Jati-dharma means...

Expressions researched:
"jati-dharma means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

jāti-dharma means the family tradition that has got different types of responsibilities.

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973: Prabhupāda: So jāti-dharma. Jāti, nowadays it has been taken as "national." But here, jāti-dharma means...Just like one is born in brāhmaṇa jāti, kṣatriya jāti, vaiśya jāti, śūdra jāti. So each jāti, they have got different types of responsibilities. So when the unwanted children, irresponsible children, they do not follow any more the tradition, the family tradition, or jāti-dharma, so they create a class of population in the varṇa-saṅkara. So everything becomes topsy-turvy, hellish condition. And actually it has so happened. Now there is no more jāti-dharma. Everyone is engaged somehow or other to fill up the belly. Formerly, formerly there was stricture. The brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, these three higher castes, there were certain restrictions. The brāhmaṇa would not do this or the brāhmaṇa must do this. So that is called jāti-dharma. A brāhmaṇa cannot accept service from anywhere. I have discussed many times. A kṣatriya also cannot. And vaiśya cannot. Only the śūdra can become servant of others. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. So, at the present moment, nobody can observe the strict rules and regulations, that "I am born in a brāhmaṇa family. I cannot accept anyone's service." Then you will have to starve. Because he has no brahminical capacity... By education, by culture, he's a śūdra, although falsely he's claiming that he is a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. So his jāti-dharma, family tradition, family rituals, everything is lost due to this unwanted children. Unwanted children make everything topsy-turvy. So Arjuna is visualizing all the future calamities. But there is one remedy. It is a fact that jāti-dharma we have lost. No more we can be called strictly following the jāti-dharma. No more can one present himself strictly as a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. Everything is lost now, by the influence of Kali-yuga. And varṇa-saṅkara.

Jāti-dharma means if you are born in the family of a brāhmaṇa you have got particular duties.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973: So viṣṇur ārādhaṇam means viṣṇur ār..., that should be the aim of human life. Viṣṇur āradhana means one must become a Vaiṣṇava, and Vaiṣṇava means regulated life, not destroyed everything, finished, to become hogs. That is not Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means regulated, end—to, how to satisfy Viṣṇu. So whole Vedic scheme is there, how to satisfy Viṣṇu. Therefore it is said that utsanna kula-dharmānāṁ manuṣyāṇāṁ [Bg. 1.43]. In the human life, if they do not follow the regulative principles of family life, family tradition and systematic arrangement of four divisions of the society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra... In this way we can satisfy the Supreme Lord. Our aim is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, and this can be done perfectly if we follow the regulative principles of jāti-dharma, kula-dharma. Jāti-dharma means if you are born in the family of a brāhmaṇa you have got particular duties. Simply if you think yourself that "I am born in a brāhmaṇa family; my duty is all finished. Now I can do whatever nonsense..." They think like that. I have spoken. They are very much proud of taking birth in brāhmaṇa family. So when others are engaged in devotional service, they say, "Oh, you are born in lower family. You have got to do this. We are born in brāhmaṇa... We have nothing to do." You see? But they do not know that jāti-dharma kula-ghnānām, utsanna-kula-dharmānam. If you are actually brāhmaṇa, you must keep your family tradition. That is brāhmaṇa.