TRANSLATION: At
Maharaja Yudhisthira's inquiry, Bhismadeva first defined all the
classifications of castes and orders of life in terms of the
individual's qualifications. Then he systematically, in twofold
divisions, described counteraction by detachment and interaction
by attachment.
PURPORT: The conception of four castes and four orders of life,
as planned by the Lord Himself
(Bg. 4.13), is to accelerate transcendental qualities of the
individual person so that he may gradually realize his spiritual
identity and thus act accordingly to get free from material
bondage, or conditional life. In almost all the Puranas the
subject matter is described in the same spirit, and so also in
the Mahabharata it is more elaborately described by Bhismadeva
in the Santi-parva, beginning from the sixtieth chapter.
The varnasrama-dharma is prescribed for the civilized human
being just to train him to successfully terminate human life.
Self-realization is distinguished from the life of the lower
animals engaged in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating.
Bhismadeva advised for all human beings nine qualifications: (1)
not to become angry, (2) not to lie, (3) to equally distribute
wealth, (4) to forgive, (5) to beget children only by one's
legitimate wife, (6) to be pure in mind and hygienic in body,
(7) not to be inimical toward anyone, (8) to be simple, and (9)
to support servants or subordinates. One cannot be called a
civilized person without acquiring the above-mentioned
preliminary qualities. Besides these, the brahmanas (the
intelligent men), the administrative men, the mercantile
community and the laborer class must acquire special qualities
in terms of occupational duties mentioned in all the Vedic
scriptures. For the intelligent men, controlling the senses is
the most essential qualification. It is the basis of morality.
Sex indulgence even with a legitimate wife must also be
controlled, and thereby family control will automatically
follow. An intelligent man abuses 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, especially of
the Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Bhagavad-gita. For learning Vedic
knowledge, one must approach a person who is cent percent
engaged in devotional service. He must not do things which are
forbidden in the sastras. A person cannot be a teacher if he
drinks or smokes. In the modern system of education the
teacher's academic qualification is taken into consideration
without evaluation of his moral life. Therefore, the result of
education is misuse of high intelligence in so many ways.
The ksatriya, the member of the administrative class, is
especially advised to give charity and not to accept charity in
any circumstances. Modern administrators raise subscriptions for
some political functions, but never give charity to the citizens
in any state function. It is just the reverse in the injunctions
of the sastras. The administrative class must be well versed in
the sastras, but must not take to the profession of teachers.
The administrators should never pretend to become nonviolent and
thereby go to hell. When Arjuna wanted to become a nonviolent
coward on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, he was severely
chastised by Lord Krsna. The Lord degraded Arjuna at that time
to the status of an uncivilized man for his avowed acceptance of
the cult of nonviolence. The administrative class must be
personally trained in military education. Cowards should not be
elevated to the presidential throne by dint of numerical votes
only. The monarchs were all chivalrous personalities, and
therefore monarchy should be maintained provided the monarch is
regularly trained in the occupational duties of a king. In
fighting, the king or the president should never return home
without being hurt by the enemy. The so-called king of today
never visits the warfield. He is very much expert in
artificially encouraging the fighting strength in the hope of
false national prestige. As soon as the administrative class is
turned into a gang of mercantile and laborer men, the whole
machinery of government becomes polluted.
The vaisyas, the members of the mercantile communities, are
especially advised to protect the cows. Cow protection means
increasing the milk productions, namely curd and butter.
Agriculture and distribution of the foodstuff are the primary
duties of the mercantile community backed by education in Vedic
knowledge and trained to give in charity. As the ksatriyas were
given charge of the protection of the citizens, vaisyas were
given the charge of the protection of animals. Animals are never
meant to be killed. Killing of animals is a symptom of barbarian
society. For a human being, agricultural produce, fruits and
milk are sufficient and compatible foodstuffs. The human society
should give more attention to animal protection. The productive
energy of the laborer is misused when he is occupied by
industrial enterprises. Industry of various types cannot produce
the essential needs of man, namely rice, wheat, grains, milk,
fruits and vegetables. The production of machines and machine
tools increases the artificial living fashion of a class of
vested interests and keeps thousands of men in starvation and
unrest. This should not be the standard of civilization.
The sudra class is less intelligent and should have no
independence. They are meant for rendering sincere service to
the three higher sections of the society. The sudra class can
attain all comforts of life simply by rendering service to the
higher classes. It is especially enjoined that a sudra should
never bank money. As soon as the sudras accumulate wealth, it
will be misused for sinful activities in wine, women and
gambling. Wine, women and gambling indicate that the population
is degraded to less than sudra quality. The higher castes should
always look after the maintenance of the sudras, and they should
provide them with old and used garments. A sudra should not
leave his master when the master is old and invalid, and the
master should keep the servants satisfied 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 millions, but the poor laborer is
not sumptuously fed or given charity, clothing, etc. The
laborers are thus dissatisfied, and so they make agitation.
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. The main purpose of asrama-dharma is to awaken
knowledge and detachment. The brahmacari asrama is the training
ground for the prospective candidates. In this asrama it is
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-realization is the
ultimate aim of life. The whole system of asrama-dharma is a
means to detachment. One who fails to assimilate this spirit of
detachment is allowed to enter into family life with the same
spirit of detachment. Therefore, one who attains detachment may
at once adopt the fourth order, namely, renounced, and thus live
on charity only, not to accumulate wealth, but just to keep body
and soul together for ultimate realization. Household life is
for one who is attached, and the vanaprastha and sannyasa orders
of life are for those who are detached from material life. The
brahmacari-asrama is especially meant for training both the
attached and detached.
[Srila
Prabhupada from Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.26]