View source for Varna means four classification of the society, and asrama means four division of spiritual life. The society, it is not meant for any particular nation or particular community. It is meant for the whole human society

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{{terms|"Varna means four classification of the society, and asrama means four division of spiritual life. The society, it is not meant for any particular nation or particular community. It is meant for the whole human society"}}
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{{compiler|Krsnadas}}
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[[Category:Four Varnas]]
[[Category:Meaning of Sanskrit Words]]
[[Category:four]]
[[Category:Classified]]
[[Category:society]]
[[Category:asrama]]
[[Category:Divisions]]
[[Category:spiritual Life]]
[[Category:society]]
[[Category:It Is Not]]
[[Category:Not Meant For]]
[[Category:any]]
[[Category:particular]]
[[Category:nation]]
[[Category:Community]]
[[Category:Is Meant For]]
[[Category:Whole Human Society]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB551JohannesburgOctober201975_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="515" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975">
<div class="heading">In the Vedic civilization it is prescribed, varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇa means four classification of the society, and āśrama means four division of spiritual life. The society, it is not meant for any particular nation or particular community. It is meant for the whole human society.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975|Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">And as soon as I get a material body, immediately there are so many miserable condition. But I am... As spirit soul, part and parcel of God, I have nothing to do with all these things, but I have been forced to be working with these problems of life. This is human intelligence. Therefore he requires to live a saintly life. It is not possible, of course, that everyone should become saintly. That is not possible. Therefore in the Vedic civilization it is prescribed, varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇa means four classification of the society, and āśrama means four division of spiritual life. The society, it is not meant for any particular nation or particular community. It is meant for the whole human society. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.13|BG 4.13]]). The human society should be divided into four groups. What is that? The first-class men. There are first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class men. We have got our experience. Not that everyone is equally intelligent. No. There is difference of classification or intelligence or genuineness. There are so many things, division. So here also you have got division, classification. That is natural.</p>
<p>So first-class, the first-class men, means they should be trained as brāhmaṇa, at least one class of men. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam ([[Vanisource:BG 4.13|BG 4.13]]). In order to realize the highest goal of life there must be division in the society and there must be division in spiritual life. The social life is divided into brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Brāhmaṇa means the most intelligent class of men, one who can understand God. That is brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. First-class man means not first-class dress. First-class man means he has got full knowledge: jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam ([[Vanisource:BG 18.42|BG 18.42]]). Full knowledge. He knows what is God. That is first-class man. So the second-class men means the kṣatriyas, the administrators, the administrative class of men, because government men, they must be very sober to rule over the citizens. There are varieties of men, and, to regulate them so that the state may go on very peacefully, so this is dependent on the kṣatriyas. And they must be prepared to fight to the enemies. Everything is described in the śāstra, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tejo śauryaṁ yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. The administrator should be so brave that whenever there is war they must first of all come forward to fight so that soldiers and others may follow him. So they are second-class men, and they should be instructed by the first-class men. Then their activities will be nice.</p>
<p>Brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-vaiśya. Vaiśya means the productive class of men. Their business is how to produce food for all the society and give protection to the cows. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (Bg 18.44). There must be sufficient milk in the human society. If you drink more milk and milk products, then your brain will be very sharp. You will understand things very nicely, corectly. Therefore milk is very important. In the Vedic śāstra cow protection is recommended. Why? Because milk is very, very important thing. Milk is... What about the meat-eaters? If there are meat-eaters, they can eat other animals, but especially they should not eat the cow. They should give them protection. So because the vaiśyas, the first class, second class, third class, they are meant for producing food for the society... So milk is very important. Therefore it is recommended, kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyam. And if there is excess, they can trade. And this is the first class, second class, third class. And those who cannot act as first-class men or as second-class men or third-class men—that means fourth-class men—they are called laborer or worker class of men.</p>
<p>So it is not that because one person is belonging to the worker class and another person is becoming the first class, there is differentiation. No. Everyone is important. Just like in this body the head is very important. That is a fact. If the head is cut off, then whole body is finished. But that does not mean that head is simply required without leg. Leg is also required; the hand is also required; the belly is also required. Similarly, the first-class man, the second-class man, the third-class man and the fourth-class man, all of them are equal provided they are adjusted for the higher aim of life, the higher aim of life—the brain. The brain means... First-class brain means to realize self, to understand God, and do accordingly. This is required. This is called varṇāśrama-dharma. So unless one takes to the varṇāśrama-dharma as they are prescribed, it is not human society. It is cats' and dogs' society, and you cannot be happy, however you may adjust, in a society who is filled up with cats and dogs. That is not possible.</p>
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