Nine Shlokas span the additional duties of Sadhus. A Sadhu is one who renounces all worldly affairs and has attachment to God alone. Thus Sadhus are commanded to uphold Brahmcharya Vrata and live their lives as absolute celibates.
Lord Dattatreya explains that women are the very form of Maya (illusion). In the company of women, man becomes a fool facing destruction. Therefore he should not even touch a wooden figure of a woman with even his feet. Jivanmuktiviveka explains, ‘He should never speak with a woman, think or dream of a woman seen previously, speak of a woman nor look at pictures of a woman.’ Furthermore Saubhari Muni explains, ‘They should refrain from contact with those men with sexual tendencies. They should control their senses, wander alone and thus merge their consciousness with God. They should associate only with other Sadhus with similar traits.’
Maniratnamala explains: Dvaaram Kimekam Narakasya Nari - ‘What is the doorway to hell? - Women.’ In this way strong words are used to explain the fact that women will ultimately consign a man to hell. Therefore a Sadhu should overcome the enemy of lust which can develop in the mind. Bhagwat Gita explains this further:
Trividham Narakasyaitaddvaram Nashanamatmanaha |
Kamaha Krodhasthalobhstasmadetatrayam Tyajet ||
‘Desire, wrath and greed - this is the triple gateway to hell, ruinous to the self. Therefore one should abandon these three.’ It explains further: ‘It is desire, it is wrath, born of the Guna Raja; it is a great devourer, an inspeller to sin. Know this to be the foe here. As a fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an embryo is encased in the membrane, so is this (world) enveloped by it (desire).’
‘The knowledge of the intelligent self is enveloped by this constant enemy, O Arjuna, which is of the nature of desire, and which is difficult to gratify and is insatiable. The senses, the mind and the intellect are said to be its instruments. By these it overpowers the embodied self after enveloping its knowledge.’
‘Therefore, O Arjuna, controlling the senses in the very beginning, slay this sinful thing that destroys both knowledge and discrimination. The senses are high, they say; the mind is higher than the senses; the intellect is higher than the mind; but what is greater than intellect is that (desire).’
‘Thus, knowing that which is higher than the intellect and fixing the mind with the help of the intellect in Karma Yoga, O Arjuna, slay this enemy which wears the form of desire, and which is difficult to overcome.’ Bhagwad Gita, Ch 3, 37-43.
Shrimad Bhagwat further explains the importance of shedding Krodha (anger): ‘O King Dhruva! Learn to control anger always and thus may you attain salvation.’ Furthermore, those who wish for Nirbhaya (fearlessness) should never become a servant to anger. Similarly, Lobha (greed) is also an enemy to be controlled, as it is the root cause of all other sins: Lobhasya Tu Sakalpapamulatvadveyatvam. Lobha is often referred to as the father of all sins - Papa No Bapa. Thus the three evils - Kama, Krodha and Lobha should be rooted out first and foremost. After which one become eligible for the heavens