Caitanya Mahāprabhu especially, when He was talking with one of His devotees, Rāmānanda Rāya . . . the subject matter was how to get perfection. Rāmānanda Rāya was suggesting . . . of course, from Vedic literature, that perfection, the path of perfection, is to follow the institution of four varṇas and four āśramas. That is a fact. Four varṇas and four āśramas. What is this four varṇas and four āśramas?
There are four division of social life and four division of spiritual life. The four division of social life is the intelligent class of men, the martial class of men and the mercantile class of men and the laborer class of men. You can divide any social system in any country, in any place, there are these four classes of men.
One class of men, they are very intelligent. They are scientists, they are philosophers, they are great writers, poets, thinkers. Naturally, by nature, they are inclined to these kinds of work. They are called intelligent class. Similarly, there is a class of men who are interested to take part in politics, in diplomacy, or to stand for election as president or as governor. In every country, in every place. They are called administrator class, or martial-spirited. They are prepared to fight also. So there is a class.
And the third class is the mercantile class. They want to do some business, trade, industry, and make some profit. And the laborer class, they are neither intelligent, nor, I mean to say, they want to take part in politics, nor they are able to do independent business. Under the circumstances, they are to give their labor and work under somebody and get some remuneration.
So these classes are in every country. You call it by different name. In India, of course, these classes are named as the brāhmins, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and the śūdras. But in many places I was asked that, "Why in India there is caste system?" So this caste system is not only in India. In everywhere the caste system is there. And enviousness between one community to another, that is also existing everywhere. This is human nature. So this is the classification of the society.