The Vow

Priest and the participants:

  With an intense desire
  to do some heroic deed
  for our nation,
  we all have come together.
  O Supreme Self,
  be a witness unto this.
  Life flows through four Ashramas, viz.
  Brahmacharya, Grihastha,
  Vanprastha and Sannyas
  Today, with utmost sincerity,
  we / I are / am entering the Brhamacharayashrama.
  O Almighty
  I / we take a vow that
  I / We will piously observe
  the control of senses and activity,
  and the code of conduct.
  My / Our body, mind and senses
  will be occupied in your search.
  I / we will offer regular prayers,
  will do self-study
  and listen attentively to the discourses.
  I /we will serve my / our Guru.
  I / we will keep my / our body healthy and radiant.
  My / our personality/personalities will shine
  with noblest thought and discernment.
  nothing will deviate us / me
  from this vow.

  I will observe Brahmacharya and study
  at least to the age of 25 years of my life.
  Later, I will enter the other Ashramas.
  Shri Ramachandra stayed with his preceptor.
  Lord Shrikrishna stayed with his preceptor.
  I too will be in the company of my Guru.
  My life be a manifestation of Divinity.
  Books are also gurus.
  Nature is also Guru.
  By our / my conduct
  we / I will please these Gurus
 and acquire knowledge from them.
  may our / my learning be
  for the protection of the virtuous
  and for vanquishing the wicked.
  For the descent of the Supramental
  in the humanity at large
  I / we will utilize my / our learning.
  O Almighty God,
  please let this come true.
  May your auspicious blessings
  be always with us / me.
  Let every particle of this body
  and every moment of this life
  be used fully for a worthy cause
  as per your will.

 (At the end of vow the priest switches on the electric heater. After a few minutes the flames come up. He offers oblations of ghee to the fire on behalf of the aspirants.)

In the presence of the holy fire

Priest: We have taken the vow of Brahmacharya. Let us now offer oblations to the sacred fire as the witness. Agni (fire) is the visible form of the Ultimate, the primeval energy. You from your place, offer the oblations of rice grains.

(While the preceptor chants the following mantras, he pours a spoonful of ghee into the fire. He repeats this action for every mantra.)

Priest and the participants:

 This is offered to the sacred fire.
 This belongs to the sacred fire, and not to me.

 This is offered to the Sun.
 This belongs to the Sun, and not to me.

 This is offered to Prajapati – the creator.
 This belongs to Prajapati, and not to me