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Celibacy and Chastity
beauty, marriages bring cattle, his wife's a friend, his daughter causes pity, and a son is like the light in the highest heaven."1
In the Upanisads, though both of the last two 'aśramas', that is vanaprastha (a recluse) and samnyasa (renunciation), have been introduced, and also are valued highly, the stage of the householder is presumed to be a very important one; however, while advocating the adoption of a 'gṛhastha' it is pointed out that the ultimate aim of a married life as that of the whole life is spiritual realization. Adoption of a married life is a religious sacrament, a form of divine service. Without the presence of the wife no religious ceremony is considered to be complete in the Upanisadic period. Actually this Upanisadic period can be conceived as a period of synthesis of the Brāhmaṇical and the Śramaņical thought.
The circumstances were now changed, everything was more settled than before, philosophical speculations were aroused, there were appreciable changes in other fields too, people were more absorbed in thinking of supramundane goal, renunciation and liberation were for the first time recognised. In spite of this the Upanisadic seers could not altogether give up what their ancestors valued so highly. The institution of marriage was held in high esteem and the idea of an institution of begetting children or rather a son for continuing the race is still preserved.2 Not only this, in the Praśnopaniṣad it is said that one who indulged in sexual intercourse with his wife according to the prescribed code only to beget children is nothing but brahmacarya. Even Gandhiji has said in many places that sex-indulgence in order to preserve the race and family is not abrahmacarya. He says just as one eats
1. Ait. VIII. 3.
Bṛhad. 1.5.16; Chando. 7.3.1.
2.
3. Praśno. 1.13.
4.
Brahmacarya-Gandhiji, p. 85.
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