Vedic civilization is based on how to get out of this attraction. The varṇāśrama-dharma . . . there is attraction, you cannot avoid it. To best . . . to make the best use of a bad bargain. Therefore, from the very beginning, a child is trained how to become brahmacārī. Brahmacārī. No sex life up to twenty-five years.
Throughout the whole life, but at least for twenty-five years. That is called brahmacārī-āśrama. But if one is still persistent for sex life after being trained for twenty-five years, he is allowed to marry. That is called gṛhastha-āśrama. And because he has been trained up to be detached from sex life, so, for some time he enjoys, then he gives it up. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Jahau. Virūḍhāṁ mamatāṁ jahau. There was training; therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja could give up.
It is not so easy to give up attraction for kingdom, wife, children and motorcar and paśu, and animals, and so many . . . he was king, emperor. How much possession he had. So it is not very easy to give up the attraction for these possession. Therefore it is called virūḍhām, virūḍhāṁ mamatām. The attraction is so deep-rooted. The example is this: a tree standing. It does not want to give it up. Capture. So the attraction begins from this sex attraction. Puṁsaḥ mithunī-bhāva . . .
- puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ
- tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ
- (SB 5.5.8)
In the beginning there is attraction. A man wants woman, woman wants man. But as soon as they're united, that attraction becomes deep-rooted. First of all desire. At that time, the attraction is not deep-rooted, but as soon as they are united, either legally or illegally, that attraction becomes deep-rooted, virūḍhām. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mithaḥ, as soon as they unite, hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ, is, they, now that attraction becomes a hard knot into the heart, always thinking of, "Oh, he's my lover," "She is my lover," like that. That attraction.
So then, after they're united . . . just like one married couple, as soon as they're married or united, ataḥ gṛha. Gṛha. Gṛha means apartment, home. They must live very nicely. Then kṣetra. Kṣetra means field. Formerly there was no industry. The earning, means of livelihood, was agriculture. Everyone must have some land to produce grains, fruits, that's all; milk.
First of all, apartment; then, to maintain the expenditure, now we have invented industry or trade and so many things—pick-pocketing, killing. So many things. Formerly the means of livelihood was very simple: take some land and work little, produce your grains, and the cows are there, you take milk. So milk, vegetables, grains, your economic question is solved.