Text 14]
The Marriage of Kardama Muni and Devahūti
873
Kardama Muni had no worldly possessions—he was a hermit living in the forest—but he was advanced in culture. Therefore, in offering one's daughter to a person, the culture and quality are counted as prominent, not wealth or any other material consideration.
TEXT 14
अहं त्वाभृणवं विद्वन् विवाहार्थं समुद्यतम् ।
अतस्त्वमुपकुर्वाणः प्रत्तां प्रतिगृहाण मे ॥१४॥
aham tvāśṛṇavam vidvan vivāhārtham samudyatam atas tvam upakurvāṇaḥ prattām pratigrhāṇa me
aham—I; tvā—you; aśṛṇavam—heard; vidvan—O wise man; vivāha-artham—for the sake of marriage; samudyatam—prepared; ataḥ—hence; tvam—you; upakurvāṇaḥ—not taken a vow of perpetual celibacy; prattām—offered; pratigrhāṇa—please accept; me—of me.
TRANSLATION
Svāyambhuva Manu continued:  O wise man, I heard that you were prepared to marry. Please accept her hand, which is being offered to you by me, since you have not taken a vow of perpetual celibacy.
PURPORT
The principle of  brahmacarya  is celibacy. There are two kinds of  brahmacārīs . One is called  naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī , which means one who takes a vow of celibacy for his whole life, whereas the other, the  upakurvāṇa-brahmacārī , is a  brahmacārī  who takes the vow of celibacy up to a certain age. For example, he may take the vow to remain celibate up to twenty-five years of age; then, with the permission of his spiritual master, he enters married life.  Brahmacarya  is student life, the beginning of life in the spiritual orders, and the principle of  brahmacarya  is celibacy. Only a householder can indulge in sense gratification or sex life, not a  brahmacārī . Svāyambhuva Manu requested Kardama Muni to accept his daughter, since Kardama had not taken the vow of  naiṣṭhika-brahmacarya . He was willing to marry, and the suitable daughter of a high royal family was presented.