Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 07 Chapter 11 Purports - The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes
Pages in category "Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 07 Chapter 11 Purports - The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes"
The following 120 pages are in this category, out of 120 total.
A
- A better process (for a brahmana to act in the same way as a vaisya), however, is to pick up grains from a field or from a dealer's shop without begging
- A brahmana cannot take up any professional occupational duty for his livelihood. The sastras especially stress that if one claims to be a brahmana, he cannot engage in the service of anyone; otherwise he at once falls from his position & becomes a sudra
- A brahmana is sometimes offered land and cows in charity, and thus for his livelihood he may act in the same way as a vaisya, by cultivating land, giving protection to cows and trading off his surpluses
- A human being must be trained in the above-mentioned (in SB 7.11.8-12) thirty qualities; otherwise, he is not even a human being. Then, among such qualified persons, the varnasrama process should be introduced
- A king must not levy any tax upon the brahmanas and the Vaisnavas fully engaged in Krsna consciousness
- A man should be an ideal servant of the Lord, and a woman should be an ideal wife like the goddess of fortune. Then both husband and wife will be so faithful and strong that by acting together they go back to Godhead, without a doubt
- A servant should think of his master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way, all of them will automatically become devotees of the Lord. In other words, by thinking this way, all of them will become Krsna conscious
- A sudra may attend sacrifices and Vedic ritualistic ceremonies along with his master, but he should not utter the mantras, for these may be uttered only by the members of the higher sections of society
- A woman should serve her husband as faithfully as the goddess of fortune
- A woman should think of her husband as the Supreme Lord. Similarly, a disciple should think of the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a sudra should think of a brahmana as the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- A woman's education should be conducted along the lines indicated in this verse (SB 7.11.25). The basic principle for a chaste woman is to be always favorably disposed toward her husband
- According to the injunction of Yajnavalkya, an authority on religious principles, one is considered contaminated by the reactions of great sinful activities when one has not been purified according to the methods of the dasa-vidha-samskara
- According to the symptoms of higher and lower sections of society, there are different varieties of occupational duties. According to the experts in Vedic knowledge, these duties are prescribed in terms of the age concerned
- Actually, it is for this purpose (to teach the path of spiritual liberation) that Narada Muni compiled his Bhakti-sutra and gave directions in the Narada-pancaratra
- After giving a general list of thirty qualifications for one's behavior (in SB 7.11.8-12), Narada Muni now (in SB 7.11.13) describes the principles of the four varnas and four asramas
- All the Vedic literatures strongly warn against creating varna-sankara population
- Almost everything going on in this world as religion is devoid of any idea of devotional service and is therefore condemned by the verdict of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Without devotional service, so-called religious principles are only cheating
- Although the duties of a woman are different from those of a man, a chaste woman is not meant to serve a fallen husband
- Although the Krsna consciousness movement is a movement of brahmanas and Vaisnavas, it is trying to reestablish the divine varnasrama institution, for without this division of society there cannot be peace and prosperity anywhere
- Although the ksatriyas are almost as qualified as the brahmanas, even they cannot accept charity. This is strictly prohibited by the word apratigraha. What to speak of the lower social orders, even the ksatriyas must not accept charity
- Among people of the lower classes, intermarriage and the drinking of wine are allowed, for these people do not recognize such conduct as sinful among themselves
- An occupational duty of the brahmana is to teach Vedic knowledge, but unless there is an emergency, this professional duty should not be accepted by the ksatriyas, vaisyas or sudras
- As stated by Yamaraja, dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam (SB 6.3.19). Yamaraja, the representative of the Lord who takes care of the living beings after their death, gives his verdict as to how and when the living being will change his body
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita (BG 4.13), catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah. Thus the four divisions of society - brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra - are to be ascertained according to qualities and activities
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita (BG 4.13), catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah: the four divisions of human society were created by the Supreme Lord according to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita, when women are polluted the populace is varna-sankara, and when the varna-sankara population increases, the situation of the entire world becomes hellish
- At the present moment, society is in a chaotic condition, and everyone has given up the cultivation of spiritual life, which is especially meant for the brahmanas
B
- Because spiritual culture has been stopped all over the world, there is now an emergency, and therefore it is now time to train those who are considered lower and condemned, so that they may become brahmanas and take up the work of spiritual progress
- Brahmanas have six occupational duties, of which three are compulsory - namely, studying the Vedas, worshiping the Deity and giving charity. By teaching, by inducing others to worship the Deity and by accepting gifts, they receive the necessities of life
E
- Even a ksatriya cannot accept the duties of a brahmana unless there is an emergency, and then even if he does so he should not accept charity from anyone else
- Even if one is born in a family of dvijas, if they have not followed the reformatory process he is called a dvija-bandhu - not one of the twice-born, but a friend of the twice-born. The whole purpose of this system is to create good population
- Even though one's body or one's superficial religion may change, every living entity is always engaged in the service of someone. Therefore, the mentality of service is called the eternal occupational duty
- Everyone should also be taught to be simple in thought and feeling and satisfied in body and mind. These are the general qualifications of a human being. There is no question of a secular state or an ecclesiastical state
- Everyone should be taught to be very careful not to discharge semen unnecessarily. This is very important for all human beings
F
- Formerly, the principle of dividing human society into four sections was strictly followed, but because of gradual neglect of the varnasrama principles, varna-sankara population developed, and the entire institution has now been lost
- From all the evidence the conclusion is that without bhakti, devotional service, there is no question of religious principles. God is the central figure in the performance of religious principles
H
- He (Yamaraja) is the authority, and he says that the religious principles consist of the codes and laws given by God. No one can manufacture religion, and therefore manufactured religious systems are rejected by the followers of the Vedic principles
- Here (in SB 7.11.24) it is recommended that a first-class sudra must remain very clean, must not steal or speak lies, and must always render service to his master
- Herein (SB 7.11.35) it is clearly stated by Narada Muni that one should not be accepted as a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra according to birth, for although this is going on now, it is not accepted by the sastras
- Herein (SB 7.11.35) Narada Muni distinctly says that one may be accepted according to the caste of his birth if he has the corresponding qualifications, but otherwise he should not
I
- If a chaste woman unfortunately marries a husband who is fallen, she should live separately from him. Similarly, a husband can separate himself from a woman who is not chaste according to the description of the sastra
- If a chaste woman's husband is fallen, it is recommended that she give up his association. Giving up the association of her husband does not mean, however, that a woman should marry again and thus indulge in prostitution
- If a sudra acquires the qualities of a brahmana, although he was born in a sudra family, he is not a sudra; because he has developed the qualities of a brahmana, he should be accepted as a brahmana
- If a tiger kills a man, this is not sinful but if a man kills another man, this is considered sinful, and the killer is hanged. What is a daily affair among the animals is a sinful act in human society
- If a woman of a high caste marries a man of a lower caste, their union is called pratiloma. If a woman of a low caste, however, marries a man of a higher caste, their union is called anuloma
- If one continuously sprinkles drops of ghee on a fire, the fire will not be extinguished, but if one suddenly puts a lump of ghee on a fire, the fire may possibly be extinguished entirely
- If one gradually gives up his hereditary customs and duties and tries to serve the SP of Godhead in his natural position, he is gradually able to become free from these activities, and he attains the stage of niskama, freedom from material desires
- If one has developed the qualities of a sudra or a candala, regardless of where he was born, he should be accepted in terms of those symptoms
- If one is not a soul surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is understood to be contaminated. Thus a chaste woman is advised not to agree to serve such a husband
- If one was born in a brahmana family and has acquired the brahminical qualifications, he is to be accepted as a brahmana; otherwise, he should be considered a brahma-bandhu
- If semen is not discharged unnecessarily, one becomes extremely strong in memory, determination, activity and the vitality of one's bodily energy
- If the citizens of the (secular) state are not educated in the above-mentioned (in SB 7.11.8-12) good qualities, how can there be happiness
- If the total populace is untruthful, how can the state be happy? Therefore, without consideration of one's belonging to a sectarian religion, whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or any other sect, everyone should be taught to become truthful
- If we strictly follow the principle of disciplic succession, we are certainly on the right path of spiritual liberation, or eternal engagement in devotional service
- In Bhagavad-gita (BG 1.40) it is said, strisu dustasu varsneya jayate varna-sankarah: if the women are polluted, there will be varna-sankara population. In modern terms, the varna-sankara are the hippies, who do not follow any regulative injunctions
- In Bhagavad-gita (BG 15.15) it is said, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: Vedic knowledge means to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna
- In Bhagavad-gita (BG 3.35) it is said, sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah para-dharmat svanusthitat: "It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another's duties"
- In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah: (BG 7.15) "Those miscreants who do not surrender unto Me (Krsna) are the lowest of mankind." The word naradhama means "nondevotee"
- In order that human beings be distinct from the animals, the great saint Narada recommends that every human being be educated in terms of the above-mentioned (in SB 7.11.8-12) thirty qualifications - truthfulness, mercy, austerity, tolerance, etc
- In such a (varna-sankara) society, no one can distinguish between a brahmana, a ksatriya, a vaisya and a sudra. For peace and happiness in the material world, the varnasrama institution must be introduced
- In the institution of varnasrama-dharma, the symptoms of a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasi are all described
- In the Vaikuntha planets, Lord Visnu is worshiped by many, many thousands of goddesses of fortune, and in Goloka Vrndavana, Lord Krsna is worshiped by many, many thousands of gopis, all of whom are goddesses of fortune
- In the varnasrama system, the first ceremony for purification is garbhadhana, which is performed with mantras at the time of sex for propagating a good child
- In the Yajnavalkya-smrti it is said: One should learn human behavior from sruti, the Vedas, and from smrti, the scriptures following the Vedic principles
- In this age of Kali, practically everyone is a sudra (kalau sudra-sambhavah), and finding anyone who is a brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya is very difficult
- It is everyone's experience that workers or servants are generally accustomed to stealing. A first-class servant is one who does not steal
- It is not that a chaste woman should be like a slave while her husband is naradhama, the lowest of men
- It is recommended that a chaste wife not associate with a fallen husband. A fallen husband is one who is addicted to the four principles of sinful activity - namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication
- It is very important for peaceful householder life that a woman follow the vow of her husband. Any disagreement with the husband's vow will disrupt family life
O
- Of the six occupational duties of the brahmanas, three are compulsory - namely, worship of the Deity, study of the Vedas and the giving of charity. In exchange, a brahmana should receive charity, and this should be his means of livelihood
- One cannot be a pure devotee without following the sruti and smrti, and the sruti and smrti without devotional service cannot lead one to the perfection of life
- One should not waste semen on sensual pleasure, violating the principles of Vedic life. Restraint in sex is possible, however, only when the populace is trained in the above-mentioned thirty qualities; otherwise, it is not possible
- One who has attained the qualifications of a brahmana, regardless of where he was born, should be accepted as a brahmana
- One who uses sex life not for sensual pleasures but only to beget children according to the reformatory method is also accepted as a brahmacari
- Our actual experience is that every man, animal, bird and beast - indeed, every living entity - is engaged in rendering service
- Our Krsna consciousness movement is all-embracing. Human civilization should take it very seriously and practice its principles for the peace of the world
- Our Krsna consciousness movement is directly in the line of the Brahma-sampradaya. Narada Muni received instructions from Lord Brahma and in turn transmitted the instructions to Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva instructed his son Sukadeva Gosvami, who spoke SB
R
- Regardless of the community in which one was born, if one develops the qualities of a brahmana he should be accepted as a brahmana, and he then may be offered the order of sannyasa
- Religious principles aim at learning how to render transcendental loving service to the Lord. That service must be unmotivated and unchecked by material conditions. Then human society will be happy in all respects
S
- Sanatana-dharma means devotional service. The word sanatana refers to that which is eternal, which does not change but continues in all circumstances
- Sometimes brahmanas protest against our Krsna consciousness movement for creating brahmanas from Europeans, or, in other words, from mlecchas and yavanas. This movement, however, is here supported in Srimad-Bhagavatam - 7.11.17
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, yei bhaje sei bada, abhakta-hina (CC Antya 4.67), chara. Anyone who is a devotee is sinless. One who is not a devotee, however, is the most fallen and condemned
- Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami belonged to a very respectful family, but because they engaged in the service of Nawab Hussain Shah - not even as ordinary clerks, but as ministers - they were ostracized from brahminical society
T
- The antyajas, the men of the lower classes, are accustomed to stealing, drinking and illicit sex, but that is not considered sinful
- The conclusion is that a husband should be a pure Vaisnava and that a woman should be a chaste wife with all the symptoms described in this regard. Then both of them will be happy and make spiritual progress in Krsna consciousness
- The faithfulness of the goddess of fortune is the ideal for a chaste woman. The Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38) says, laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
- The four principal divisions of society - brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra - have been defined, and now there is a description of the antyaja, the mixed classes. Among the mixed classes, there are two divisions - pratilomaja and anulomaja
- The king or government may levy taxes upon the citizens in various ways provided the king is able to give full protection to his subjects to assure the security of their life and property
- The Krsna consciousness movement is an attempt to guide human society to serving the Personality of Godhead instead of serving the material world with no real profit
- The Krsna consciousness movement is based on Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Because Srimad-Bhagavatam was spoken by Sukadeva Gosvami and Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Krsna, there is no difference between them
- The Krsna consciousness movement is meant to develop these brahminical qualities
- The members of such (anuloma and pratiloma) dynasties have their traditional duties as barbers, washermen and so on
- The occupational duty of a brahmana should not be accepted by persons in lower social orders, especially vaisyas and sudras
- The purport (of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.101) is that to become a devotee one must follow the principles laid down in sruti and smrti. One must follow the codes of the puranas and the pancaratriki-vidhi
- The real occupational duty of the living entity is to serve the Lord. Even if one prefers to deviate from this principle he remains a servant because that is his eternal position; but one serves maya, the illusory, material energy
- The smrti, the scriptures following the principles of Vedic knowledge, are considered the evidence of Vedic principles
- The spiritual progress of human society has been stopped, and this should be considered an emergency. Here (in SB 7.11.17) is solid support from Narada Muni of the movement known as Krsna consciousness
- The symptoms of one's activities must be defined, and one must be educated accordingly. Then spiritual advancement will automatically be possible
- The ultimate aim is acyutatmatvam - to think always of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, or Visnu. To make advancement in Krsna consciousness, one has to become a brahmana, with the above-mentioned (in SB 7.11.21) symptoms
- The word aja refers to Krsna, who explains in Bhagavad-gita (BG 4.6), ajo 'pi sann avyayatma: "I am ever existing, and thus I never take birth. There is no change in My existence"
- There are twenty different types of scripture for following religious principles, and among them the scriptures of Manu and Yajnavalkya are considered to be all-pervading authorities
- They (Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami) became like Mohammedans and even changed their names
- This eternal occupational duty (the mentality of service) can be organized through the institution of varnasrama, in which there are four varnas (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra) and four asramas - brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa
- Those who are too sinful and have thus been born in the lower classes are allowed to enjoy sinful activities fully, for thus there is a chance that these activities will become detestful to them, and they will get the opportunity to be purified
- To learn about religious principles and the perfection of life, one must take instruction from the disciplic succession of Narada Muni
U
- Ultimately it is recommended (in SB 7.11.8-12): Everyone should become a devotee of the Lord, because by becoming a devotee of the Lord one automatically acquires the other qualities
- Unless a brahmana is very pure, he cannot accept charity from others. Charity should be given to those who are pure. Even if one is born in a family of brahmanas, if one acts as a sudra one cannot accept charity, for this is strictly prohibited
- Unless he (the king) is able to give protection, he cannot levy taxes
- Unless one is completely pure and has been raised to the standard of a brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya - in other words, unless one is dvija, twice-born - the chanting of mantras will not be fruitful
- Unless one is educated in the above-mentioned (in SB 7.11.8-12) thirty qualities (truthfulness, mercy, austerity (observing fasts on certain days of the month), bathing twice a day, tolerance, etc.), there cannot be any peace
- Unless one is qualified in terms of the brahminical symptoms, one cannot take sannyasa. In designating a person a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra, birth is not the essential symptom. This understanding is very important
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- We have several times explained what the eternal occupational duty of the living being is. Indeed, it has been explained by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Jivera 'svarupa' haya-krsnera 'nitya-dasa': - CC Madhya 20.108
- When the population is varna-sankara, no one can know who is on what platform. The varnasrama system scientifically divides society into four varnas and asramas, but in varna-sankara society there are no such distinctions, and no one can know who is who
- When there is varna-sankara population, the people cannot be properly controlled for peace and prosperity, regardless of great legislative assemblies, parliaments and similar bodies
- Whether one speaks of the Vedas, scriptures, religion or the principles of everyone's occupational duty, all of them must aim at understanding Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Y
- Yudhisthira Maharaja inquired from Narada Muni about the principles of sanatana-dharma for the benefit of human society
- Yudhisthira Maharaja knew that Narada Muni is the supreme spiritual master of human society who can teach the path of spiritual liberation leading to the understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead