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In India, the catur-varnyam, the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, so at least the most intelligent class of men, the brahmanas, they were interested to understand brahma-jijnasa. Athato brahma jijnasa. But at the present moment they are all sudras

Expressions researched:
"in India, the cātur-varṇyaṁ, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, so at least the most intelligent class of men, the brāhmaṇas, they were interested to understand brahma-jijñāsa. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. But at the present moment they are all śūdras"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Formerly, especially in India, the cātur-varṇyaṁ, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, so at least the most intelligent class of men, the brāhmaṇas, they were interested to understand brahma-jijñāsa. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. But at the present moment they are all śūdras. They are not interested about brahma-jijñāsā. They are interested how to get more money, where is the cinema, where . . . what picture is going . . . they are interested in that, not about brahma-jijñāsā.

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was talking with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was very learned scholar and he knew that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also very great scholar. So he was criticizing Him that, "This sannyāsī from Bengal who has come to Benares, He is simply chanting and dancing and does not give attention in the reading of Vedānta, so He is not a bona fide sannyāsī. He is sentimental." He was thinking like that, but one brāhmin, Maharashtria brāhmin, he arranged a meeting with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and Lord Caitanya. There was discussion. So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī inquired from Him that "You are a sannyāsī. Instead of giving Your attention in the matter of reading Vedānta-sūtra, Sāṅkhya philosophy, what is this that You are chanting and dancing?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied that, "My guru found Me I am a fool number one, guru more mūrkha dekhi, I am not very much learned. So he said, My guru said that, 'You cannot read Vedānta-sūtra.' " Actually Vedānta-sūtra, Vedānta philosophy, is not meant for ordinary learned person. It requires great knowledge in Sanskrit language and philosophy. So He, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, took the part of ordinary person at the present moment that guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana. Generally, people are not so learned that they can understand Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, taking the part of the mūrkha society, the illiterate, ignorant society, He said that "I cannot read Vedānta-sūtra. It is not possible. He advised Me to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and I am doing that. And I am getting the result."

So at the present moment, especially in Kali-yuga, they are not very much educated. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhā . . . (SB 1.1.10). They are simply busy how to earn some money and fill up the belly, that's all. They are not no more interested in Vedānta-sutra. Mandāḥ. Mandāḥ means very slow, or very bad. They are so badly infected with the influence of māyā, they do not care to understand that there is life after death, and that life may be anything of these 8,400,000 forms of life. And if I become one of them—if I become tree, if I become cat, if I become dog or insect or even human being—then, if I am in a very inconvenient condition, that they do not care to know. Sometimes they say: "Never mind if I become a dog. What is the wrong there? I will forget everything." People say, in Western countries, even the university student, they say they don't . . . so ignorance. Therefore they have been described as mandāḥ.

Formerly, especially in India, the cātur-varṇyaṁ, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, so at least the most intelligent class of men, the brāhmaṇas, they were interested to understand brahma-jijñāsa. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. But at the present moment they are all śūdras. They are not interested about brahma-jijñāsā. They are interested how to get more money, where is the cinema, where . . . what picture is going . . . they are interested in that, not about brahma-jijñāsā. But the human life is meant for that purpose only. Therefore we learn from Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna is personally teaching us. He is accepting Kṛṣṇa as guru, śiṣyas te 'ham (BG 2.7), "Kṛṣṇa, now I become Your disciple, not that I remain as Your friend. Friend-to-friend talk is not very serious. Now I want to talk with serious. You become my spiritual master, You teach me, and I will take Your lesson." This should be the . . . it is not meant for only Arjuna. It is meant for everyone, that if you . . . you must find out a guru. The first guru is Kṛṣṇa, and anyone who is Kṛṣṇa's representative, he is guru. Guru is Kṛṣṇa, the original guru, and if Kṛṣṇa representative is found, is available, then he is also guru.

Page Title:In India, the catur-varnyam, the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, so at least the most intelligent class of men, the brahmanas, they were interested to understand brahma-jijnasa. Athato brahma jijnasa. But at the present moment they are all sudras
Compiler:Nabakumar
Created:2023-03-10, 10:23:38
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1