> Varnasrama-Dharma Is Not Krishna Consciousness
> BY PRTHA DEVI DASI
Siksamrta Vol. 3 pg. 2538:
74-04 "You have analyzed that you are distressed because you are not given an engagement in Krsna consciousness. This observation is correct. Unless we are engaged with all our senses and intelligence in serving Krsna where is the question of Krsna consciousness? We are reading herein the evenings how in the fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gita Krsna has arranged for catur-varnyam, the division of four orders, whereby everyone has some engagement according to his personal propensity, his quality and work, and thus everyone can go back to Godhead while performing their work."
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 22 Text 7]
PURPORT
The real fact is that a bona fide spiritual master knows the nature of a particular man and what sort of duties he can perform in Krsna consciousness, and he instructs him in that way. He instructs him through the ear, not privately but publicly. "You are fit for such and such work in Krsna consciousness. You can act in this way." One person is advised to act in Krsna consciousness by working in the deities room, another is advised to act in Krsna consciousness by performing editorial work, another is advised to do preaching work, and another is advised to carry out Krsna consciousness in the cooking department. There are different departments of activity in Krsna consciousness, and a spiritual master knowing the particular ability of a man trains him in such a way that by his tendency to act he becomes perfect. Bhagavad-gita makes it clear that one can attain the highest perfection of spiritual life by offering service according to his ability, just as Arjuna served Krsna by his ability in the military art. Arjuna offered his service as a military man and he became perfect. . . . . One who wants to be certain to achieve spiritual success must take instruction from the spiritual master as to what his particular function is.
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 28 Text 2]
PURPORT
One should seek out a bona fide spiritual master and surrender unto him, for by inquiring from and worshiping him one can learn spiritual activities. As long as we have this material body there are various duties prescribed for us. Such duties are divided by a system of four social orders: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra.
Srila Prabhupada Lecture, April 9, 1975, Hyderbad, India:
"Everyone has got a particular tendency to serve Krsna in a different way. Everyone has got his particular propensity."
BHAGAVAD-GITA 4.13
PURPORT
The above mentioned divisions are created by the Lord for the systematic development of Krsna consciousness. The tendency of a particular man toward work is determined by the modes of material nature which he has acquired.
Siksamrta Vol. 3 pg. 2542:
75-01 "If one is capable, then he should preach. On the whole our society should be divided into four divisions, but such divisions are not material. Just like Krsna belonged to the vaisya community but He is worshiped by the brahmanas."
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 9 Text 26]
PURPORT
The varnas are so to speak classifications of different occupations, and asrama-dharma is gradual progress on the path of self realization. Both are interrelated, and one is dependent on the other.
BHAGAVAD-GITA 2.31
PURPORT
As long as one is not liberated, one has to perform the duties of that particular body in accordance with religious principles in order to achieve liberation.
Room Conversation, February 14, 1977, Mayapur:
Srila Prabhupada: Not everybody. Why are you misunderstanding? Varnasrama, not everybody brahmana.
Hari-sauri: No, but in our society practically everyone is being raised to that platform.
Srila Prabhupada: Everybody is being raised, but they are falling down.
Hari-sauri: So then we make it more difficult to get brahminical initiation. After four or five years.
Srila Prabhupada: Not necessary. You remain as ksatriya. . . . . Not that a sudra man must by force become a brahmana. You cannot improve. That is not possible. But even if he remains a sudra and does accordingly, he will get the same position as devotee. . . . . He will get the perfection.
BHAGAVAD-GITA 1.42
PURPORT
The four orders of human society, combined with family welfare activities as they are set forth by the institution of the sanatana-dharma or varnasrama-dharma, are designed to enable a human being to attain his ultimate salvation. Therefore the breaking of the sanatana-dharma tradition by irresponsible leaders of society brings about chaos in that society, and consequently people forget the aim of life-Visnu. Such leaders are called blind and persons who follow such leaders are sure to be lead into chaos.
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 19 Text 4]
PURPORT
The life of a human being is a chance to prepare oneself to go back to Godhead, or to get rid of the material existence, the repetition of birth and death. Thus in the system of varnasrama-dharma every man and woman is trained for this purpose. In other words the system of varnasrama-dharma is also known as sanatana-dharma, or the eternal occupation. The system of varnasrama-dharma prepares a man for going back to Godhead.
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 11 Text 2]
PURPORT
The eternal occupational duty can be organized through the institution of varnasrama, in which there are four varnas (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra) and four asramas...
BHAGAVAD-GITA INTRODUCTION:
...the whole purpose of Bhagavad-gita is to revive our sanatana occupation, or sanatana-dharma, which is the eternal occupation of the living entity. We are temporarily engaged in different activities, but all these can be purified when we give up all these temporary activities and take up the activities which are prescribed by the Supreme Lord. That is called our pure life.
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 2 Text 13]
PURPORT
The varnasrama institution is constructed to enable one to realize the absolute truth.
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 8, Ch. 20 Text 11]
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varna and asrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Collected lectures on Srimad-Bhagavatam Vol. 1 pg. 628:
Not that so-called brahmanas and so-called ksatriyas, they have no information of Visnu and they are declaring, "I am brahmana, I am ksatriya." They are called, according to sastra brahma-bhandu and dvija-bhandu.
Conversations With Srila Prabhupada Vol. 7 pg. 302:
Srila Prabhupada: Vaisnava is transcendental, but for proper management of the material world, one should be acting like a brahmana, one should be acting like a ksatriya. That is required. If need be he has to act as ksatriya or a sudra. It doesn't matter. But manage, for management the division must be there. Otherwise it will be mismanagement.
Conversations With Srila Prabhupada Vol. 7 pg. 300:
Srila Prabhupada: For the management of affairs we require to divide. Those who are fit for management and protection they should be trained as ksatriya . . . so in our society this division should be there.
> EDITORIAL, Feb 10 (VNN) — One should not
> find it a manifestation of pride to follow
> the instructions of the pure devotee, even
> when such instructions appear to be
> different from *some* parts of the
> scripture which were selectively picked.
> However, one must not allow pride to get in
> the way of following Prabhupada's
> instructions even when they do not please
> their senses,
Movie: Final Lesson, November, 1977:
Srila Prabhupada: Establish varnasrama-dharma.
> Thirdly, while one may argue that we are
> not pure devotees, the only way to become
> pure is by discontinuing the caste system
> of varnasrama-dharma and following the
> transcendental instructions of Srila
> Prabhupada, our uttama-adhikari.
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 2 Text 2]
PURPORT
Ultimately the aim of varnasrama-dharma is to turn a crude man into a pure devotee of the Lord.
THE SCIENCE OF SELF REALIZATION pg. 122:
It is this divine varnasrama-dharma that Krsna recommends, not the caste system as it is understood today. This modern caste system is now condemned in India also, and it should be condemned, for the classification of different types of men according to birth is not the Vedic or the divine caste system.
There are many classes of men in society - some men are engineers, some are medical practitioners, some are chemists, tradesmen, businessmen, and so on. These varieties of classes are not to be determined by birth, however, but by quality. No such thing as the caste-by-birth system is sanctioned by the Vedic literature, nor do we accept it. We have nothing to do with the caste system, which is also at present being rejected by the public in India.
THE SCIENCE OF SELF REALIZATION pg. 118:
India's actual culture is described in the Bhagavad-gita, where it is stated that according to the different qualities or modes of nature there are different types of men, who are generally classified into four social orders and four spiritual orders. This system of social and spiritual division is known as varnasrama-dharma. The four varnas, or social orders, are brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra. The four asramas, or spiritual orders, are brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. The varnasrama system is described in the Vedic scriptures known as the Puranas. The goal of this institution of Vedic culture is to educate every man for advancement in knowledge of Krsna, or God. That is the entire Vedic program.
When Lord Caitanya talked with the great devotee Ramananda Raya, the Lord asked him, "What is the basic principle of human life?" Ramananda Raya answered that human civilization begins when varnasrama-dharma is accepted. Before coming to the standard of varnasrama-dharma there is no question of human civilization. Therefore, the Krsna consciousness movement is trying to establish this right system of human civilization, which is known as Krsna consciousness, or daiva-varnasrama - divine culture.
In India, the varnasrama system has now been taken in a perverted way, and thus a man born in the family of a brahmana (the highest social order) claims that he should be accepted as a brahmana. But this claim is not accepted by the sastra (scripture). One's forefather may have been a brahmana according to gotra, or the family hereditary order, but real varnasrama-dharma is based on the factual quality one has attained, regardless of birth or heredity. Therefore, we are not preaching the present-day system of the Hindus...
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