> There is very little realization of the
> Transcendence as such, and Lord Sri
> Chaitanya Mahaprabhu rejected it as
> superficial and asked Ramananda Raya to go
> further into the matter." Srimad
> Bhagavatam, Introduction.
> "But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, 'This is
> external. Say something better.' So in this
> way Ramananda Raya was putting some better
> proposal than varnashrama-dharma." Srimad
> Bhagavatam Lecture, 1972.
Room Conversation, February 14, 1977, Mayapur:
"Varnashrama System Must Be Introduced"
Satsvarupa: Lord Caitanya, when Ramananda Raya brought this up He said it was not possible in this age to introduce this.
Prabhupada: Yes. Not... He did not say possible. Iha bahya. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was interested only on the spiritual platform. He had no idea of material side. He rejected material side.
Satsvarupa: But don't we do that also?
Prabhupada: No. Our position is different. We are trying to implement Krishna consciousness in everything. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally took sannyasa. He rejected completely material. Niskincana. But we are not going to be niskincana. We are trying to cement the troubled position of the... That is also in the prescription of Bhagavad-gita. We are not rejecting the whole society. Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected everything, iha bahya. Rejected meaning, "I do not take much interest in this." Bahya. "It is external." He was simply interested in the internal, the spiritual. But our duty is that we shall arrange the external affairs also so nicely that one day they will come to the spiritual platform very easily, paving the way. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu, personality like that, they have nothing to do with this material world. But we are preaching. We are preaching. Therefore we must pave the situation in such a way that gradually they will be promoted to the spiritual plane, which is not required.
Satsvarupa: Varnashrama is not required.
Prabhupada: Not required. Caitanya Mahaprabhu denied, "I am not brahmana, I am not kshatriya, I am not this, I am not this." He rejected. But in the Bhagavad-gita, the catur-varnyam maya srstam. So we are Krishna..., preaching Krishna consciousness. It must be done.
Hari-sauri: But in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's practical preaching He only induced them to chant.
Prabhupada: That is not possible for ordinary man.
Hari-sauri: What, to simply induce people to chant?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Hari-sauri: He only introduced just the chanting.
Prabhupada: But who will chant? Who'll chant?
Satsvarupa: But if they won't chant, then neither will they train up in the varnashrama. That's the easiest.
Prabhupada: The chanting will be there, but you cannot expect that people will chant like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They cannot even chant sixteen rounds. (And) these rascals are going to be Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Satsvarupa: No. But if they at least will chant and take some prasada...
Prabhupada: Chanting will go on. That is not stopped. But at the same time the varnashrama-dharma must be established to make the way easy.
> "Sri Sukadeva Goswami was a Vaisnava from
> the beginning, therefore there was no need
> for him to undergo all the processes of the
> varnasrama-dharma institution. Ultimately
> the aim of varnasrama-dharma is to turn a
> *crude* man into a pure devotee of the
> Lord, or a Vaisnava. Anyone, therefore, who
> becomes a Vaisnava accepted by the first
> class Vaisnava, or Uttama-adhikari
> Vaisnava, is already considered a brahmana,
> regardless of his birth or past deeds."
> Srimad Bhagavatam 1:2:2
> According to this verse, one who has
> surrendered to the pure devotee uttama-
> adhikari is no longer to be viewed as
> sudra.
> * Srila Prabhupada said about
> Yamuna devi dasi in the early 70s
> that she had reached the stage of
> bhava.
BHAGAVAD-GITA 3.35
PURPORT
Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However when one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Krsna consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. In that complete stage of Krsna consciousness the ksatriya may act as a brahmana, or a brahmana may act as a ksatriya. For example Visvamitra was originally a ksatriya, but later on he acted as a brahmana, whereas Parasurama was a brahmana but later on he acted as a ksatriya. Being transcendentally situated they could do so, but as long as one is on the material platform he must perform his duties according to the modes of material nature. At the same time he must have a full sense of Krsna consciousness.
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.
Nectar of Devotion [Ch. 13] pg. 113:
Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.2.8: One should execute the prescribed duties of varna and asrama as long as one has not developed spontaneous attachment for hearing about my pastimes and activities. All of these things are recommended for persons who have not developed Krsna consciousness. . . . . But one who has already developed spontaneous attachment for Krsna does not require to execute the duties in the scriptures. (Conversations With Srila Prabhupada Vol. 7 pg. 300: Srila Prabhupada: For the management of affairs we require to divide. . . . . in our society. 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).
> "The system of caste, or
> varnashrama-dharma, is no longer regular
> even amongst so-called followers of the
> system. Nor is it now possible to
> reestablish the institutional function in
> the present context of social, political
> and economic revolution. Srimad Bhagavatam
> 2:4:18
> Your Servant,
> Prtha devi dasi
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 9, Ch. 10 Text 51]
PURPORT
Among the four yugas - Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali, the Kali-yuga is the worst, but if the process of varnasrama-dharma is introduced, even in this age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare Krsna movement is meant for this purpose.
Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 9, Ch. 10 Text 53]
When Lord Ramacandra the Supreme Personality of Godhead was the king of this world, all bodily and mental suffering, disease, old age, bereavement, lamentation, distress, fear and fatigue were completely absent. There was even no death for those who did not want it.
PURPORT
A similar situation could be introduced immediately, even in this age of Kali.
Conversations With Srila Prabhupada Vol. 7 pg. 301, 1974:
Srila Prabhupada: So everywhere in each center this system should be introduced, and there must be practical application of varnasrama. At the same time this program of devotional service.
Siksamrta Vol. 3 pg. 2539:
74-03 "You must be very careful before you award the brahminical thread by recommending a man to me. Now that we are dividing our society into four orders, as much as possible it is not that every man has to be made a brahmana after a year." (Srila Prabhupada Letter to Trai dasa, May 27, 1974)
Movie: Final Lesson, November, 1977:
Srila Prabhupada: Establish varnasrama-dharma.
Conversations With Srila Prabhupada Vol. 16 pg. 265 & 266, October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:
Prabhupada: So you make that four orders, and then society will be in order. But you are not taking Krsna's advice. You are manufacturing your hellish ideas. . . . . At the present moment the whole world is full of rascals. Now, if they take to Krsna consciousness, select amongst them. Just like I am training. You are brahmana by training. So one who is prepared to be trained as brahmana, classify him in the brahmana. One is trained up as ksatriya, classify him. In this way, catur-varnyam maya srs...
. . . . . Pick out. And rest, who is neither brahmana nor ksatriya nor vaisya, then he is sudra. That's all, very easy thing. If he cannot be trained up as engineer, then he remains as a common man. There is no force. This is the way of organizing society. There is no force. Sudra is also required.
Fortunate Souls pg. 477:
"But if we accept the principle of varna and asrama as they are recommended in the sastra, and if we push on the Krsna consciousness movement, and if we push on the Krsna consciousness movement, surely everyone will be engaged in his occupation. In Delhi, Nandaji said that immediately these things cannot be introduced, but I think it can be introduced immediately without any loss of time, provided you are serious about it."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter to Prabhakar, May 31, 1975)
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/4830/Varnasrama_Debate-4B.html
---------------------------------------------
Dear Prabhus
Please accept my respectful obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Have I committed any offenses,
taken any quotes out of context,
made any mistakes, and/or
done anything I shouldn't have?
If so, I'm sorry.
Aspiring to be the sincere
servant of the servant,
Yours Truly,
Gauranga Prema Dasa
Hare Krsna