People are engaged twenty-four hours—night duty, day duty, no rest, working like ass, for eating, sleeping, mating. That's all. Ass . . . karmī . . . karmīs are compared with ass. I have several times described ass. In India, ass is engaged to bear the burden of cloth of the washerman. Tons of cloth is loaded on the back of the ass, and it takes to the, I mean to say, washing ghat, water place, and he is given little morsel, little grass, and he is satisfied standing there. And again in the evening he is loaded with tons of clothing, and he brings back to the shop of the washerman. This is ass.
He is bearing so big burden, only for little grass. But he can go away from that place and eat grass anywhere—there is sufficient grass. But no, he will stick to that washerman's place. He is under the impression that, "This washerman is protecting me, giving this grass." That is his impression. "If I go away, I may not get the grass." So this is ass. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, the ass is forced to get out of this.
There is four division of life: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. The system is gradually to give him detachment. In the brahmacārī life he is taught sufficiently that this life is meant for understanding Brahman. Brahmacārī, brahme cārati: he has no other business than to understand what is Brahman. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa (BG 18.54): to make him brāhmin, that is brahmacārī, brahme cārati. He is disciplined, he is initiated, he is given sacred thread. Proper position of brāhmin—cleanliness, truthfulness—so many things are taught in brahmacārī life, so that he can become a brāhmin, brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. That is called brahmacārī āśrama.
Then in spite of repeatedly teaching him that there is no need of enjoying this material world, because this is false enjoyment, temporary enjoyment—real enjoyment in the spiritual world—if he still wants to enjoy this material world, then the spiritual master orders, "All right, you can marry." Marriage is not essential, but one who cannot control him, then marriage is allowed: "All right."