Introduction to Varnashram Dharma
Sukla Yajur Veda, Jabala Upanishad 4.
Just like with any body no-one would be foolish enough to say that one part of the body has greater importance or significance than another. A head is useless without a body; as feet are useless without a head, etc.
If each of the social limbs co-operatively work toward the benefit of society under the sanction of the Lord, we have a very healthy society - body.
If any of the limbs becomes unruly it can cause a disturbance or dysfunction to the entire health of the rest of the body.
We have seen that in some places in the world the feet (sudra - working
classes) revolt and create an artificial system like communism, but then
again someone usually abuses the situation and within that idealistic structure
a group like the KGB sets up an elite......
When the belly (vaishya community - merchants, farmers,
bankers, etc) become dominant without good guidance, again there are situations
that arise where they colonize and exploit, or put others into slavery,
or impose trade sanctions, or create recessions, depressions and even wars,
just to control the economy. By democratic right the unqualified, unworthy
masses demand of their elected and equally unqualified politicians lower
taxes, higher incomes, and shorter working weeks, etc.....
When the so-called kshatriyas (the military, administrative
persons) become dominant or try to control by their nature they use military
force, coups, and political uprisings to gain what they want, and then
impose high taxes upon the people so they can live a life of luxury,
etc......
When the brahminical (priestly, intellectual classes)
get out of sync' they too cause social problems. They expect a life of
luxury and demand all comforts and contributions, while themselves give
very little back to society. Often because of a lack of austerity (personal
discipline) they fall prey to all the sinful activities they are meant
to be guiding their congregations to avoid (sexual perversions, intoxication,
hoarding wealth - gambling, haughtiness, greed, abuse - of both man, child
and beast, etc).
A proper balance in social structure maintains purity and sanity in
society (keeps away social diseases), just as proper bathing of our bodies
keeps away physical disease.
All this is explained in the qualities of the four
social bodies in the 18th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita (BG 18:41-44.
Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness—these are the natural qualities by which the brähmaëas work. Bg 18:42.(Bg 18:41) ......work according to their individual nature's.brähmaëa-kñatriya-viçäà
çüdräëäà ca parantapa
karmäëi pravibhaktäni
svabhäva-prabhavair guëaiùçamo damas tapaù çaucaà
kñäntir ärjavam eva ca
jïänaà vijïänam ästikyaà
brahma-karma svabhäva-jam
Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the kñatriyas. Bg 18:43.çauryaà tejo dhåtir däkñyaà
yuddhe cäpy apaläyanam
dänam éçvara-bhävaç ca
kñätraà karma svabhäva-jam
Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaiçyas, and for the çüdras there is labor and service to others.Bg 18:44.kåñi-go-rakñya-väëijyaà
vaiçya-karma svabhäva-jam
paricaryätmakaà karma
çüdrasyäpi svabhäva-jam
By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now please hear from Me how this can be done.sve sve karmaëy abhirataù
saàsiddhià labhate naraù
sva-karma-nirataù siddhià
yathä vindati tac chåëu
By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, a man can attain perfection through performing his own work. Bg 18:46.yataù pravåttir bhütänäà
yena sarvam idaà tatam
sva-karmaëä tam abhyarcya
siddhià vindati mänavaù
PURPORT by Srila A.C.Bhaktivedanta swami Prabhupada.
As stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, all living
beings are fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. Thus the Supreme
Lord is the beginning of all living entities. This is confirmed in the
Vedänta-sütra—janmädy asya yataù [Srimad Bhagavatam
1:1:1]. The Supreme Lord is therefore the beginning of life of every living
entity. And as stated in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gétä,
the Supreme Lord, by His two energies, His external energy and internal
energy, is all-pervading. Therefore one should worship the Supreme Lord
with His energies. Generally the Vaiñëava devotees worship
the Supreme Lord with His internal energy. His external energy is a perverted
reflection of the internal energy. The external energy is a background,
but the Supreme Lord by the expansion of His plenary portion as Paramätmä
is situated everywhere. He is the Supersoul of all demigods, all human
beings, all animals, everywhere. One should therefore know that as part
and parcel of the Supreme Lord one has his duty to render service unto
the Supreme. Everyone should be engaged in devotional service to the Lord
in full Kåñëa consciousness. That is recommended in this
verse.
Everyone should think that he is engaged in a
particular type of occupation by Håñékeça, the
master of the senses. And by the result of the work in which one is engaged,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa,
should be worshiped. If one thinks always in this way, in full Kåñëa
consciousness, then, by the grace of the Lord, he becomes fully aware of
everything. That is the perfection of life. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gétä
(12:7), teñäm ahaà samuddhartä. The Supreme Lord
Himself takes charge of delivering such a devotee. That is the highest
perfection of life. In whatever occupation one may be engaged, if he serves
the Supreme Lord he will achieve the highest perfection.
It is better to engage in one’s own occupation, even though one may perform it imperfectly, than to accept another’s occupation and perform it perfectly. Duties prescribed according to one’s nature are never affected by sinful reactions. Bg 18:47.çreyän sva-dharmo viguëaù
para-dharmät sv-anuñöhität
svabhäva-niyataà karma
kurvan näpnoti kilbiñam
PURPORT by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
One’s occupational duty is prescribed in Bhagavad-gétä.
As already discussed in previous verses, the duties of a brähmaëa,
kñatriya, vaiçya and çüdra are prescribed according
to their particular modes of nature. One should not imitate another’s duty.
A man who is by nature attracted to the kind of work done by çüdras
should not artificially claim to be a brähmaëa, although he may
have been born into a brähmaëa family. In this way one should
work according to his own nature; no work is abominable, if performed in
the service of the Supreme Lord. The occupational duty of a brähmaëa
is certainly in the mode of goodness, but if a person is not by nature
in the mode of goodness, he should not imitate the occupational duty of
a brähmaëa. For a kñatriya, or administrator, there are
so many abominable things; a kñatriya has to be violent to kill
his enemies, and sometimes a kñatriya has to tell lies for the sake
of diplomacy. Such violence and duplicity accompany political affairs,
but a kñatriya is not supposed to give up his occupational duty
and try to perform the duties of a brähmaëa.
One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For
example, Arjuna was a kñatriya. He was hesitating to fight the other
party. But if such fighting is performed for the sake of Kåñëa,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there need be no fear of degradation.
In the business field also, sometimes a merchant has to tell so many lies
to make a profit. If he does not do so, there can be no profit. Sometimes
a merchant says, “Oh, my dear customer, for you I am making no profit,”
but one should know that without profit the merchant cannot exist. Therefore
it should be taken as a simple lie if a merchant says that he is not making
a profit. But the merchant should not think that because he is engaged
in an occupation in which the telling of lies is compulsory, he should
give up his profession and pursue the profession of a brähmaëa.
That is not recommended. Whether one is a kñatriya, a vaiçya,
or a çüdra doesn’t matter, if he serves, by his work, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Even brähmaëas, who perform different
types of sacrifice, sometimes must kill animals because sometimes animals
are sacrificed in such ceremonies. Similarly, if a kñatriya engaged
in his own occupation kills an enemy, there is no sin incurred. In the
Third Chapter these matters have been clearly and elaborately explained;
every man should work for the purpose of Yajïa, or for Viñëu,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anything done for personal sense gratification
is a cause of bondage. The conclusion is that everyone should be engaged
according to the particular mode of nature he has acquired, and he should
decide to work only to serve the supreme cause of the Supreme Lord.
Every endeavor is covered by some fault, just as fire is covered by smoke. Therefore one should not give up the work born of his nature, O son of Kunté, even if such work is full of fault. Bg 18:48.saha-jaà karma kaunteya
sa-doñam api na tyajet
sarvärambhä hi doñeëa
dhümenägnir ivävåtäù
PURPORT by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
In conditioned life, all work is contaminated
by the material modes of nature. Even if one is a brähmaëa, he
has to perform sacrifices in which animal killing is necessary. Similarly,
a kñatriya, however pious he may be, has to fight enemies. He cannot
avoid it. Similarly, a merchant, however pious he may be, must sometimes
hide his profit to stay in business, or he may sometimes have to do business
on the black market. These things are necessary; one cannot avoid them.
Similarly, even though a man is a çüdra serving a bad master,
he has to carry out the order of the master, even though it should not
be done. Despite these flaws, one should continue to carry out his prescribed
duties, for they are born out of his own nature.
A very nice example is given herein. Although
fire is pure, still there is smoke. Yet smoke does not make the fire impure.
Even though there is smoke in the fire, fire is still considered to be
the purest of all elements. If one prefers to give up the work of a kñatriya
and take up the occupation of a brähmaëa, he is not assured that
in the occupation of a brähmaëa there are no unpleasant duties.
One may then conclude that in the material world no one can be completely
free from the contamination of material nature. This example of fire and
smoke is very appropriate in this connection. When in wintertime one takes
a stone from the fire, sometimes smoke disturbs the eyes and other parts
of the body, but still one must make use of the fire despite disturbing
conditions. Similarly, one should not give up his natural occupation because
there are some disturbing elements. Rather, one should be determined to
serve the Supreme Lord by his occupational duty in Kåñëa
consciousness. That is the perfectional point. When a particular type of
occupation is performed for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, all the
defects in that particular occupation are purified. When the results of
work are purified, when connected with devotional service, one becomes
perfect in seeing the self within, and that is self-realization.
(quotes taken from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada. BBT International, VedaBase.
)
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