Now we are very much enthusiastic to become good nationals. Suppose I am American, a very good national. Now, after death, suppose that if I become a cow. Then even I am national of this country, oh, I am destined to be sent to the slaughterhouse. You see? So we should not take the risk of next birth. In this life, in this birth, we should make a permanent solution of all miseries. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let us become Kṛṣṇa conscious in this very life and make a solution.
Now, this cātur-varṇyam, this plan of cātur-varṇyam, Lord says . . . you should always remember that this material creation, whole material creation . . . there are unlimited number of universes and, I mean to say, planets in each universe. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means this universe, and koṭi means hundred millions. Hundred millions. Not exactly one hundred millions, but numberless.
- yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
- koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam
- tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs 5.40)
So this material world is created. It is created for temporary existence. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā: "This material manifestation is temporary." May be for millions of years, but it is temporary. And why this temporary material world is created? Just to give the rebelled, I mean to say, living entities who are averse to God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to give another chance for developing. For developing.
So if we miss this chance, then again, when this material world will be dissolved, oh, we do not know how many millions of years we have to become unconscious. We shall remain in the unconscious, sleeping stage. Then again there will be creation. Then again our body will be created, and . . . so these are very subtle laws. We should not miss. We should be very much serious about this life.
So the whole program is made: cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). So by birth one is supposed to be the lowborn. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Śūdra means without any culture. The man who has no cultural life, he is called a śūdra. And those who are cultured, they are called dvija. Dvija means twice-born. So one has to take his birth twice. He should not be satisfied simply by taking birth by the father and mother.
One should be anxious to take his twice-born, to become twice-born, brāhmins. But that chance is . . . don't think that you cannot become a brāhmin. You can become a qualified brāhmin, provided you abide by the qualification of a qualified brāhmin. Just like to become a lawyer it is not, I mean to say, limited to a certain section or to a certain person. Anyone who takes the qualification of a lawyer, he becomes a lawyer.
Similarly, here Lord says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: "According to quality and karma, these cātur-varṇya, four classes or four castes or four classes of division of the human society, is created by Me." So brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. If you want to know Brahman . . . because that is the prerogative of your life, human life. Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Athāto brahma-jijñāsā; "Oh, here is the chance for inquiring about Brahman." Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now we should take the chance to become a brāhmin. As soon as we begin to enquire about Brahman or the Supreme Brahman, Kṛṣṇa, then my process of becoming the brāhmin begins.
You know that the brāhmins, the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, they have got the sacred thread. You have seen. I have got the sacred thread. This is, of course, not very valuable. It is . . . (chuckles) it is made of cotton. But this is a badge. This badge is given to a person who is twice-born, who is twice-born. So anyone can become twice-born. There is no hindrance.