Devotee: One question Śrīla Prabhupāda is . . . (indistinct) . . . hasn’t guided me what to do when the children grow older, when they approached the age of marriage.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Devotee: How should it be done?
Prabhupāda: Oh, let them grow old, now they are all minors, four years, five years, six years that consideration we shall see when they are 16 years old.
Devotee: 16.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: For both men and women?
Prabhupāda: Man 24 years. According to Vedic system, girls 16 years and boys 25, they should be married. There must be difference of age 8 to 10 years. That is nice. And before that none of them should have sex life. Then it will be good, healthy and they should simply engage themselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then spiritually, mentally, bodily they become grown up. That should be our . . .
In brahmacārī life there is no sex life, in vānaprastha there is no sex life, in sannyāsa there is no sex life. Out of the four stages in three stages there is no sex life. Only in the married, young married couples, they are allowed sex life, no other. Neither the students, nor the retired, nor the sannyāsīs.
Devotee: The next question that . . . (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena yamena (SB 6.1.13). tapasā brahmacaryeṇa, tapasā the human life is meant for tapasyā, not to become like cats and dogs. Then what is the difference between cats and dogs? That is Vedic civilisation, tapasyā.