ब्रह्मचारी brahmchārī

Hindi is also shown in Latin characters, using an adapted form of ISO 15919 transliteration.

How to read the transliteration

This site uses transliteration based on ISO 15919, with a few adaptations to make reading easier: h is added after c, ś and ṣ, and i after the vowel r̥. These adaptations bring it closer to the Hunterian system used in India while retaining the distinctive marks of ISO 15919.

Adaptations used on this site
ISO 15919	On this site
c	ch
ś	śh
ṣ	ṣh
r̥	r̥i

A few reading pointers:

ā, ī, ū: the line above the letter indicates a long vowel.
ṭ, ḍ, ṇ: the dot below distinguishes retroflex consonants from t, d, n.
A tilde above a vowel indicates nasalisation.

Hindi · adj.

Earlier definition

Definition

A celibate.
A Brahman who practises continence or chastity, especially a religious student from the time of his investiture with the sacrificial thread till he marries and becomes a householder.
A religious student who remains with his spiritual teacher studying the Vedas and observing the duties of a student.

Usual translation

those who wish to remain celibate

Origin of the definition

brahmā-ćārī, s.m. A Brahman who practises continence or chastity, especially a religious student from the time of his investiture with the sacrificial thread till he marries and becomes a householder; a religious student who remains with his spiritual teacher studying the Vedas and observing the duties of a student; a particular class of ascetics; a Pandit learned in the Veda.

ब्रह्मचारी brahmacārī brahmcha:ri: (nm) a celibate; one who is in the ब्रह्मचर्य आश्रम (see).