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achintya, ranganathan narasimhan <simhan74> wrote:

 

> Infact this is one of the main objections raised by the anti-

brahmin movements of India that this Varnasrama system is caste

based..Now..have we not heard blanket statements made against a

particular sect just because activities of some mebers were

unacceptable?..so I think we can give some leeway for

that...clarifications can be sought before making any hard

statements..pray no more pondering over this any further as this is a

big subject matter fit for some other forum..

>

 

I guess the point I am trying to make is -- we would be better off

not criticizing people but instead criticizing practices, and that

too with the aid of shaastra.

 

While we are on the point, I have met Vaishnavas who do believe that

birth is a prerequisite for varna. I cannot say if they are in fact

representing their leaders properly, but it certainly falls upon us

to argue the point authoritatively. It's going to be an uphill

battle, because those Vaishnavas also know their shaastra.

 

> 3)Sri MDd had written that ultimately even the varnasrama has to be

given up ( sarva dharman parityajya)..does it apply even to a daiva

varnasrama system where the goal is only to please Lord Vishnu or

Krishna..is it not based on devotion? >

 

That's a good question. My sense of the "giving up varnaashrama" bit

is that it is instructing us to give up varnaashrama since

varnaashrama does involve sense gratification. Read Srila

Prabhupada's BG purport to "sarva dharmaan parityajya...." For

example, if some rare soul has developed such prema bhakti that he

has transcended the need for material sense gratification, then why

should he get married and beget children, when by doing so there is

only a chance for falling down? My understanding may not be correct,

so anyone feel free to correct me.

 

In this regard, I'm not sure how to define "daiva varnaashrama," but

I previously took it to refer practice of the saadhana-bhaktas who

practice varnaashrama with the goal of serving Krishna vs those who

are not Vaishnavas and practice varnaashrama with the goal of

obtaining sense gratification. If you practice varnaashrama with the

aim to please Krishna, there will be some sense gratification there.

But this still, is far superior than practicing varnaashrama

mechanically with the aim of getting that sense gratification.

 

yours,

 

- K