Who is a brahmacārī (ब्रह्मचारी)?

 

The generally known meaning of brahmacārī (ब्रह्मचारी) is

• A celibate student under the care of a spiritual master (or)
• an unmarried man or a man under a vow to remain unmarried (or)
• one who abstains from sexual intercourse

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brahmacārī (ब्रह्मचारी) is a vedic word, first used in Rig Veda 10.109.5.

ब्रह्मचारी चरति वेविषद्विषः स देवानां भवत्येकमङ्गम् । तेन जायामन्वविन्दद्बृहस्पतिः सोमेन नीतां जुह्वं न देवाः ॥

brahmacārī carati veviṣad viṣaḥ sa devānām bhavaty ekam aṅgam | tena jāyām anv avindad bṛhaspatiḥ somena nītāṃ juhvaṃ na devāḥ ||

Nolini Kant Gupta’s Interpretation

One who lives and moves in Brahman enters into all the domains and becomes one limbed with all the Gods. The Master of the Word followed in that way and found the Supreme bride led by the God Soma, even as the Gods found and possessed the oblation.

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brahmacārī (ब्रह्मचारी) indicates one who remains and moves within the formless BRAHMAN or the SUPREME ENERGY. It indicates the mental status of the person, who attained SELF REALISATION and has been experiencing a continual BLISS.

This word has nothing to do with the physical condition of the spiritual seeker.