SB 1.9.26 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 26
Purusa swabhava vihitan yatha varnam yatha ashramam Vairagya raga upadhibhyam amnato ubhaya lakshanan.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Purasa—the human being, Swabhava—by his own acquired qualities, Vihitan—prescribed, Yatha—as it is, Varnam—classification of castes, Yatha—as it is, Ashramam—orders of life, Vairagya—detachment, Raga—attachment, Upadhibhyam—out of such designations, Amnato—systematically, Ubhaya—both, Lakshanan—symptoms.
TRANSLATION
On enquiry from Maharaj Yudhisthir Bhismadeva defined first of all the classification of castes and orders of life in terms of a particular person's acquired qualifications. Then he described counteraction by detachment and interaction by attachment systematically by twofold divisions.
PURPORT
The conception of four castes and four orders of life as it is planned by the Lord Himself (B.G. 4/13) is to accelerate transcendental qualities of the individual person so that he may gradually realise his spiritual identification and thus act accordingly to get free from material bondage or conditional life. In almost all the Puranas the subject matter is dealt with the same spirit of description and so also in the Mahabharata it is more elaborately described by Bhismadeva in the Shantiparva beginning from the 60th chapter.
This Varnashrama Dharma is prescribed for the civilised human being just to train one to successful termination of human life in the matter of self realisation as distinguished from the life of the lower animals engaged in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. Bhismadeva advised that for all human beings never mind what he or they may be, nine qualifications such as (1) Not to become angry, (2) Not to tell lie, (3) equal distribution of wealth, (4) forgiveness, (5) to beget children only in one's legitimate wife, (6) to be pure in mind and hygenic in body, (7) Not to be inimical with anyone, (8) simplicity and (9) supporting the servants or subordinates. One cannot be called a civilised person without acquiring the above mentioned preliminary qualities. Besides these, the Brahmins or the intelligent class of men in the society, the administrative class of men, the merchantile community and the labourer class must acquire special qualities in terms of occupational duties mentioned in all the Vedic scriptures. For the intelligent class of men controlling the senses is the most essential qualification which is the basis of morality. Sex-indulgence even with the legitimate wife must also be controlled and thereby the plan of family control will automatically follow. An intelligent man must abuse his great qualifications if he does not follow the Vedic way of life. This means he must seriously make a study of the Vedic literatures specially of the Sirmad Bhagwatam and the Bhagwat Geeta. For learning the Vedic knowledge one must approach the actual person who is cent per cent engaged in the occupation. He must not be doing things which are forbidden in the Shastras. A person cannot be a teacher if he drinks or smokes. In the modern system of education the teacher's academical qualification is taken into consideration without any evaluation of his moral life. Therefore, the result of education is misuse of high intelligence in so many ways.
The Khatriyas or the administrative class of men is specially advised to give in charity and not to accept charity at any circumstances. Modern administrators raise subscription for some political function but never gives in charity to the citizens in any state function. It is just the reverse of the injunction of the Shastras. The administrative class of men must be well versed in the Shastras but must not take to the profession of teachers. The energy shall be specially diverted for killing the thieves, the dacoits, the black marketers and all such undesirable elements of the society. The administrators shall never pretend to become non-violent and thereby go to hell. When Arjuna wanted to become a non-violent coward in the battlefield of Kurukshetra he was severely taken in to task by Lord Krishna. The Lord degraded Arjuna at that time to the status of an uncivilised man for his avowed acceptance of the cult of non-violence. The administrative class of men must be personally trained up in the military education and some cowards only by dint of numerical votes shall not be elevated on presidential throne. The monarchs were all chivalrous personalities and, therefore, monarchy shall be maintained provided the monarch is regularly trained up in the occupational duties of a King. In the fighting the king or the President shall never return home without being hurt by the enemy. The so called king by voting strength do never visit the warfield and they are very much expert in the matter of artificially encouraging the fighting strength in the hope of false national prestige. As soon as the administrative class of men shall be turned into a gang of merchantile and labourer class of men the whole machinery of Government becomes poluted to the lowest degree.
The Vaishyas or the merchantile communities are specially advised to protect the cows. Cow protection means increasing the milk productions namely curd and butter; agriculture and distribution of the food stuff are the primary duties of the merchantile community backed by education in the Vedic knowledge and trained up for giving up in charity of the acquired wealth. As the Khatriyas were given charge for the protection of the citizens so also the Vaishyas were given charge for the protection of animals. The animals are never meant for killing. Killing of animals is a symptom of barbarian society. For human being agricultural produce, fruits and milk are sufficient and compatible food stuff; and the human society should give more attention for animal protection than killing them. Productive energy of the labourer class is misused when the same is occupied by industrial enterprises. Industry of various types cannot produce the essential needs of man namely rice, wheat, grains, milk, fruits or vegetables and production of machine and machine tools increases artificial living fashion of a class of vested interests keeping thousands of men in starvation and unrest. This is not standard of civilisation.
The Sudra class of men are less intelligent communities of the society and they have no independence of living. They are meant for rendering sincere service to the three higher sections of the society. The Sudra class of men can attain all comforts of life simply by rendering service to the higher class. It is specially enjoined that a Sudra shall never bank money. As soon as the Sudras will have accumulated wealth it will be misused for sinful activities in wine, women and gambling. Wine, women and gambling predominant in human society means the population is degraded into less than Sudra quality only without any existence of the three higher classes. The higher castes shall always look after the maintenance of the Sudras and they shall provide them with old and used garments. A Sudra shall not leave his master when the master is old and invalid and the master shall keep satisfed the servants in all respects. The Sudras must first of all be satisfied by sumptuous food and clothing before any sacrifice is performed. In this age so many functions are held by spending lakhs and crores but the poor labourer class is not sumptuously fed or given in charity clothing etc. The labourer class of men are thus dissatisfied and they get clue to make agitation against the master.
The Varnas are so to say classification of different occupation and Ashrama Dharma is gradual progress on the path of self realisation. Both are interrelated and one is dependant on the other. The main purpose of Ashrama Dharma is to wake up knowledge and detachment. The Brahmachari Ashrama is the training ground of the prospective candidates and thus in this Ashrama it is sufficiently instructed that this material world is not actually the home of the living being. The conditioned souls under material bondage are prisoners of matter and therefore, self realisation is the ultimate aim of life. The whole system of Ashrama Dharma is a means to detachment. One who fails to assimilate this spirit of detachment are allowed to enter into the family life with the same spirit of detachment. Therefore, one who attains detachment may at once adopt the order of the Fourth step namely renounced order of life and thus live on charity only not for accumulating wealth but just to pull on the body and soul together for the ultimate realisation. Household-life is for one who is attached and the Vanaprastha and Sanyas order of life is meant for those who are detached from material life. The Brahmachari Ashram is specially meant for training both the attached and detached to the material complication.