Nārada Muni said that if the symptoms or characteristics of a certain status of social order is found in other family . . . for example, if a śūdra-born boy is inclined to accept brahmanism or Vedic culture, he should be given the chance. That is accepted in the Pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Just like these boys, European and American boys and girls, they are, according to our śāstra, they are less than śūdras, or you can call them caṇḍālas. But they are being elevated to the status of the brāhmin qualities by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness process. It doesn't matter.
Our Sanātana Gosvāmī gives direction in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa that one man can become a brāhmin by the regular process of dīkṣā. Dīkṣā, this initiation, cannot be offered to a śūdra. Dīkṣā cannot be offered to a śūdra. But in this age, Kali-yuga, it is the statement of the śāstras that in the Kali-yuga most of the population are śūdras. Kalau śūdrā sambhavāḥ. How they can be initiated?
This initiation is offered not according to the Vedic rules, because it is very difficult to find out a qualified brāhmin. Dīkṣā is offered to a qualified brāhmaṇa. Therefore this dīkṣā is offered according to Pāñcarātriki-vidhi. That is recommended in this age. My spiritual master inaugurated this Pāñcarātriki-vidhi, and we are following his footsteps.
Anyone who is inclined to devote his life for Kṛṣṇa, he should be accepted as brāhmin. Of course, he should be trained up. Not that these boys and girls are being initiated all of a sudden. They are trained up for six months, one year, then they are offered hari-nāma. And when they are qualified actually in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, at least sixteen rounds daily, when we see, one year at least, that he is doing his duties, following the regulative principles . . . all these boys and girls who are initiated, they will have to follow the regulative principles—no illicit sex life.
Just like one couple is married, because we don't allow to live . . . to allow the boys and girls to live as friends. No. That is not allowed. All my students who came to me . . . because it has become a system in their country, the young boys and girls, they live as friends, without parents taking care of their being married. That has become a system, regular system in Europe and America. And India also it is going to be introduced very soon.
It is already introduced, and it will develop. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is foretelling that in this age there will be no more marriage. Vedic marriage will be stopped. Svīkāra eva ca udvāhe (SB 12.2.5). Simply by agreement, the marriage function will be performed. But as far as we are concerned, we are trying to establish daiva-varṇāśrama, as it is instructed by the Gosvāmīs, by Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, by our spiritual master. May not be very perfect, but we are trying our best to introduce this daiva-varṇāśrama.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3), means not ordinary men. Those who are situated in this daiva-varṇāśrama, qualified brāhmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra . . . and we should note also that this division of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra is not that to make artificial competition and to become puffed-up with pride that, "I am brāhmin. You are śūdra." No. It is a cooperation. Just like you have got cooperative society, similarly, these four divisions of social orders are cooperative society.
The brāhmin is considered to be the mouth of the social body. The kṣatriya is considered to be the army—arm or army, strength of the social body. The vaiśyas are considered to be the productive element of the body. And the śūdras are considered to be the working class. But the intelligent class, the brāhmins, and the administrative class, the kṣatriyas, and the productive class, the vaiśyas, and the working class, the śūdras, they are equally important.
If you take the whole body, you cannot say that leg is unimportant than the head. Head is as important as the legs. But comparatively, because the head, the brain, gives direction, therefore it is more important than the legs. But without legs, the brain also cannot work. Without hand, the brain also cannot work, simply by brain. Brain is of course most important.
Similarly, in the social order, the brāhmins, the intelligent class of men, are very important undoubtedly, but śūdras are not less important. They are also important. That is the system given by the Lord Himself. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), to cooperate, to understand . . .
It is also compared that the brāhmin is the head of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the virāṭ-puruṣa. So brāhmins business is, because it is the head, to give direction to the society, to the spiritual society, daiva-varṇāśrama, how to conduct the life and occupation of the society.
That is brāhmins business. The kṣatriya's business is to give protection to the society. And the vaiśya's business is to give food, productive. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). In this way there is a cooperative system, taking as part and parcel of the supreme body. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7).
So we should cooperate, but there must be these four classes of men. Not that simply śūdras and vaiśyas. At the present moment, there are few vaiśyas and mostly śūdras. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). Rajas-tamaḥ, by the rajo-guṇa, the kṣatriya are produced, and by tamo-guṇa the vaiśyas are produced, and vaiśyas are mixed up, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. So it doesn't matter in whatever guṇa or status of life we are. If all of us take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our life is successful, mutual cooperation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3).
Now, how to make perfect, perfection of life, siddhi? That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta:
- anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā
- ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā
- (CC Madhya 20.117)
Because we have all forgotten Kṛṣṇa. That is our miserable condition of life. We are all forgotten about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is teaching us personally. Five thousand years ago, He personally appeared and teaching us, we forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, the whole human society. Kṛṣṇa is teaching everyone. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is teaching only in India, and to the brāhmins or the Hindus.
Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is being accepted by everyone all over the world. It is our duty. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says it is the duty of all Indians to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for para-upakāra, all over the world. That is our business.
So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). The siddhi means when one takes to the daiva-varṇāśrama principles.