- cāri varṇāśramī yadi kṛṣṇa nāhi bhaje
- svakarma karite se raurave paḍi' maje
- (CC Madhya 22.26)
Cāri varṇa. Cāri varṇa means four castes, four division of human society: the brāhmin, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas and the śūdra. They have got their specific duties. One who is brāhmin, he has got his specific duty. Culture . . . cultivation of knowledge is their first and foremost duty. Similarly, kṣatriya, he has got his specific duty. The fore and foremost is to establish good administration in the state. And vaiśya, he has got also specific duty.
What is that? Cow protection and agriculture. That is the duty of vaiśya. And the śūdras, they have no responsibility; therefore they serve these three higher class: the intelligent class, engaged in cultivation of knowledge; the administrator class, who are engaged in good government; and the mercantile class, who are looking to the productive side of this society.
So this is natural. There is no denying the fact. In every society there is a natural division. A certain class of men, they are intelligent class, a certain class of men, they are take part in politics, and a certain class of men, they delight in doing business. And there are certain classes—they do not do anything; simply by serving, they maintain themselves. So these four classes are there.