Cow Quote #28

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SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM Canto 7 Ch.11

 

The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes

SB 7.11 Summary

This chapter describes the general principles by following which a human

being, and specifically one who is interested in advancing in spiritual

life, can become perfect.

By hearing about the characteristics of Prahläda Mahäräja, Mahäräja

Yudhiñöhira became extremely pleased. Now he inquired from Närada Muni about

the actual religion of a human being and about special characteristics of

varëäçrama-dharma, which marks the highest status of human civilization.

When Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira asked Närada Muni about these matters, Närada Muni

stopped giving his own statements and quoted statements by Lord Näräyaëa,

for He is the supreme authority for giving religious codes (dharmaà tu

säkñäd bhagavat-praëétam [sB 6.3.19]). Every human being is expected to

acquire thirty qualities, such as truthfulness, mercy and austerity. The

process of following the priniples of religion is known as sanätana-dharma,

the eternal religious system.

 

The varëäçrama system delineates the divisions of brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya

and çüdra. It also sets forth the system of saàskäras. The garbhädhäna

saàskära, the ceremony for begetting a child, must be observed by the higher

section of people, namely the dvijas. One who follows the garbhädhäna

saàskära system is actually twice-born, but those who do not, who deviate

from the principles of varëäçrama-dharma, are called dvija-bandhus. The

principal occupations for a brähmaëa are worshiping the Deity, teaching

others how to worship the Deity, studying the Vedic literatures, teaching

the Vedic literatures, accepting charity from others and again giving

charity to others. A brähmaëa should make his livelihood from these six

occupational duties. The duty of a kñatriya is to give protection to the

citizens and levy taxes upon them, but he is forbidden to tax the brähmaëas.

The members of the Kåñëa consciousness movement should therefore be exempt

from government taxation. Kñatriyas may tax everyone but the brähmaëas.

Vaiçyas should cultivate the land, produce food grains and protect the cows,

whereas the çüdras, who by quality never become brähmaëas, kñatriyas or

vaiçyas, should serve the three higher classes and be satisfied. Other means

of livelihood are also prescribed for the brähmaëas, and these are

four-çäléna, yäyävara, çila, and uïchana. Each of these occupational duties

is successively better.

 

One who is in a lower grade of social life cannot accept the profession of a

higher class unless necessary. In times of emergency, all the classes but

the kñatriyas may accept professional duties of others. The means of

livelihood known as åta (çiloïchana), amåta (ayäcita), måta (yäcïä), pramåta

(karñaëa), and satyänåta (väëijya) may be accepted by everyone but the

kñatriyas. For a brähmaëa or a kñatriya, engaging in the service of the

vaiçyas or çüdras is considered the profession of dogs.

 

Närada Muni also described that the symptom of a brähmaëa is controlled

senses, the symptoms of a kñatriya are power and fame, the symptom of a

vaiçya is service to the brähmaëas and kñatriyas, and the symptom of a çüdra

is service to the three higher classes. The qualification for a woman is to

be a very faithful and chaste wife. In this way, Närada Muni described the

characteristics of higher and lower grades of people and recommended that

one follow the principles of his caste or his hereditary occupation. One

cannot suddenly give up a profession to which he is accustomed, and

therefore it is recommended that one gradually be awakened. The symptoms of

brähmaëas, kñatriyas, vaiçyas, and çüdras are very important, and therefore

one should be designated only by these symptoms, and not by birth.

Designation by birth is strictly forbidden by Närada Muni and all great

personalities.