Calamities (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"calamities" |"calamitous" |"calamity"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:

The brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, these three higher castes, there were certain restrictions. The brāhmaṇa would not do this or the brāhmaṇa must do this. So that is called jāti-dharma. A brāhmaṇa cannot accept service from anywhere. I have discussed many times. A kṣatriya also cannot. And vaiśya cannot. Only the śūdra can become servant of others. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). So, at the present moment, nobody can observe the strict rules and regulations, that "I am born in a brāhmaṇa family. I cannot accept anyone's service." Then you will have to starve. Because he has no brahminical capacity... By education, by culture, he's a śūdra, although falsely he's claiming that he is a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. So his jāti-dharma, family tradition, family rituals, everything is lost due to this unwanted children. Unwanted children make everything topsy-turvy. So Arjuna is visualizing all the future calamities. But there is one remedy. It is a fact that jāti-dharma we have lost. No more we can be called strictly following the jāti-dharma. No more can one present himself strictly as a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. Everything is lost now, by the influence of Kali-yuga. And varṇa-saṅkara. So there is only one remedy, only one remedy.