Everyone is engaged in his occupational duties. Everyone is engaged. Generally, according to Vedic civilization, the society is divided into eight divisions. Varṇāśrama-dharma it is called—four varṇas and four āśramas. Materially, four varṇas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And spiritually, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. These eight divisions. So according to these eight divisions, everyone has an occupational duty. So what is the duty, and how the duty is perfected? That is hari-toṣaṇam: to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That people do not know. Especially at the present moment, they do not know who is Hari and they do not know how to please Him. That is the defect of the modern civilization, that they do not care to know who is God and how to satisfy Him. That is the defect. The life is meant for, human life, for satisfying God. That is going on under religious system, and the Vedic civilization is called varṇāśrama-dharma. Dharma is not a kind of faith, religion is not a kind of faith, but it is a duty, varṇāśrama-dharma. So that duty we are forgetting, and therefore we are coming to the level of animals. Because the cats and dogs, they have no duty—animal. But human being has an obligation, a duty, to understand God and to satisfy Him. That is human life. Without this knowledge, without this performance of duty, human life is on the level of animal. There are many other verses in this connection. (aside) Where are others? They are not present here?
Hari-śauri: Svarūpa Dāmodara?
Prabhupāda: Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa also.
Hari-śauri: I can find them.
Prabhupāda: That is the defect of modern civilization, that they do not care to know what is God and what is our duty. That is lacking.
Dr. Sharma:
- yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ
- tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī . . .
- yasyāṁ jāgrati saṁyamī
- (BG 2.69)
Prabhupāda: So we are trying to enlighten . . .
Bṛṣākapi: This gentleman is from the embassy, Śrīla Prabhupāda. The ambassador couldn't come personally but sent his representative.
Vipina: The minister of political affairs at the embassy, Venkateshvara.
Prabhupāda: Venkateshvara? So by evolutionary process we come to this human form of life. It is a chance to understand the value of life, to understand God and our relationship with God, and if we are missing this opportunity, that's a great loss. Then you again become in another form of life. That is sure. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We have to change this body, and if we are not prepared what kind of body we are going to get next life, then we remain like animals. The animal does not know. And human life, if you are missing this important point that, "I am going to change this body, and what kind of body I'm going to get?" if I do not know, then what is the difference between me and the animal?
Dr. Sharma: Perhaps you can comment on the fact that in the Movement, apart from the Kṛṣṇa people, not only the sannyāsīs, but also the common working man, his karma is karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana (BG 2.47). He also . . .
Prabhupāda: This is karma. Karma means according to that division, that brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra and brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Karma means activity. There must be some prescribed activity. Just like you are professor, you have got your prescribed activities. He's the minister of ambassadors, he has got prescribed activity. So everyone has got prescribed activities in whatever position he is, but what is the standard of success, that I have done my duties, prescribed duties, properly? What is that standard? The standard is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13): whether you have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead by your duty. Then it is success.