This human life is meant for self-realization, ātma-tattvam. Otherwise it is animal life. The animals, they are cats and dogs; they are not interested in self-realization. But human life is meant for self-realization. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu questioned Rāmānanda Rāya that "What is the best process of self-realization?"
He recommended, first of all, the varṇāśrama-dharma. Ca . . .
- varṇāśramācāravatā
- puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
- viṣṇur ārādhyate pumsam
- nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
- (CC Madhya 8.58)
The real business is viṣṇur ārādhanam. Viṣṇu, the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is within the atom, who is within your heart, and who is also in His Goloka Vṛndāvana, that all-pervading . . . so varṇāśrama-dharma means how to realize that supreme, all-pervading Godhead. That is varṇāśrama-dharma.
Varṇa means four social division: Brāhmin, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, Śūdra; and āśrama means four spiritual division: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha . . . so accepting these four spiritual and four material principles of life, that is humanity. One who is not within this category, varṇāśrama-dharma, he's not accepted as a human being or a civilized human being.
In the civilized nation, there is the four divisions of spiritual life and four divisions of . . . but they do not know it. But those who are followers of Vedic culture, they know how the divisions are to be made. Just like in your body you have got four divisions: the head division, the arms division, the belly division and the leg division.