Guest guest Posted August 7, 1999 Report Share Posted August 7, 1999 >> Speaking of quotes from Prabhupada -- what about quotes from Krsna? > > I'm pretty sure Krsna did not use the term "daiva varnasrama" in the > Bhagavad-gita, since it is a modern term. As I understand it Srila > Bhaktivinode Thakur invented the term "daiva varnasrama." > > Everyone loves to use the term "daiva varnasrama" and sometimes Srila > Prabhupada uses it also. But most of the time he does not. Most of the > time when he tells devotees to set up varnasrama, he just says > "varnasrama" -- not "daiva varnasrama." > > Also, the great sage Parasara Muni did not think it necessary to use the > term "daiva" when he stated that Lord Visnu can only be satisfied by > varnasrama. In the conference QaA, Harikesa Prabhu has explained the difference between daivi and asuric varnasrama dharma as follows: "Daivi varnasrama is where everyone is situated according to his qualities and not according to his birth. It further means that everyone is working under the directions of the sastra and is advancing gradually in spiritual life. It does not mean that everyone is a devotee. Ordinary varnasrama or the asuric version means where people are designated according to their birth and thus unqualified persons start to dominate the society to the detriment of all. Thus there is little advancement and little service to the Lord." (COM text 992739) In SP folio, the same understanding hass been presented by Srila Prabhupada: "My Guru Maharaja also wanted to establish daiva-varasrrama. Yes. There must be the human society, not this, daiva-varnasrama, not this asuric varnasrama. Asuric varnasrama... Just like Ravana. He was also son of a brahmana, but he was rejected, that "You are not brahmana; you are raksasa because you do not care for Bhagavan Ramacandra." So this is the verdict of the sastra. So therefore daiva-varnasrama. Varnasrama should be established on the principles of devata, to make people devata." (761116SB.VRN) "So these are the some of the glorious points of this fight. But he depended on Krsna, Arjuna. Therefore he was successful, victorious. You do, act as ksatriya. Not that as ksatriya he should become a brahmana beggar, no. A ksatriya cannot be beggar, neither a brahmana cannot be vaisya. This is real caste system. But you work as a cobbler, and at the same time you claim to become a brahmana, this is not allowed. Formerly the king used to see whether a brshmana is acting like a brahmana. Otherwise he will be stopped. Then he will be designated as he is working. This was the duty of the king to see that everyone is employed according to his profession. It was the duty of the king to see. Everyone must be employed. A brahmana must be working like a brahmana. A kaatriya must be working like a ksatriya. A vaisya must be working as a... Otherwise he cannot say. Not like at the present moment, a brahmana is working, a servant, a sudra, and he is brahmana. No. This is called asuric varnasrama. Varnasrama. Varnasrama is very good institution." (730717BG.LON) In the purport to the verse BG 3.35, Srila Prabhupada, after discribing daiva varnasrama system in term of sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah para-dharmo bhayavahah, however does discribe also the situation of transcendence: "As such, for a ksatriya it is better to be vanquished following the rules of violence than to imitate a brahmana who follows the principles of nonviolence. Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However, when one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Krsnaa consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. In that complete stage of Krsna consciousness, the ksatriya may act as a brahmana, or a brahmana may act as a ksatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the material world do not apply." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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