Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After hearing about the activities and character of Prahlāda Mahārāja, which are adored and discussed among great personalities like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, Yudhishthira Mahārāja, the most respectful king among exalted personalities, again inquired from the great saint Nārada Muni in a mood of great pleasure.
Mahārāja Yudhishthira said: My dear lord, I wish to hear from you about the principles of religion by which one can attain the ultimate goal of life — devotional service. I wish to hear about the general occupational duties of human society and the system of social and spiritual advancement known as varnāśrama-dharma.
Sanātana-dharma means devotional service. The word sanātana refers to that which is eternal, which does not change but continues in all circumstances. We have several times explained what the eternal occupational duty of the living being is. Indeed, it has been explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — krishnera ‘nitya-dāsa’: the real occupational duty of the living entity is to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even if one prefers to deviate from this principle he remains a servant because that is his eternal position; but one serves māyā, the illusory, material energy. The Krishna consciousness movement, therefore, is an attempt to guide human society to serving the Personality of Godhead instead of serving the material world with no real profit. Our actual experience is that every man, animal, bird and beast — indeed, every living entity — is engaged in rendering service. Even though one’s body or one’s superficial religion may change, every living entity is always engaged in the service of someone. Therefore, the mentality of service is called the eternal occupational duty. This eternal occupational duty can be organized through the institution of varnāśrama, in which there are four varnas (brāhmana, kshatriya, vaiśya and śūdra) and four āśramas (brahmacarya, grihastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa). Thus, Yudhishthira Mahārāja inquired from Nārada Muni about the principles of sanātana-dharma for the benefit of human society.
O best of the brāhmanas, you are directly the son of Prajāpati [Lord Brahmā]. Because of your austerities, mystic yoga and trance, you are considered the best of all of Lord Brahmā’s sons.
No one is superior to you in peaceful life and mercy, and no one knows better than you how to execute devotional service or how to become the best of the brāhmanas. Therefore, you know all the principles of confidential religious life, and no one knows them better than you.
Yudhishthira Mahārāja knew that Nārada Muni is the supreme spiritual master of human society who can teach the path of spiritual liberation leading to the understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Actually, it is for this purpose that Nārada Muni compiled his Bhakti-sūtra and gave directions in the Nārada-pañcarātra. To learn about religious principles and the perfection of life, one must take instruction from the disciplic succession of Nārada Muni. Our Krishna consciousness movement is directly in the line of the Brahma sampradāya. Nārada Muni received instructions from Lord Brahmā and in turn transmitted the instructions to Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva instructed his son Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who spoke Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Krishna consciousness movement is based on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Krishna, there is no difference between them. If we strictly follow the principle of disciplic succession, we are certainly on the right path of spiritual liberation, or eternal engagement in devotional service.
Śrī Nārada Muni said: After first offering my obeisances unto Lord Krishna, the protector of the religious principles of all living entities, let me explain the principles of the eternal religious system, of which I have heard from the mouth of Nārāyana.
The word aja refers to Krishna, who explains in Bhagavad-gītā (4.6), ajo ’pi sann avyayātmā: “I am ever existing, and thus I never take birth. There is no change in My existence.”
Lord Nārāyana, along with His partial manifestation Nara, appeared in this world through the daughter of Daksha Mahārāja known as Mūrti. He was begotten by Dharma Mahārāja for the benefit of all living entities. Even now, He is still engaged in executing great austerities near the place known as Badarikāśrama.
The Supreme Being, the Personality of Godhead, is the essence of all Vedic knowledge, the root of all religious principles, and the memory of great authorities. O King Yudhishthira, this principle of religion is to be understood as evidence. On the basis of this religious principle, everything is satisfied, including one’s mind, soul and even one’s body.
As stated by Yamarāja, dharmam tu sākshād bhagavat-pranītam. Yamarāja, the representative of the Lord who takes care of the living beings after their death, gives his verdict as to how and when the living being will change his body. He is the authority, and he says that the religious principles consist of the codes and laws given by God. No one can manufacture religion, and therefore manufactured religious systems are rejected by the followers of the Vedic principles. In Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: Vedic knowledge means to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Therefore, whether one speaks of the Vedas, scriptures, religion or the principles of everyone’s occupational duty, all of them must aim at understanding Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.6) therefore concludes:
In other words, religious principles aim at learning how to render transcendental loving service to the Lord. That service must be unmotivated and unchecked by material conditions. Then human society will be happy in all respects.
The smriti, the scriptures following the principles of Vedic knowledge, are considered the evidence of Vedic principles. There are twenty different types of scripture for following religious principles, and among them the scriptures of Manu and Yājñavalkya are considered to be all-pervading authorities. In the Yājñavalkya-smriti it is said:
One should learn human behavior from śruti, the Vedas, and from smriti, the scriptures following the Vedic principles. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmrita-sindhu says:
The purport is that to become a devotee one must follow the principles laid down in śruti and smriti. One must follow the codes of the Purānas and the pāñcarātrikī-vidhi. One cannot be a pure devotee without following the śruti and smriti, and the śruti and smriti without devotional service cannot lead one to the perfection of life.
Therefore, from all the evidence the conclusion is that without bhakti, devotional service, there is no question of religious principles. God is the central figure in the performance of religious principles. Almost everything going on in this world as religion is devoid of any idea of devotional service and is therefore condemned by the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Without devotional service, so-called religious principles are only cheating.
These are the general principles to be followed by all human beings: truthfulness, mercy, austerity (observing fasts on certain days of the month), bathing twice a day, tolerance, discrimination between right and wrong, control of the mind, control of the senses, nonviolence, celibacy, charity, reading of scripture, simplicity, satisfaction, rendering service to saintly persons, gradually taking leave of unnecessary engagements, observing the futility of the unnecessary activities of human society, remaining silent and grave and avoiding unnecessary talk, considering whether one is the body or the soul, distributing food equally to all living entities (both men and animals), seeing every soul (especially in the human form) as a part of the Supreme Lord, hearing about the activities and instructions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead (who is the shelter of the saintly persons), chanting about these activities and instructions, always remembering these activities and instructions, trying to render service, performing worship, offering obeisances, becoming a servant, becoming a friend, and surrendering one’s whole self. O King Yudhishthira, these thirty qualifications must be acquired in the human form of life. Simply by acquiring these qualifications, one can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In order that human beings be distinct from the animals, the great saint Nārada recommends that every human being be educated in terms of the above-mentioned thirty qualifications. Nowadays there is propaganda everywhere, all over the world, for a secular state, a state interested only in mundane activities. But if the citizens of the state are not educated in the above-mentioned good qualities, how can there be happiness? For example, if the total populace is untruthful, how can the state be happy? Therefore, without consideration of one’s belonging to a sectarian religion, whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or any other sect, everyone should be taught to become truthful. Similarly, everyone should be taught to be merciful, and everyone should observe fasting on certain days of the month. Everyone should bathe twice a day, cleanse his teeth and body externally, and cleanse his mind internally by remembering the holy name of the Lord. The Lord is one, whether one is Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Therefore, one should chant the holy name of the Lord, regardless of differences in linguistic pronunciation. Also, everyone should be taught to be very careful not to discharge semen unnecessarily. This is very important for all human beings. If semen is not discharged unnecessarily, one becomes extremely strong in memory, determination, activity and the vitality of one’s bodily energy. Everyone should also be taught to be simple in thought and feeling and satisfied in body and mind. These are the general qualifications of a human being. There is no question of a secular state or an ecclesiastical state. Unless one is educated in the above-mentioned thirty qualities, there cannot be any peace. Ultimately it is recommended:
Everyone should become a devotee of the Lord, because by becoming a devotee of the Lord one automatically acquires the other qualities.
“In one who has unflinching devotional service to Krishna, all the good qualities of Krishna and the demigods are consistently manifest. However, he who has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord.” (Bhāg. 5.18.12) Our Krishna consciousness movement, therefore, is all-embracing. Human civilization should take it very seriously and practice its principles for the peace of the world.
Those who have been reformed by the garbhādhāna ceremony and other prescribed reformatory methods, performed with Vedic mantras and without interruption, and who have been approved by Lord Brahmā, are dvijas, or twice-born. Such brāhmanas, kshatriyas and vaiśyas, purified by their family traditions and by their behavior, should worship the Lord, study the Vedas and give charity. In this system, they should follow the principles of the four āśramas [brahmacarya, grihastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa].
After giving a general list of thirty qualifications for one’s behavior, Nārada Muni now describes the principles of the four varnas and four āśramas. A human being must be trained in the above-mentioned thirty qualities; otherwise, he is not even a human being. Then, among such qualified persons, the varnāśrama process should be introduced. In the varnāśrama system, the first ceremony for purification is garbhādhāna, which is performed with mantras at the time of sex for propagating a good child. One who uses sex life not for sensual pleasures but only to beget children according to the reformatory method is also accepted as a brahmacārī. One should not waste semen on sensual pleasure, violating the principles of Vedic life. Restraint in sex is possible, however, only when the populace is trained in the above-mentioned thirty qualities; otherwise, it is not possible. Even if one is born in a family of dvijas, or twice-born, if they have not followed the reformatory process he is called a dvija-bandhu — not one of the twice-born, but a friend of the twice-born. The whole purpose of this system is to create good population. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, when women are polluted the populace is varna-sankara, and when the varna-sankara population increases, the situation of the entire world becomes hellish. Therefore, all the Vedic literatures strongly warn against creating varna-sankara population. When there is varna-sankara population, the people cannot be properly controlled for peace and prosperity, regardless of great legislative assemblies, parliaments and similar bodies.
For a brāhmana there are six occupational duties. A kshatriya should not accept charity, but he may perform the other five of these duties. A king or kshatriya is not allowed to levy taxes on brāhmanas, but he may make his livelihood by levying minimal taxes, customs duties, and penalty fines upon his other subjects.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura explains the position of brāhmanas and kshatriyas as follows. Brāhmanas have six occupational duties, of which three are compulsory — namely, studying the Vedas, worshiping the Deity and giving charity. By teaching, by inducing others to worship the Deity, and by accepting gifts, the brāhmanas receive the necessities of life. This is also confirmed in the Manu-samhitā:
Of the six occupational duties of the brāhmanas, three are compulsory — namely, worship of the Deity, study of the Vedas and the giving of charity. In exchange, a brāhmana should receive charity, and this should be his means of livelihood. A brāhmana cannot take up any professional occupational duty for his livelihood. The śāstras especially stress that if one claims to be a brāhmana, he cannot engage in the service of anyone else; otherwise he at once falls from his position and becomes a śūdra. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī belonged to a very respectful family, but because they engaged in the service of Nawab Hussain Shah — not even as ordinary clerks, but as ministers — they were ostracized from brahminical society. Indeed, they became like Mohammedans and even changed their names. Unless a brāhmana is very pure, he cannot accept charity from others. Charity should be given to those who are pure. Even if one is born in a family of brāhmanas, if one acts as a śūdra one cannot accept charity, for this is strictly prohibited. Although the kshatriyas are almost as qualified as the brāhmanas, even they cannot accept charity. This is strictly prohibited in this verse by the word apratigraha. What to speak of the lower social orders, even the kshatriyas must not accept charity. The king or government may levy taxes upon the citizens in various ways — by revenue duties, customs duties, realization of fines, and so on — provided the king is able to give full protection to his subjects to assure the security of their life and property. Unless he is able to give protection, he cannot levy taxes. However, a king must not levy any tax upon the brāhmanas and the Vaishnavas fully engaged in Krishna consciousness.
The mercantile community should always follow the directions of the brāhmanas and engage in such occupational duties as agriculture, trade, and protection of cows. For the śūdras the only duty is to accept a master from a higher social order and engage in his service.
As an alternative, a brāhmana may also take to the vaiśya’s occupational duty of agriculture, cow protection, or trade. He may depend on that which he has received without begging, he may beg in the paddy field every day, he may collect paddy left in a field by its proprietor, or he may collect food grains left here and there in the shops of grain dealers. These are four means of livelihood that may also be adopted by brāhmanas. Among these four, each of them in succession is better than the one preceding it.
A brāhmana is sometimes offered land and cows in charity, and thus for his livelihood he may act in the same way as a vaiśya, by cultivating land, giving protection to cows and trading off his surpluses. A better process, however, is to pick up grains from a field or from a dealer’s shop without begging.
Except in a time of emergency, lower persons should not accept the occupational duties of those who are higher. When there is such an emergency, of course, everyone but the kshatriya may accept the means of livelihood of others.
The occupational duty of a brāhmana should not be accepted by persons in lower social orders, especially vaiśyas and śūdras. For example, an occupational duty of the brāhmana is to teach Vedic knowledge, but unless there is an emergency, this professional duty should not be accepted by the kshatriyas, vaiśyas or śūdras. Even a kshatriya cannot accept the duties of a brāhmana unless there is an emergency, and then even if he does so he should not accept charity from anyone else. Sometimes brāhmanas protest against our Krishna consciousness movement for creating brāhmanas from Europeans, or, in other words, from mlecchas and yavanas. This movement, however, is here supported in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. At the present moment, society is in a chaotic condition, and everyone has given up the cultivation of spiritual life, which is especially meant for the brāhmanas. Because spiritual culture has been stopped all over the world, there is now an emergency, and therefore it is now time to train those who are considered lower and condemned, so that they may become brāhmanas and take up the work of spiritual progress. The spiritual progress of human society has been stopped, and this should be considered an emergency. Here is solid support from Nārada Muni of the movement known as Krishna consciousness.
In time of emergency, one may accept any of the various types of professions known as rita, amrita, mrita, pramrita and satyānrita, but one should not at any time accept the profession of a dog. The profession of uñchaśila, collecting grains from the field, is called rita. Collecting without begging is called amrita, begging grains is called mrita, tilling the ground is called pramrita, and trade is called satyānrita. Engaging in the service of low-grade persons, however, is called śva-vritti, the profession of the dogs. Specifically, brāhmanas and kshatriyas should not engage in the low and abominable service of śūdras. Brāhmanas should be well acquainted with all the Vedic knowledge, and kshatriyas should be well acquainted with the worship of demigods.
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-varnyam mayā srishtam guna-karma-vibhāgaśah: the four divisions of human society were created by the Supreme Lord according to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them. Formerly, the principle of dividing human society into four sections — brāhmana, kshatriya, vaiśya and śūdra — was strictly followed, but because of gradual neglect of the varnāśrama principles, varna-sankara population developed, and the entire institution has now been lost. In this Age of Kali, practically everyone is a śūdra (kalau śūdra-sambhavāh), and finding anyone who is a brāhmana, kshatriya or vaiśya is very difficult. Although the Krishna consciousness movement is a movement of brāhmanas and Vaishnavas, it is trying to reestablish the divine varnāśrama institution, for without this division of society there cannot be peace and prosperity anywhere.
The symptoms of a brāhmana are control of the mind, control of the senses, austerity and penance, cleanliness, satisfaction, forgiveness, simplicity, knowledge, mercy, truthfulness, and complete surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In the institution of varnāśrama-dharma, the symptoms of a brāhmana, kshatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, grihastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsī are all described. The ultimate aim is acyutātmatvam — to think always of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, or Vishnu. To make advancement in Krishna consciousness, one has to become a brāhmana, with the above-mentioned symptoms.
To be influential in battle, unconquerable, patient, challenging and charitable, to control the bodily necessities, to be forgiving, to be attached to the brahminical nature and to be always jolly and truthful — these are the symptoms of the kshatriya.
Being always devoted to the demigods, the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord, Vishnu; endeavoring for advancement in religious principles, economic development and sense gratification [dharma, artha and kāma]; believing in the words of the spiritual master and scripture; and always endeavoring with expertise in earning money — these are the symptoms of the vaiśya.
Offering obeisances to the higher sections of society [the brāhmanas, kshatriyas and vaiśyas], being always very clean, being free from duplicity, serving one’s master, performing sacrifices without uttering mantras, not stealing, always speaking the truth and giving all protection to the cows and brāhmanas — these are the symptoms of the śūdra.
It is everyone’s experience that workers or servants are generally accustomed to stealing. A first-class servant is one who does not steal. Here it is recommended that a first-class śūdra must remain very clean, must not steal or speak lies, and must always render service to his master. A śūdra may attend sacrifices and Vedic ritualistic ceremonies along with his master, but he should not utter the mantras, for these may be uttered only by the members of the higher sections of society. Unless one is completely pure and has been raised to the standard of a brāhmana, kshatriya or vaiśya — in other words, unless one is dvija, twice-born — the chanting of mantras will not be fruitful.
To render service to the husband, to be always favorably disposed toward the husband, to be equally well disposed toward the husband’s relatives and friends, and to follow the vows of the husband — these are the four principles to be followed by women described as chaste.
It is very important for peaceful householder life that a woman follow the vow of her husband. Any disagreement with the husband’s vow will disrupt family life. In this regard, Cānakya Pandita gives a very valuable instruction: dampatyoh kalaho nāsti tatra śrīh svayam āgatāh. When there are no fights between husband and wife, the goddess of fortune automatically comes to the home. A woman’s education should be conducted along the lines indicated in this verse. The basic principle for a chaste woman is to be always favorably disposed toward her husband. In Bhagavad-gītā (1.40) it is said, strīshu dushtāsu vārshneya jāyate varna-sankarah: if the women are polluted, there will be varna-sankara population. In modern terms, the varna-sankara are the hippies, who do not follow any regulative injunctions. Another explanation is that when the population is varna-sankara, no one can know who is on what platform. The varnāśrama system scientifically divides society into four varnas and four āśramas, but in varna-sankara society there are no such distinctions, and no one can know who is who. In such a society, no one can distinguish between a brāhmana, a kshatriya, a vaiśya and a śūdra. For peace and happiness in the material world, the varnāśrama institution must be introduced. The symptoms of one’s activities must be defined, and one must be educated accordingly. Then spiritual advancement will automatically be possible.
A chaste woman must dress nicely and decorate herself with golden ornaments for the pleasure of her husband. Always wearing clean and attractive garments, she should sweep and clean the household with water and other liquids so that the entire house is always pure and clean. She should collect the household paraphernalia and keep the house always aromatic with incense and flowers and must be ready to execute the desires of her husband. Being modest and truthful, controlling her senses, and speaking in sweet words, a chaste woman should engage in the service of her husband with love, according to time and circumstances.
A chaste woman should not be greedy, but satisfied in all circumstances. She must be very expert in handling household affairs and should be fully conversant with religious principles. She should speak pleasingly and truthfully and should be very careful and always clean and pure. Thus a chaste woman should engage with affection in the service of a husband who is not fallen.
According to the injunction of Yājñavalkya, an authority on religious principles, āśuddheh sampratikshyo hi mahāpātaka-dūshitah. One is considered contaminated by the reactions of great sinful activities when one has not been purified according to the methods of the daśa-vidhā-samskāra. In Bhagavad-gītā, however, the Lord says, na mām dushkritino mūdhāh prapadyante narādhamāh: “Those miscreants who do not surrender unto Me are the lowest of mankind.” The word narādhama means “nondevotee.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, yei bhaje sei bada, abhakta — hīna, chāra. Anyone who is a devotee is sinless. One who is not a devotee, however, is the most fallen and condemned. It is recommended, therefore, that a chaste wife not associate with a fallen husband. A fallen husband is one who is addicted to the four principles of sinful activity — namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. Specifically, if one is not a soul surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is understood to be contaminated. Thus a chaste woman is advised not to agree to serve such a husband. It is not that a chaste woman should be like a slave while her husband is narādhama, the lowest of men. Although the duties of a woman are different from those of a man, a chaste woman is not meant to serve a fallen husband. If her husband is fallen, it is recommended that she give up his association. Giving up the association of her husband does not mean, however, that a woman should marry again and thus indulge in prostitution. If a chaste woman unfortunately marries a husband who is fallen, she should live separately from him. Similarly, a husband can separate himself from a woman who is not chaste according to the description of the śāstra. The conclusion is that a husband should be a pure Vaishnava and that a woman should be a chaste wife with all the symptoms described in this regard. Then both of them will be happy and make spiritual progress in Krishna consciousness.
The woman who engages in the service of her husband, following strictly in the footsteps of the goddess of fortune, surely returns home, back to Godhead, with her devotee husband, and lives very happily in the Vaikuntha planets.
The faithfulness of the goddess of fortune is the ideal for a chaste woman. The Brahma-samhitā (5.29) says, lakshmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam. In the Vaikuntha planets, Lord Vishnu is worshiped by many, many thousands of goddesses of fortune, and in Goloka Vrindāvana, Lord Krishna is worshiped by many, many thousands of gopīs, all of whom are goddesses of fortune. A woman should serve her husband as faithfully as the goddess of fortune. A man should be an ideal servant of the Lord, and a woman should be an ideal wife like the goddess of fortune. Then both husband and wife will be so faithful and strong that by acting together they will return home, back to Godhead, without a doubt. In this regard, Śrīla Madhvācārya gives this opinion:
A woman should think of her husband as the Supreme Lord. Similarly, a disciple should think of the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a śūdra should think of a brāhmana as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and a servant should think of his master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way, all of them will automatically become devotees of the Lord. In other words, by thinking this way, all of them will become Krishna conscious.
Among the mixed classes known as sankara, those who are not thieves are known as antevasāyī or candālas [dog-eaters], and they also have their hereditary customs.
The four principal divisions of society — brāhmana, kshatriya, vaiśya and śūdra — have been defined, and now there is a description of the antyaja, the mixed classes. Among the mixed classes, there are two divisions — pratilomaja and anulomaja. If a woman of a high caste marries a man of a lower caste, their union is called pratilo. If a woman of a low caste, however, marries a man of a higher caste, their union is called anulo. The members of such dynasties have their traditional duties as barbers, washermen and so on. Among the antyajas, those who are still somewhat pure in that they do not steal and are not addicted to meat-eating, drinking, illicit sex and gambling are called antevasāyī. Among people of the lower classes, intermarriage and the drinking of wine are allowed, for these people do not recognize such conduct as sinful among themselves.
My dear King, brāhmanas well conversant in Vedic knowledge have given their verdict that in every age [yuga] the conduct of different sections of people according to their material modes of nature is auspicious both in this life and after death.
In Bhagavad-gītā (3.35) it is said, śreyān sva-dharmo vigunah para-dharmāt svanushthitāt: “It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another’s duties.” The antyajas, the men of the lower classes, are accustomed to stealing, drinking and illicit sex, but that is not considered sinful. For example, if a tiger kills a man, this is not sinful but if a man kills another man, this is considered sinful, and the killer is hanged. What is a daily affair among the animals is a sinful act in human society. Thus according to the symptoms of higher and lower sections of society, there are different varieties of occupational duties. According to the experts in Vedic knowledge, these duties are prescribed in terms of the age concerned.
If one acts in his profession according to his position in the modes of nature and gradually gives up these activities, he attains the nishkāma stage.
If one gradually gives up his hereditary customs and duties and tries to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his natural position, he is gradually able to become free from these activities, and he attains the stage of nishkāma, freedom from material desires.
My dear King, if an agricultural field is cultivated again and again, the power of its production decreases, and whatever seeds are sown there are lost. Just as drops of ghee on a fire never extinguish the fire but a flood of ghee will, similarly, overindulgence in lusty desires mitigates such desires entirely.
If one continuously sprinkles drops of ghee on a fire, the fire will not be extinguished, but if one suddenly puts a lump of ghee on a fire, the fire may possibly be extinguished entirely. Similarly, those who are too sinful and have thus been born in the lower classes are allowed to enjoy sinful activities fully, for thus there is a chance that these activities will become detestful to them, and they will get the opportunity to be purified.
If one shows the symptoms of being a brāhmana, kshatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those symptoms of classification.
Herein it is clearly stated by Nārada Muni that one should not be accepted as a brāhmana, kshatriya, vaiśya or śūdra according to birth, for although this is going on now, it is not accepted by the śāstras. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-varnyam mayā srishtam guna-karma-vibhāgaśah. Thus the four divisions of society — brāhmana, kshatriya, vaiśya and śūdra — are to be ascertained according to qualities and activities. If one was born in a brāhmana family and has acquired the brahminical qualifications, he is to be accepted as a brāhmana; otherwise, he should be considered a brahma-bandhu. Similarly, if a śūdra acquires the qualities of a brāhmana, although he was born in a śūdra family, he is not a śūdra; because he has developed the qualities of a brāhmana, he should be accepted as a brāhmana. The Krishna consciousness movement is meant to develop these brahminical qualities. Regardless of the community in which one was born, if one develops the qualities of a brāhmana he should be accepted as a brāhmana, and he then may be offered the order of sannyāsa. Unless one is qualified in terms of the brahminical symptoms, one cannot take sannyāsa. In designating a person a brāhmana, kshatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, birth is not the essential symptom. This understanding is very important. Herein Nārada Muni distinctly says that one may be accepted according to the caste of his birth if he has the corresponding qualifications, but otherwise he should not. One who has attained the qualifications of a brāhmana, regardless of where he was born, should be accepted as a brāhmana. Similarly, if one has developed the qualities of a śūdra or a candāla, regardless of where he was born, he should be accepted in terms of those symptoms.