Varna first, then Asrama -- date for Prabhupada quote?

[Guest guest]

Hrdayananda: So in this varnasrama college there would be two divisions,

varna and asr... Learning a materia...

 

Prabhupada: First of all varna. And asrama, then, when the varna is

perfectly in order, then asrama. Asrama is specially meant for spiritual

advancement, and varna is general division. It must be there in the human

society, or they're on the animals. If varna is not there, then this is a

society of animal. And when the varna is working perfectly, then we give

them asrama. Varnasrama. That is later on.

 

Hrdayananda: First they should be taught a skill.

 

Prabhupada: Yes. First of all, the whole society must be divided into four

varnas. Otherwise, there will be chaotic condition. That is what is the

position now. What is he, what he has to do, one does not know. And there

are so many unemployment. But if you organize the society into varnas,

there will be no question of unemployment.

 

Hrdayananda: But from the very beginning there should be taught

Bhagavad-gita and...

 

Prabhupada: Yes. But our, our position is that we are above varnasrama. But

for management or ideal society, we are introducing this. We, so far we

are concerned, Krsna conscious men, we are above varnasrama.

 

But to show the people that we are not escaping, we can take part in any

order of life.

 

That is our position. Just like if I brush somebody's shoes, that does not

mean I am shoemaker. My position is the same. But to show how to do it...

Just like a servant is doing. The master is, "Oh, you cannot do. Just

see." Just like I show you sometimes how to mop. So I am not a mopper, but

I am showing how to mop. So our position is like that. We do not belong to

any varna and asrama. But we have to show these rascals.

 

Just like Dhruva Maharaja. He, he was perfect Vaisnava, but when he was

king, he was fighting like anything. Not that, "Oh, I am now become

Vaisnava. I cannot kill." What is this? He killed like anything. When the

Yaksas attacked his kingdom, he was killing like anything then the

Yaksa-raja came and asked him to pardon this. He immediately accepted. So

he wanted to give him some benediction, that "You are so great that simply

on my request, you have stopped killing these rascals, Yaksas. So you can

take some benediction from me." He said, "That's all right. Thank you. You

give me the benediction that I may be a pure lover of Krsna. That's all."

 

This benediction he asked. Although he was so powerful and, the Yaksa-raja,

he could give him the wealth of the whole universe. But he made that,

"Thank you very much. You give me this benediction that I may remain a

pure devotee of Krsna." This is Vaisnava. He is doing everything, but his

aim is to please Krsna. Similarly, even if we take to varnasrama, we do

not belong to any... Just like Krsna says, maya srstam. "I have

inaugurated." But Krsna has nothing to do with varnasrama. Similarly, if

we act as varnasrama, still, we have nothing to do with the varnasrama.