Varnasrama Dharma Assures Success in Life
Srila Prabhupada speaks on Varnasrama
Our Vedic philosophy is that everyone must work. But there must be division of work. Just like in your body there are different parts. The head department, the arms department, the belly department, and the legs department. These are different parts. So all these departments must work for the total benefit of the body. That is our philosophy. Nobody should sit idle. But he must work according to his capacity. Brain must work for giving direction. Hand must work for giving protection. Belly must work for supplying food, energy. And leg must work for carrying the body. So similarly the society must be divided: the brain of the society, the arms of the society, the belly of the society and the legs of the society. That will make perfection. The brain will give direction That is the brähmaas. The arms will give protection. That is the ksatriya. And the belly will give energy, food, that is vaisya. And the legs will carry the body. That is sudra. This is… Whole society should be divided into four divisions, the brähmaa, the ksatriyas, the vaiśya and the sudras. And they should work cooperatively for the total benefit of the body. This is perfect life. (Room Conversation with Banker; September 21, 1973, Bombay)
Påthu Mahäräja’s sole aim in ruling his kingdom was to raise the citizens to the standard of God consciousness…In the Visnu Purana it is said that the entire Varnasrama institution is meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The rules and regulations set up for the execution of the duties of brähmanas, ksatriyas, Vaisyas and sudras or brahmacäris, grhasthas, vänaprasthas and sannyäsis are all meant to satisfy the Supreme Lord. At the present moment, although the so-called brähmanas, ksatriyas, Vaisyas and sudras have lost their original culture, they claim to be brähmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and çudräs by birthright. Yet they have rejected the proposition that such social and spiritual orders are especially meant for worship of Lord Visnu… In Bhagavad-gita (18.46) it is said: yataù pravåttir bhütänäà / yena sarvam idaà tatam sva-karmaëä tam abhyarcya / siddhià vindati mänavaù
“By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection.”…The Absolute Truth is therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and every living being is meant to satisfy the Supreme Godhead by performing his respective duty (sva-karmaëä tam abhyarcya). Mahäräja Påthu wanted to introduce this formula amongst his citizens.
The most important point in human civilization is that while one engages in different occupational duties, he must try to satisfy the Supreme Lord by the execution of such duties. That is the highest perfection of life. Svanuñöhitasya dharmasya saàsiddhir hari-toñaëam: [SB 1.2.13] by discharging one’s prescribed duty, one can become very successful in life if he simply satisfies the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The vivid example is Arjuna. He was a ksatriya, his duty was to fight, and by executing his prescribed duty he satisfied the Supreme Lord and therefore became perfect. Everyone should follow this principle. — SB 4.21.27 Purport
The Vedic process of sense gratification is therefore planned in such a way that one can economically develop and enjoy sense gratification and yet ultimately attain liberation. Vedic civilization offers us all knowledge in the çästras, and if we live a regulated life under the direction of çästras and guru, all our material desires will be fulfilled; at the same time we will be able to go forward to liberation. — SB 4.22.34 Purport
Our Vedic philosophy is that everyone must work. But there must be division of work. Just like in your body there are different parts. The head department, the arms department, the belly department, and the legs department. These are different parts. So all these departments must work for the total benefit of the body. That is our philosophy. Nobody should sit idle. But he must work according to his capacity. Brain must work for giving direction. Hand must work for giving protection. Belly must work for supplying food, energy. And leg must work for carrying the body. So similarly the society must be divided: the brain of the society, the arms of the society, the belly of the society and the legs of the society. That will make perfection. The brain will give direction That is the brähmaas. The arms will give protection. That is the ksatriya. And the belly will give energy, food, that is vaisya. And the legs will carry the body. That is sudra. This is… Whole society should be divided into four divisions, the brähmaa, the ksatriyas, the vaiśya and the sudras. And they should work cooperatively for the total benefit of the body. This is perfect life. (Room Conversation with Banker; September 21, 1973, Bombay)
Påthu Mahäräja’s sole aim in ruling his kingdom was to raise the citizens to the standard of God consciousness…In the Visnu Purana it is said that the entire Varnasrama institution is meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The rules and regulations set up for the execution of the duties of brähmanas, ksatriyas, Vaisyas and sudras or brahmacäris, grhasthas, vänaprasthas and sannyäsis are all meant to satisfy the Supreme Lord. At the present moment, although the so-called brähmanas, ksatriyas, Vaisyas and sudras have lost their original culture, they claim to be brähmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and çudräs by birthright. Yet they have rejected the proposition that such social and spiritual orders are especially meant for worship of Lord Visnu… In Bhagavad-gita (18.46) it is said: yataù pravåttir bhütänäà / yena sarvam idaà tatam sva-karmaëä tam abhyarcya / siddhià vindati mänavaù
“By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection.”…The Absolute Truth is therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and every living being is meant to satisfy the Supreme Godhead by performing his respective duty (sva-karmaëä tam abhyarcya). Mahäräja Påthu wanted to introduce this formula amongst his citizens.
The most important point in human civilization is that while one engages in different occupational duties, he must try to satisfy the Supreme Lord by the execution of such duties. That is the highest perfection of life. Svanuñöhitasya dharmasya saàsiddhir hari-toñaëam: [SB 1.2.13] by discharging one’s prescribed duty, one can become very successful in life if he simply satisfies the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The vivid example is Arjuna. He was a ksatriya, his duty was to fight, and by executing his prescribed duty he satisfied the Supreme Lord and therefore became perfect. Everyone should follow this principle. — SB 4.21.27 Purport
The Vedic process of sense gratification is therefore planned in such a way that one can economically develop and enjoy sense gratification and yet ultimately attain liberation. Vedic civilization offers us all knowledge in the çästras, and if we live a regulated life under the direction of çästras and guru, all our material desires will be fulfilled; at the same time we will be able to go forward to liberation. — SB 4.22.34 Purport
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