should one so be
of proper respect with vedic rituals.
A
householder should comfortably maintain his dependents
either with money that comes of its own accord or with that
gathered by honest execution of one's duties. According to
one's means, one should perform sacrifices and other
religious ceremonies.
Text
52
To the family
members should one not be attached, nor should one craze
[in being the controller]; nay, a wise person should
see that even what's not settled is as temporary as what is
settled.
A
householder taking care of many dependent family members
should not become materially attached to them, nor should he
become mentally unbalanced, considering himself to be the
lord. An intelligent householder should see that all
possible future happiness, just like that which he has
already experienced, is temporary.
Text
53
The association
of children, a wife, relatives and friends is like the being
together with travelers; like a dream occurring in one's sleep
are they all separated with each change of body [see also
7.2:
21,
9.19:
27-28].
The
association of children, wife, relatives and friends is just
like the brief meeting of travelers. With each change of
body one is separated from all such associates, just as one
loses the objects one possesses in a dream when the dream is
over.
Text
54
A liberated
soul of that consideration, not identifying with the body
living selfless at home like being a guest, should not get
entangled by the domestic situation.
Deeply
considering the actual situation, a liberated soul should
live at home just like a guest, without any sense of
proprietorship or false ego. In this way he will not be
bound or entangled by domestic affairs.
Text
55
Worshiping Me
by the activities of a family life may one, being a devotee, so
remain at home or enter the forest, or, having responsible
offspring, take to the renounced order.
A
householder devotee who worships Me by execution of his
family duties may remain at home, go to a holy place or, if
he has a responsible son, take sannyâsa.
Text
56
However, the
one fixed on women, whose consciousness is disturbed by the
wish for a home, children and money, is in bondage
unintelligently with a miserly mentality thinking 'This is
mine, and that am I'.
But
a householder whose mind is attached to his home and who is
thus disturbed by ardent desires to enjoy his money and
children, who is lusty after women, who is possessed of a
miserly mentality and who unintelligently thinks,
'Everything is mine and I am everything,' is certainly bound
in illusion.
Text
57
'Alas, my old
mom and dad, my wife with a baby in her arms, my young
unprotected children; how in the world can they live, wretched
suffering greatly without me?' [see e.g. also
11.7:
52-57].
'O
my poor elderly parents, and my wife with a mere infant in
her arms, and my other young children! Without me they have
absolutely no one to protect them and will suffer
unbearably. How can my poor relatives possibly live without
me?î
Text
58
Thus will, with
his home as his retreat, such a one, with his heart overwhelmed
unsated ruminating about them, with a wrong point of view
blinded land in darkness when he dies.
Thus,
because of his foolish mentality, a householder whose heart
is overwhelmed by family attachment is never satisfied.
Constantly meditating on his relatives, he dies and enters
into the darkness of ignorance.
*
The term adhauta used here means, according the Monier
Williams Dictionary, the negative of dhauta, which means
white, washed, and purified as well as removed and destroyed.
Concerning teeth and clothes this could mean as well unpolished
teeth and unwashed clothes as teeth not broken or rotting and
clothes properly covering the body. So it is to the context of
the other values of renunciation to decide which meaning would
apply. Since adhauta in the first sense would be in
conflict with the value of cleanliness, s'aucam [see
e.g. verse 20 of this chapter and 1.17:
24],
is here, contrary to previous interpretations chosen for the
second sense of teeth well-maintained and clothes properly
covering the body, which is more in line with the normal code
of conduct of vaishnava devotees in acceptance of a spiritual
master [see also pp. 11.17:
23].
**
This process of 'tidying' is called the
samâvartana-samskâra that marks the
completion of the studies and the returning home from living
with the guru.
