So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. As soon as we are in the material world, we are under the influence either of these three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Those who are purely in association with the modes of goodness, sattva-guṇa, they are considered as brāhmaṇa. And those who are associated with the rajo-guṇa, passion, they are called kṣatriyas. And those who are associating with the tamo-guṇa, ignorance, they are called the śūdras. And the mixture of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa is the position of the vaiśya. In this way, there are four divisions of men everywhere. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). According to the association of particular type of modes of nature and working in that way, it makes a division of the human society. That is required. For upkeep of the human society in order, according to the quality and work there must be division. But that is not that division as we are thinking at the present moment in India—a man is born in the brāhmaṇa family, he is brāhmaṇa. No. He must have the brahminical qualification. That is first consideration. Śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucam ārjavaṁ titikṣā, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). That is the verdict of the śāstra. Not by birth. Birth is a facility. If you have the opportunity to take birth in a brāhmaṇa family, then you have got the best opportunity to acquire the brahminical qualification. Just like a person born as the son of a medical man, from the childhood he is learning all the medical terms and how his father is treating patient. So before entering medical college he is half medical man. That is the facility. But if we don't take the facility, we go astray... They are called brahma-bandhu. And if we have acquired the qualification of a śūdra, then, even though one is born in the brāhmaṇa family, he should be accepted as śūdra. Similarly, if a person is born in a śūdra family, but he has acquired these qualities, śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucam, he should be designated as brāhmaṇa. That is the injunction of the śāstras in many places. So if by force I want to assume myself as a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya without qualification, that is the cause of India's cultural ruination. Such a high Vedic culture of India is now ruined because we have misused the terms. That is the cause.
Now we are interested... But this culture, this Vedic culture, is not for, not meant for India. It is meant for all living entities. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4). Kṛṣṇa never claims that "I am the God of the Hindus" or "I am Indian" or "I am for the brāhmaṇas" or this or that. No. He says that "I am the seed-giving father of everyone." That is God. That is God. That means God. He never claims. Sarva-yoniṣu. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and Kṛṣṇa claims to be the father, seed-giving father of all of them. So Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Don't take Kṛṣṇa as sectarian. No. Kṛṣṇa is God; He is for everyone.
So if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa gives the formula. Or if you want to know God, then you follow God's formula. What is that? Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. First of all, first business is that you have to increase your attachment for God, or Kṛṣṇa. We are increasing our attachment for the dog, and where is the attachment for God? People are becoming... Now it has become a fashion to keep dogs and increase attachment for dog. They are ready to kill cows but give protection to the dog. So our advancement of civilization is going in that way. Anyway, this attachment or that attachment, every particular man has got attachment for something, phobia. But that attachment should be turned for Kṛṣṇa. This yoga has to be practiced. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ.
Then what will be the result? Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Asaṁśayam. We have got vague idea of God. We do not know actually what is God. There is saṁśaya, doubts. Somebody is impersonalist. Somebody is localized. Somebody is personalist. But actually, if we ask every man, "What is your conception of God?" I think hardly anyone will be able to explain what is the meaning of God. They have no clear idea. Is it not a fact? Can any one of you give me a clear idea what do you mean by God? No. Therefore if you want clear idea of God without any doubt, asaṁśayam, and samagram... Samagram means full, not partially. The spiritual understanding is partial in this way, brahmeti paramātmā iti bhagavān iti śabdyate. The Absolute Truth is realized in three features, Brahman, beginning from Brahman, then Paramātmā, Supersoul. I think in Christian world they call holy ghost. Anyway, Paramātmā, the Supersoul. And ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That is the statement of the śāstra. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). If you want to know, here is Bhagavān. In many other places,
- īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
- anādir ādir govindaḥ
- sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
- (Bs. 5.1)
Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. There is nothing accidental. Everything is there as cause and effect. That is clear idea.
So there are so many causes. I am caused by my father, my father is caused by his father, his father is caused by his father, you go on, go on. Then you come to the supreme father. He is the cause of all causes. That is Kṛṣṇa. The supreme father is the cause of all subordinate fathers. That is the definition of God, another definition. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvaraḥ, īśvaraḥ means controller. So controller, you are also controller. You control over your family, over your son, over your wife. And if you go to the office you become controlled by your boss. So here the controller is relative. Both I am controller and controlled. But when you find somebody else—he is simply controller, not controlled—that is God. This is simple definition of God. You will find everyone relatively controller and controlled. But go on searching out where is that person that He is controller but not controlled. That is īśvaraḥ. That is īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, the supreme īśvara.