So there are four āśramas for your spiritual cultivation: brahmacārī, gṛhastha . . . gṛhastha is also āśrama, family. That is also āśrama. If the gṛhastha life is meant for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is all right. This is āśrama. Gṛhastha āśrama, then retired life, vānaprastha. Although gṛhastha āśrama is allowed, but not for all the time, that up to the death. No. That is not allowed. After fiftieth year . . . twenty-five years to fiftieth year the young man's spirit is there, the sex power is strong, so the gṛhastha-āśrama is a concession for satisfying sex, that's all. But not more than fifty years. Then you must give up. That is the Vedic civilization. You accept gṛhastha āśrama. Up to twenty-fifth year you remain a brahmacārī, learn from guru how to become brahmacārī, gurukula. Brahmacārī gurukule vasan dānta, how to practice self-control, sense control. A brahmacārī is forbidden to see even young girl. Even the spiritual master's wife is young . . . sometimes spiritual master is considered as mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī. There are seven mothers. So real mother, ādau mātā. Guru-patnī, the spiritual master's wife, she is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī. The wife of a brāhmaṇa is mother. Actually every woman is mother. That is moral instruction. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Anyone, any woman who is not your wife . . . except your wife, everyone, every woman is to be considered as mother. This is education.
The nutshell of education is defined by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, that "Who is paṇḍita, learned?" So he does not say that one who has passed M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C. No. He doesn't say that. He says, "Any person who has learned to see like this." What is that? Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu: "Everyone's wife should be considered . . ." Para-dāra. Para means others' wife. Mātṛvat, mother. Therefore the Vedic system is, when we address another woman, "Mother," no other address. "Mother, can I do this? Would you like this?" The address should be "Mother." Practice. This is practice, the brahmacārī's practice. He goes to every householder's wife: "Mother, give me some . . ." Just like this child. If he is taught from the very beginning of his life that "Address all women as mother . . ." that training. And intermingling with anyone, then it is a different training. That is brahmacārī. So brahmacārī is taught that how he should behave in society, what is the aim of life. That is brahmacārī. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu.