Verse: Uddhava Gita
Date: May 31st, 2013
Place: Gita Nagri, USA
So now Krsna will speak about varnasrama. You first want to hear about vanaprastha-asrama or grhastha-asrama? [Laughter] Anyway, I will start with vanaprastha-asrama. Prepare yourself for that. And then we will go into the responsibilities of grhastha-asrama.
So first Krsna is speaking about the varnas, the description of the varnasrama-system. In Satya-yuga there was only one varna or one social order and that order was known as hamsa. In Satya-yuga there was no brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra as such. There was only one social order and that was known as hamsa. And in that age men were naturally engaged in pure devotional service. Everyone was automatically dedicated to pure devotional service. And since everyone was perfect, that age was known as? What is the other name of Satya-yuga? Krta-yuga. Because everyone was perfect at that age it was known as Krta-yuga. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, people used to perceive Him in the heart through the process of meditation. They were so pure that they could see the Lord in the heart. However in Treta-yuga the Supreme Personality of Godhead created the four varnas. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita: “Catur-varnyam maya sristam guna-karma-vibhagasah.” In Satya-yuga because everyone was completely pure, everyone was worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the effect of guna and karma was not so diverse. Everyone was engaged in pure devotional service. By nature they were naturally austere; they were naturally situated in meditation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But in Treta-yuga the division started: four varnas and asramas which prescribed material and spiritual duties for the different members of the society. And how were these varnas prescribed? Krsna mentions guna-karma-vibhagasah. Guna, how many gunas are there in the material nature? Three gunas: sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. So those who are influenced by the modes of goodness, what is their nature like, what is their natural characteristic like? They are automatically, they are naturally spiritually inclined. Therefore they are brahmanas. Then those who are influenced by the mode of passion, what was their nature like? The mode of goodness leads one to knowledge, the mode of passion leads to action. When people become active it is due to the mode of passion. And when one is influenced by the mode of passion, then what does one naturally want to do? He wants to enjoy. Not only the human beings are influenced by the modes, even the animals are influenced. Which animal is influenced by the mode of goodness? The cow. And have you noticed the nature of the cow? What is the nature of the cow? So peaceful, so gentle. It just eats grass and gives milk, the most valuable product. It takes nothing and it gives the greatest benefit. That is the mode of goodness. And which animal is in the mode of passion? The lion. So have you seen the nature of a lion? Just compare the nature of a cow and a lion. Completely different. This is how the modes influence the living entities. In the mode of goodness one becomes peaceful, gentle, thoughtful, meditative, withdrawn, yet rendering the greatest benefit. Whereas in the mode of passion one is trying to get whatever he wants. At the same time he is noble. Look at the nature of a lion. The lion is a very noble animal actually. A lion will not kill any other animal if it is not hungry. If the lion is not hungry, the lion won’t attack any other animal. Rather the lion will give protection. ksatriyas are like that. The word ksatriya means? ksatat trayate iti ksatriya. K?at means injury. The one who protects the society and the members of the society from injury, he is a ksatriya. The ksatriya gives protection. In one hand he wants to enjoy but at the same time he is there to give protection. Whoever surrenders unto him, he says: “Don’t worry, I will give protection.” He will even give his life to protect his subordinates. That is a real ksatriya. In one hand they have a very, very intense desire to enjoy, but at the same time they are there to give protection. And he is very valiant, heroic, he is very powerful and he is fearless, that is a ksatriya. And then there are some people, those who are in the mixed mode of passion and ignorance. Due to passion they want to enjoy. But because of the mixed mode of passion and ignorance, they don’t have the strength of a ksatriya. Therefore what do they do? You see, the difference between a vaisya is that the vaisya will buy what he wants to enjoy, with money he will get it, while the ksatriya will get it with his strength. Like you have seen in Mahabharata specially, a ksatriya prince likes a girl and he will go and pick her up. And it won’t be easy for him. He won’t steal the girl in the middle of the night. He will do it in the broad daylight when everyone is around and his mood will be: “Okay, I am claiming her, if anybody wants, he can stop me. And he will fight, he will fight. And by defeating others in that battle he will claim his princess. Like you have seen Arjuna, you have seen Krsna, you have seen Bhisma. He of course would not get these three girls, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika for himself. He got them for his brother, Vicitravirya. His brother was young, so he went and he claimed. He said: “Look, I am Bhisma, son of Santanu, I have a brother, so for my brother I am claiming these three girls. If anyone wants, he can stop me. He can try to stop me. And that’s what happened. He picked up these three girls on his chariot and as he drove the others attacked him, surrounded him. And Bhisma alone fought with all of them and defeated them. Although the others were also powerful ksatriyas also but Bhisma defeated them all. Similarly when Krsna defeated Rukmini, the same thing happened. Arjuna claimed Subhadra, the same thing happened. He fought. And Subhadra was driving the chariot, expressing her accepting of Arjuna. These are the ksatriyas. But a vaisya does not really have that kind of strength and valor. Therefore the vaisya makes money. How does he make money? You know what is the definition of business according to Vedic standards? Making profit by catering to the needs of the society. You make your money, a vaisya is meant to make money but he is catering to the need of the society. The society needs food. A vaisya will supply that –krishi - by cultivation of land. He will supply food, go-rakha, and he will bring things form different parts of the world and then sell them. He will buy things from the place where it costs nothing and he will bring things to the place where it costs a hell of a lot, I am sorry, [laughs] where it costs a lot of money. That is a vaisya’s business: krishi,go-rakha and vanisha: “Business”, business is you get the things where it is needed and you make your profit. They would do things, like simple things, like salt. They would go to the ocean where there is an abundance of salt and bring it to the in-land. In the in-land you don’t get no salt. The salt costed him nothing and he would sell it to them at a very high price. This is the vanisha, business, trading. But unfortunately what is today’s definition of business? See what actually happens: catering to the demand. What are the demands of the society? Food, clothes, jewelries etc. But now, what are they doing? They create an artificial demand through the publicity, advertisements, through the media, they are creating artificial demands and they are selling their product. They are creating a product and they create a demand for that and they are making their profit. And you know what is the modern day definition of business? The actual definition of business is catering to the demand of the society, catering to the need of the society and make profit. Todays’ definition of business is: “Business is the noble art of cheating people.” It’s a noble art of cheating people. They are cheating people but they are legally cheating people. The more expert you are in cheating the better business man you are. And catering to the demand of the society. And what has become the biggest demand in today’s society? Meat, intoxication, prostitution and gambling. From that you can see what is the state of affairs in this world. The four sinful activities have become the biggest business. This is how it shows how the society is degrading. And that’s why there is such a need of properly establishing the varnasrama-system. So vaisya caters to the needs of the society. They are needed. Somebody has to bring what we need in the society. They are bringing. And then sudras, they don’t have the independent ability; they don’t have the ability to become independently engaged. Therefore they have to function under others, specially the four higher classes, they are actually catering them. In this way the sudras act under the guidance of either a brahmana, a ksatriya, or a vaisya.
Then it comes to the brahmacari order. Some members of the higher classes, that means brahmana, ksatriya and vaisya they will accept initiation, they will accept a bonafide spiritual master and take initiation. A sacred thread he will accept at that time, yajna-upavita. They should go and live at the gurukula, live with the guru and receive instructions from the spiritual master. With a pacified mind the student should absorb himself in study of the Vedas. He will get initiated and become qualified to study the Vedas. And by studying the Vedas he receives the knowledge and then only he is qualified as a brahmana. Brahma janata iti brahmana. One who has received the spiritual knowledge he is a brahmana. He must regularly perform worship at the three junctions of the day. brahmanas chant gayatri three times a day.
These three times are called sandhas, the conjunctions, three conjunctions. When the night is turning into the day, one sandha and then the forenoon is turning into the afternoon, second sandha, then the day is turning into night that is the third sandha. In these three sandhashe should perform his worship of the Lord by chanting the mantra: ‘dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam vande guroh sri-caranaravindam.’Brahmacari life has been described here. Such a pure life. He accepts for his maintenance whatever remnants of the Lord he is granted. He should render menial service to his spiritual master by massaging his feet and worshiping him and he should avoid all sense gratification and strictly maintain the vow of celibacy. With his mind, body and words, he should worship the Supreme Lord in the form of the Supersoul in the way prescribed for him. For a brahmacaris seeing or touching women and the conversation or sports in the form of sports in the association of women are absolutely disallowed. Everyone is also advised to always remember that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul dwelling within the hearts of all. Anyone who wants to make spiritual advancement must remember that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is residing in everyone’s heart. With that understanding one should deal with everybody. When we deal with each other with that understanding, then naturally peace and prosperity will prevail.
Our attitude towards others will become most respectful. People speak of nonviolence but real nonviolence will be possible only when we see theSupreme Personality of Godhead is present in everyone’s heart. Otherwise it is simple body consciousness. After studying different aspects of the Vedas, a brahmana who has material desires may take permission from the spiritual master and enter family life. Otherwise if he has no material desire he may become a vanaprastha or a sannyasa. The proper order of succession should be followed in changing from one spiritual order to the next.
Now the instructions on householders. So it is from brahmacari life entering into household life. Not bachelor life to household life. One who wishes to enter the household order should accept a wife who is of the same social caste, class, who is not objectionable and who is somewhat younger in age. The wife should be younger in age. The obligatory duties of the three classes were twice borne: the brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas are worship of the Lord, study of the Vedas and giving in charity. Three higher classes, worship of the Lord, study of the Vedas and giving in charity. Occupational duties of accepting charity, teaching others and performing sacrifice for others are the privilege of the brahmanas alone. The brahmanas duty is to accept charity, teach and perform sacrifice for others. The brahmanas’ occupation has been described as pathan, pathan, yajan, yajan, dana and pratigraha. Pathan: study, pathan: teach, yajan: performing sacrifices and conduct sacrifices. Giving in charity and also accept charity. If a brahmanaconsiders that his consciousness is contaminated by such activities, he may sustains his existence by collecting grains from the fields. Some brahmanas would not even want to take such help from others, mainly ksatriyas and vaisyas. Sometimes they may consider: “Why should I take money from anybody?”Like the way Raghunatha dasa Gosvami felt. His father was sending a lot of money. And he considered: “Why should I take money from my father?
After all he is a materialist. And taking money from him will contaminate my consciousness.” Although with this money he was feeding Caitanya Mahaprabhu and other Vaishavas but he stopped taking money. So in this way at some stage a brahmana may not want to take such help from others. At that stage what should he do? He would just go and collect grains from the field. What kind of grains do you get in the field? After harvesting the grains that are lying in the fields, he would pick them up. It is called ulcha-vritti. Some brahmanas were like that. Prabhupada mentioned that Canakya was such a brahmana. Prabhupada also said that in today’s world Canakya was actually the last brahmana. He was very upright, very determined, very learned and very detached. He made a king, he made Chandragupta the king, but when he saw that he became a little disrespectful towards him, he left. And when Canakya’s guidance was not there Candragupta’s dynasty fell apart. That is the support of a brahmana. In de Vedic time the kings used to be guided by the brahmanas. They would guide them so much so that