First of all, Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya enunciated the system of the varṇāśrama institution. He recited various verses about karmārpaṇa, stating that everything should be dedicated to the Lord. He then spoke of detached action, knowledge mixed with devotional service, and finally the spontaneous loving service of the Lord. After hearing Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya recite some verses, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the principle of pure devotional service devoid of all kinds of speculation. After this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked Rāmānanda Rāya to explain the higher platform of devotional service. Then Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya explained unalloyed devotional service, love of Godhead, and serving the Lord in the moods of pure servitude, fraternity and parental love. Finally he spoke of serving the Lord in conjugal love. He then spoke of how conjugal love can be developed in various ways. This conjugal love attains its highest perfection in Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s love for Kṛṣṇa. He next described the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the transcendental mellows of love of God. Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya then recited a verse of his own concerning the platform of ecstatic vision, technically called prema-vilāsa-vivarta. Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya also explained that all stages of conjugal love can be attained through the mercy of the residents of Vṛndāvana, especially by the mercy of the gopīs.
Varnasrama institution (CC and other books)
Expressions researched:
"Varnasrama is very good institution"
|"institution called varnasrama-dharma"
|"institution of four varnas"
|"institution of the four"
|"institution of the varnasrama"
|"institution of varna and asrama"
|"institution of varnasrama"
|"varna institution"
|"varna-asrama institution"
|"varnasrama institution"
|"varnasrama-dharma institution"
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
“I shall accept the sannyāsa order of life, for thus people will offer Me their obeisances, thinking of Me as a member of the renounced order.
Among the members of the varṇāśrama institution's social orders (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra), the brāhmaṇa is considered the foremost, for he is the teacher and spiritual master of all the other varṇas. Similarly, among the spiritual orders (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa), the sannyāsa order is the most elevated. Therefore a sannyāsī is the spiritual master of all the varṇas and āśramas, and a brāhmaṇa is also expected to offer obeisances to a sannyāsī. Unfortunately, however, caste brāhmaṇas do not offer obeisances to a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī. They are so proud that they do not offer obeisances even to Indian sannyāsīs, what to speak of European and American sannyāsīs. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, however, expected that even the caste brāhmaṇas would offer respectful obeisances to a sannyāsī because five hundred years ago the social custom was to offer obeisances immediately to any sannyāsī, known or unknown.
CC Madhya-lila
The fifth Sandarbha is called Bhakti-sandarbha, and in this book there is a discussion of how devotional service can be directly executed, and how such service can be adjusted, either directly or indirectly. There is a discussion of the knowledge of all kinds of scripture, the establishment of the Vedic institution of varṇāśrama, bhakti as superior to fruitive activity, and so forth.
The word avadhūta refers to one above all rules and regulations. Sometimes, not observing all the rules and regulations of a sannyāsī, Nityānanda Prabhu exhibited the behavior of a mad avadhūta. He threw the remnants of food on the ground, and some of these remnants touched the body of Advaita Ācārya. Advaita Ācārya accepted this happily because He presented Himself as a member of the community of smārta-brāhmaṇas. By touching the remnants of food thrown by Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Ācārya immediately felt Himself purified of all smārta contamination. The remnants of food left by a pure Vaiṣṇava are called mahā-mahā-prasādam. This is completely spiritual and is identified with Lord Viṣṇu. Such remnants are not ordinary. The spiritual master is to be considered on the stage of paramahaṁsa and beyond the jurisdiction of the varṇāśrama institution. The remnants of food left by the spiritual master and similar paramahaṁsas, or pure Vaiṣṇavas, are purifying. When an ordinary person touches such prasādam, his mind is purified, and his mind is raised to the status of a pure brāhmaṇa. The behavior and statements of Advaita Ācārya are meant for the understanding of ordinary people who are unaware of the strength of spiritual values, not knowing the potency of food left by the bona fide spiritual master and pure Vaiṣṇavas.
According to the pañcarātra injunction, only a householder brāhmaṇa can initiate. Others cannot. When a person is initiated, it is assumed that he has become a brāhmaṇa; without being initiated by a proper brāhmaṇa, one cannot be converted into a brāhmaṇa. In other words, unless one is a brāhmaṇa, he cannot make another a brāhmaṇa. A gṛhastha-brāhmaṇa partaking of the varṇāśrama-dharma institution can secure various types of paraphernalia to worship Lord Viṣṇu through his honest labor. Actually, people beg to be initiated by these householder brāhmaṇas just to become successful in the varṇāśrama institution or to become free from material desires. It is therefore necessary for a spiritual master in the gṛhastha-āśrama to be a strict Vaiṣṇava.
A great saint, the father of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, Parāśara Muni, has specifically mentioned that devotional service to the Lord can ultimately be awakened in human society by the discharge of duties in accordance with the varṇāśrama system. The Supreme Personality of Godhead instituted varṇāśrama-dharma to give human beings a chance to return home, back to Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is known in the Bhagavad-gītā as Puruṣottama—the greatest of all personalities—personally came and declared that the institution of varṇāśrama-dharma was founded by Him.
""The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṇa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṇas and āśramas.""
Every man should perform his occupational duty in the light of his particular tendency. According to his abilities, one should accept a position in the varṇāśrama institution. The divisions of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra are natural divisions within society. Indeed, everyone has a prescribed duty according to the varṇāśrama-dharma. Those who properly execute their prescribed duties live peacefully and are not disturbed by material conditions. The spiritual orders—brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa—are called āśramas. If one executes his prescribed duty in both the social and spiritual orders, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied. If one neglects his duties, however, he becomes a transgressor and a candidate for a hellish condition. Actually we see that different people are engaged in different ways; therefore there must be divisions according to work. To attain perfection, one must make devotional service the center of life. In this way one can awaken his natural instincts by work, association and education. One should accept the varṇāśrama divisions by qualification, not by birth. Unless this system is introduced, human activities cannot be systematically executed.
Both Kāśīśvara and Govinda were personal servants of Īśvara Purī. After Īśvara Purī’s demise, Kāśīśvara went to visit all the holy places of India. Following the orders of his spiritual master, Govinda immediately went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for shelter. Govinda came from a śūdra family, but because he was initiated by Īśvara Purī, he was certainly a brāhmaṇa. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya here asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu why Īśvara Purī accepted a disciple from a śūdra family. According to the smṛti-śāstra, which gives directions for the management of the varṇāśrama institution, a brāhmaṇa cannot accept a disciple from the lower castes. In other words, a kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra cannot be accepted as a servant. If a spiritual master accepts such a person, he is contaminated. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya therefore asked why Īśvara Purī accepted a servant or disciple born of a śūdra family.
“The followers of the varṇāśrama institution accept the regulative principles of the four social orders (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra) and four spiritual orders (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa). However, if one carries out the regulative principles of these orders but does not render transcendental service to Kṛṣṇa, he falls into a hellish condition of material life.
“Although the pure devotee does not follow all the regulative principles of varṇāśrama, he worships the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he naturally has no tendency to commit sin.
The varṇāśrama institution is planned in such a way that one will not commit sinful activities. Material existence continues due to sinful activity. When one acts sinfully in this life, he gets a suitable body for the next life. When one again acts sinfully, he takes on another material body. In this way one is continuously under the influence of material nature.
- puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
- kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ‘sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of material nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species." (BG 13.22)
By distributing the holy name of the Lord, he cleanses the hearts of the most fallen people; therefore he extinguishes the blazing fire of the material world. Not only that, he broadcasts the shining brightness of Kṛṣṇa's effulgence throughout the world. Such an ācārya, or spiritual master, should be considered nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa—that is, he should be considered the incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa's potency. Such a personality is kṛṣṇāliṅgita-vigraha—that is, he is always embraced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Such a person is above the considerations of the varṇāśrama institution. He is the guru, or spiritual master, for the entire world, a devotee on the topmost platform, the mahā-bhāgavata stage, and a paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura, a spiritual form only fit to be addressed as paramahaṁsa or ṭhākura.”
Nonetheless, there are many people who are just like owls and never open their eyes to see the sunshine. These owlish personalities, who are inferior even to the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, cannot see the brilliance of Kṛṣṇa's favor upon the mahā-bhāgavata devotee. They are prepared to criticize the person engaged in distributing the holy name all over the world and following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who wanted Kṛṣṇa consciousness preached in every town and city.
It appears that Subuddhi Rāya was a big landholder and a responsible, respectable gentleman. He could not, however, avoid the social misconception that one becomes a Muslim when water is sprinkled on one's face from a Muslim's pitcher. Actually he was planning to give up his material life and leave his family. Hindu culture recommends four divisions—brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Subuddhi Rāya was thinking of taking sannyāsa, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, he received this opportunity. He therefore left his family and went to Vārāṇasī. The system of varṇāśrama-dharma is very scientific. If one is directed by the varṇāśrama institution, he will naturally think of retiring from family life at the end of his life. Therefore sannyāsa is compulsory at the age of fifty.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Renunciation Through Wisdom
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṇa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṇas and āśramas. The brāhmaṇas (the intellectual, priestly class), the kṣatriyas (kings and administrators), the vaiśyas (the mercantile community), and the śūdras (menial workers) are the four social orders, or varṇas. If they live according to the scriptural injunctions pertaining to their particular varṇa, then they can accrue piety. Similarly, if the members of the four āśramas—namely, the brahmacārīs (celibate students), gṛhasthas (householders), vānaprasthas (pilgrims), and sannyāsīs (renunciants)—also act in conformity with the scriptural edicts, they too acquire immense piety. But when the ill influence of Kali-yuga corrupts this varṇāśrama system, human society is beset by all sorts of degradations. As a result, the living entities are punished by a variety of natural calamities caused by the illusory potency of the Lord. When the citizens abide by the rules of the king, the kingdom runs smoothly and everyone is prosperous and content. But when the demoniac population of thieves, rogues, and criminals steadily increases, the kingdom is filled with chaos and terror.
| Page Title: | Varnasrama institution (CC and other books) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Jai, MayuriSakhee |
| Created: | 21 of Jul, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=12, OB=1, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 13 |