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Vanaprastha (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"vanaprastha" |"vanaprastha's" |"vanaprasthas"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

So gṛhastha means to live with wife and children, and cultivating spiritual life. That is called gṛhastha. It doesn't matter, you live with your wife and children, or you live with brahmacārī, sannyāsī. Anything. It doesn't matter. Therefore there are so many divisions of life. Whichever status of life is suitable for you, you can accept. Brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa āśrama. Āśrama, when the word is added, āśrama, that means it has got reference with cultivation of spiritual life. So gṛhastha-āśrama. One can live at home with wife and children, but the business should be Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't accept the Māyāvādī sannyāsī because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply by becoming sannyāsī... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false. Brahman is truth. So I give up this world." That kind of sannyāsī we do not accept.

Lecture on BG 1.37-39 -- London, July 27, 1973:

The real purpose of life, especially human life, is meant for reviving our sanātana-dharma, sanātana occupation, eternal occupation. By observing the rules and regulations of varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas..., that is called kula-dharma. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Each one of them must strictly observe the rules and regulations of that particular āśrama. Why it should be observed so strictly? Because by observing the regulative principle of each stages of life, one will be able to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

Because generally, the brahmacārī was going home at the age of twenty-four years, twenty-five years. So after marriage, he may get a child. So living there for twenty-five years, means the child is grown up. Then the husband and wife takes leave, not leaving for good, but vānaprastha, traveling in pilgrimages like Vṛndāvana, Prayāga. That was the system. And after two months, again he comes back and remains home for another two months. Again goes out. In this way, the whole process is how to give up attachment from this family life, from this world. And when he's trained up fully, he takes sannyāsa. That is our Vedic system.

So the attachment of this material world is very strong.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Not by birth, but by quality and actual activities. So there are brāhmaṇas. There are kṣatriyas. There are vaiśyas. There are śūdras. There are brahmacārīs. There are gṛhasthas, vānaprasthas, sannyāsa. So everyone should be engaged to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is the whole philosophy. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46). "You work as brāhmaṇa, you work as a kṣatriya, you work as a vaiśya or śūdra. It doesn't matter." Even Kṛṣṇa has advised that "If you, even if you think that I am working as a vaiśya, it is not very good, because sometimes I have to speak lie for business's sake. And brāhmaṇa's business is very nice.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

According to Vedic system, there should be four classes of men: the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, social order; and spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. This is perfect system of human civilization. So I shall briefly describe. Brāhmaṇa is compared with the head. Just like you have got your body. In the body there are different departments: the head department, the arms department, the belly department, and the leg department. So to maintain your body fit, you must have all these four departments rightly working. Your brain must work very nicely, your arms must work very nicely, although also the digestive system, intestines, stomach, that must also work very nicely, as well as the legs also must work nicely.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

That is the duty of the father and mother. Not that produce cats and dogs. And therefore, the world is in trouble. They are fighting like cats and dogs, because cats and dogs have been produced and they have not been trained up. No brahmacārī system, no gṛhastha system, no vānaprastha system. Therefore, the Vedic conception of civilization is the perfect for human society. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). You will find everything in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Hyderabad, November 21, 1972:

There are so many meanings. Especially it is meant: home. Home. Homesick. Our Vedic civilization is that drive away from home. Go away from home. To take sannyāsa, to take vānaprastha. Not to remain up to the last point of death as family member, grandfather or great-grandfather. That is not our Vedic civilization. As soon as one is little grown up, pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet, he must get out from this gṛham andha-kūpam. Gṛham andha-kūpam, if we discuss threadbare, it may be very unpalatable. But we have to discuss from śāstra what is gṛha. Gṛha, it is... Another word, it is called aṅganāśrayam. Aṅganā. Aṅganā means woman. To live under the protection of wife. Aṅganāśraya. So śāstra recommends that you give up this aṅganāśrayam to go to the paramahaṁsa-āśrayam.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Hyderabad, November 21, 1972:

Then you'll be happy. Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). Harim āśrayeta. The real business is harim āśrayeta. Vanaṁ gataḥ. Vanaṁ gataḥ means go to the forest. Formerly, after gṛhastha life, vānaprastha life, sannyāsa life, they used to live in the forest. But going to the forest is not the main purpose of life. Because in the forest there are many animals. Does it mean they are advanced in spiritual life? That is called markaṭa-vairāgya. Markaṭa-vairāgya means "monkey renunciation." Monkey is naked. Nāga-bābā. Naked. And eats fruit, monkey, and lives underneath a tree or on the tree. But he has got at least three dozen wives. So this markaṭa-vairāgya, this kind of renunciation, has no value. Real renunciation.

Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:

"If I do not work for the washerman, very hard, I'll not get this grass." This is called ass. Therefore, when one becomes intelligent after cultivating knowledge, one becomes intelligent by and by. First of all brahmacārī. Then, if one cannot remain a brahmacārī, all right, take a wife, gṛhastha. Then give up, vānaprastha. Then take sannyāsa. This is the process. The mūḍha, they'll work day and night for sense gratification. Therefore, at a certain period of life, that stupidity should be given up and taken sannyāsa. No, finished. That is sannyāsa. Now this portion of life should be completely for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is real sannyāsa. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ (BG 6.1). It is my duty to serve Kṛṣṇa, I am eternal servant of... Kāryam. Must I do it, must I serve Kṛṣṇa. That is my position.

Lecture on BG 2.31 -- London, September 1, 1973:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a śūdra, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a sannyāsī." In this way He negativated all the eight items because sva-dharma means varṇāśrama dharma. Varṇa and āśrama. Four castes: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And four spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu denied, that "I am not this, I am not this, I am not that, I am not that." Then what you are? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Gopī-bhartuḥ means this maintainer of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartuḥ. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ. "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant who is engaged in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80)."

Lecture on BG 2.31 -- London, September 1, 1973:

So this is... Those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, those who have decided to serve Kṛṣṇa only, they are no longer in the categories of sva-dharma, the bodily sva-dharma, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or brahmacārī, vānaprastha. He is transcendental. That is confirmed in every śāstra. So so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa conscious, so long our bodily concept of life is not completely eradicated, we must follow the sva-dharma of the body. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, ity ādi. But when actually advanced, that is mahā-bhāgavata. We should not imitate that, but our process is the more we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we become transcendental to this bodily concept of life, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. But Kṛṣṇa says:

Lecture on BG 2.40 - London, September 13, 1973:

Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ. This dharma means according to social and spiritual position. Somebody is brahmacārī, somebody is householder, somebody is vānaprastha, somebody is sannyāsī, somebody is brāhmaṇa, somebody kṣatriya, somebody's vaiśya, somebody's śūdra. This is Vedic division of social and spiritual life. So each position has got different types of occupational duties. These are mentioned in the Bhāgavata. Brāhmaṇa has got to do: śamaḥ damaḥ śaucaṁ titikṣā. Kṣatriya-śauryaṁ vīryaṁ yuddhe cāpalāyanam. In this way, there are some prescribed duties. But these are all material considerations. People cannot even follow systematically the material system so that you can live peacefully so long you are in this material world. The modern civilization is so condemned.

Lecture on BG 2.40 - London, September 13, 1973:

People cannot even follow systematically the material system so that you can live peacefully so long you are in this material world. The modern civilization is so condemned. They do not know even how to live peacefully. If these divisions are there, four divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, it will be very systematic. People will be automatically enlightened. That is real human civilization. If the society, human society, does not at all adopt this system of social life, there cannot be any peace. Still, in India, although it is fallen so much, in the interior village you'll find the social divisions are maintained and they live very peacefully. Very peacefully.

Lecture on BG 2.40 - London, September 13, 1973:

Those who have gone into the interior village, they have seen. And everyone can elevate himself to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46). It is not that because one is śūdra or one is gṛhastha, vānaprastha, he cannot. No. For Kṛṣṇa worship, for everyone the door is open. That is explained here. Even if you think that "If I take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, join this international movement, I will be deviating from my real duty." So that also you can do. What is your real duty? This is temporary duty. Suppose you are a very nice brāhmaṇa or nice kṣatriya, nice businessman, nice politician. Your career will be lost if you think, by joining this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, your career will be lost. Don't think like that. It is still profitable.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

Therefore in social, social, I mean to say, engagement, according to Vedic injunction, especially for the brahmacārīs, especially for the brahma... Not only brahmacārīs. Brahmacārī means student life, and other three orders of life means vānaprastha, retired life, and sannyāsa life, these three orders of life are restricted from associating with women. Only householders, those who are married, they are simply allowed to associate with women. And others, just like the brahmacārī, the vānaprastha, the sannyāsa, they are strictly restricted from association of woman.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:

"I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a śūdra. I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a gṛhastha, I am not a vānaprastha..." Because our Vedic civilization is based on varṇa and āśrama. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu denied all these things: "I do not belong to any one of these." Then what is Your position? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am eternally servant of the maintainer of the gopīs." That means Kṛṣṇa. And He preached: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is our identification. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the servants who have rebelled against Kṛṣṇa, they have come to this material world.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu described Himself like that. He said, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya, I am not a śūdra, I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a householder, I am not a vānaprastha, or I am not a renounced order sannyāsī." Then what You are? Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." This should be my real identification. This is very good identification. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness we address our contemporaries as "prabhu." Prabhu means master. And the real idea is that "You are my master, I am your servant." Just the opposite number. Here, in the material world, everyone wants to place himself as the master. "I am your master, you are my servant."

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

So those who are engaged in the bhakti-yoga, unflinching bhakti-yoga, unalloyed bhakti-yoga, such person is above this material entanglement. Material entanglement is within the modes of material nature. That is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa, and gradually develop your spiritual constitutional position and be transferred to the transcendental position... Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That is the process.

Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:

He may be a king's son or a very learned brāhmaṇa's son, but when he lives at gurukula, he has to work.

It is said in the śāstra... In Bhagavad-gītā, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find the duty of brahmacārī, the duty of gṛhastha, the duty of vānaprastha, the duty of sannyāsa. Everything is there. So a brahmacārī is trained in such a way that although he has collected everything, but he does not claim anything. He does not keep anything with him. Even though he has to eat in the āśrama, but that he will eat upon the calling by the guru, "My dear such and such, please come and take your prasādam." It is said, if the guru forgets to call him one day, he will not take his food. This is called brahmacārī, means strictly following.

Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:

That is the profit of bhakti-yoga. So brahmacārī-karma, gṛhastha-karma, vānaprastha-karma, sannyāsa-karma, then brāhmaṇa's karma, then kṣatriya's karma, vaiśya's karma, śūdra's karma. The society which knows perfectly well all these different karmas, that is perfect society, that is human society.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that kiṁ karma akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitāḥ. Kavayaḥ, very learned scholars, they are also become bewildered how to specify duty to a particular person. That is not being done at the same time. Everyone is going to the school and colleges, passing their examination, but because he is not trained up according to his tendency or according to his quality, after education he is unemployed.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Delhi, November 3, 1973:

The brāhmaṇa has got his duty, the kṣatriya has got his duty, the vaiśya has got his duty, and the śūdras also, they have got also duty. Similarly, brahmacārī, he has got his duty. And the gṛhastha, householder, they have got their duties. And vānaprastha, retired life, they have got their duties, and the sannyāsī, renounced order of life, they have got their duties. The first division called varṇa: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And the second division is called āśrama. So Vedic civilization means varṇa and āśrama, the human society divided into varṇas and āśramas. So everyone has got his particular duty.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

Now, there are four divisions of human society according to Vedic literature: the brahmacārī, the gṛhastha, the vānaprastha and the sannyāsa. The brahmacārī means the student life, more or less, student life. And gṛhastha means those who are leading family life, after the student life. And vānaprastha means retired life. And the sannyāsa means renounced order. They have no connection with worldly activities. So these are four different stages of human social order. Now, the brahmacārī, they are meant for sacrifice, the students. The students are recommended to sacrifice, especially to sacrifice sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

A sannyāsī, a renounced order of, I mean to say, man who is in the renounced order of life, his business is that his acquired knowledge, his experienced knowledge, should be distributed to the public. So according to the varṇāśrama-dharma, the brahmacārīs and the vānaprastha and the sannyāsīs...

Now, suppose if there are hundred person in a society, twenty-five percent students, twenty-five percent retired life, and twenty-five percent sannyāsa, renounced order of life. Now, out of 100 persons, seventy-five percent, they are engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. The rest twenty-five percent who are gṛhasthas, they are meant for sacrificing fifty percent of their income for this seventy-five percent. That is the whole program of varṇāśrama-dharma. That is a kind of spiritual communism. Spiritual communism.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

So according to the quality and according to the karma, the varṇas are there. I have several times explained to you. So the varṇa and the āśrama. Āśrama means the brahmacārī-āśrama, the gṛhastha-āśrama, the vānaprastha-āśrama and the sannyāsa-āśrama.

Āśrama, this very word, indicates that it is spiritual. And perhaps most of you know that āśrama means... Āśrama, this very word, means that this place... Just like temple or church. There are so many buildings on this Second Avenue. And when you see a church or a temple, you at once understand that "This building is meant for spiritual understanding." Similarly, when we call āśrama, āśrama means that that, I mean to say, function is meant for spiritual realization.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

"This building is meant for spiritual understanding." Similarly, when we call āśrama, āśrama means that that, I mean to say, function is meant for spiritual realization. So all the four classes of social order—the brahmacārī, the gṛhastha, and the vānaprastha and the sannyāsa—they are called āśrama. Āśrama means they are meant for spiritual emancipation. The student is also given instruction so that before entering family life, he gets complete instruction of spiritual life so that when he enters into family life, he is not just like a cat and dog, so-called sense gratification. They are meant for... Although they live with wife and children, they are meant for spiritual emancipation. This is called āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

We are simply animals at the present moment. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. But human society means to divide the whole human society into these eight divisions, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. Then it is systematic. But you have to go above that. That systematic division of the society is also sense gratification. That is not real life. That is also sense gratification. But it is systematized.

Just like I have several times said, the marriage is sense gratification, sex life. But somebody may say... They say that "Marriage is legalized prostitution." It may be, but still, there is some control. Although it is called "legalized prostitution," there is no difference between prostitution and married life, but there is some control. People become responsible. By responsible life, they can make advance.

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

This is called renounced order of life, and in the Vedic system there are four divisions of social order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. Brahmacārī means from the beginning or from five years to twenty-five years one has to live in the house of the spiritual master for being trained up. That is called brahmacārī.

And after one has full training, then he comes home and he gets himself married. That is called gṛhastha, householder life.

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

So the husband and wife, they, entrusting the whole thing to the grown-up boys, they go out of home and travel in so many holy places and, after traveling, say, for six months, again comes home for, remains for one month, and then again goes away. That is the... That stage is called vānaprastha.

Then, when the man is completely detached from family affection, he takes sannyāsa. This is called sannyāsa. We have no connection with family. So sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛṣṇa punar yogaṁ ca śaṁsasi.

So these things have been discussed in the previous chapters, so Ar

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

The sannyāsī... Just like we are sannyāsī. According to our Vedic system, we are allowed to beg alms from the householders. The social system, the varṇāśrama institution, is so made that the brahmacārī, vānaprastha, and the sannyāsī, and the gṛhastha... Gṛhastha means the householder. Now, the brahmacārī will beg from the householder, the vānaprastha will beg from the householder, and the sannyāsī also beg from the householder. So householder is the only earning member who will feed all these three different status of social orders. But in the Kali-yuga, in this age, some unscrupulous persons, they are taking advantage of this dress because this dress is not very costly.

Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

So according to Vedic civilization, this training was given, student life, complete abstinence from sex life, then vānaprastha life, complete abstinence, and sannyāsa life, complete abstinence. The whole training was to abstain, to cure. Because... The same example: In diseased condition we cannot enjoy the foodstuff which we take. When we are healthy, we can enjoy the taste of the foodstuff. So we have to cure. We have to cure. And how to cure? To be situated in the transcendental position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the cure. So Kṛṣṇa advises here anyone who is able to tolerate the urge of sense pleasure. But we have to mold our life in such a way that we should be able to tolerate. Tolerate.

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

There are four stages of life according to Vedic culture. We have many times explained to you that brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsī. Brahmacārī means student life, to be trained up in spiritual understanding, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, fully trained up. He is called brahmacārī. Then, after full training, he accepts wife, he gets himself married and lives with family and children. That is called gṛhastha. Then, after fifty years, he leaves the children alone and gets out of home accompanied by his wife and travels in the holy places. That is called vānaprastha, retired life. And at last he gives up his wife to the care of his children, grown-up children, and he remains alone. And that is called sannyāsa, or renounced order of life. So these four orders of life there are.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Where is the cure? The whole system is restriction. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Just to concentrate one's activities in austerities, penances, for transcendental realization. That is human form of life.

But there are different orders of social society: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. The whole process is to restrict. But gṛhastha, householder means giving a little license who cannot completely restrict sex life. That's all. Gṛhastha does not mean unrestricted sex life. If you have known this married life like that, that's a wrong conception. You have to control if you want to get out of this diseased condition of life. You cannot get out of disease and unrestrictedly go on enjoying your senses. No. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

These are the descriptions given by the... Viṁśati prakāra dharma-śāstra manu-saṁhitā. Not otherwise.

Therefore it is called gṛhastha-āśrama. Āśrama. The sannyāsa-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama. Everything is āśrama. We can understand, as soon as this word is used, āśrama, it means there is some spiritual tint or spiritual life. So gṛhastha, that is also spiritual life. One may lie with wife and children, and execute spiritual life. All the associates of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they were all gṛhasthas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Himself, also was gṛhastha. So to become gṛhastha is not a disqualification. But to live as a gṛhastha according to the injunction of the śāstras, that is required. That, Kṛṣṇa says: dharmāviruddhaḥ kāma, which is not against religious principle, that sort of lust I am.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

So varṇāśrama-dharma means how to realize that Supreme, all-pervading Godhead. That is varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇa means four social divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and āśrama means four spiritual divisions: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha... So accepting these four spiritual and four material principles of life, that is humanity. One who is not within this category, varṇāśrama-dharma, he's not accepted as a human being or a civilized human being.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:

So there is necessity of the four classes. At the present moment they are trying to create classless society. That is chaotic society. That is not real society. That is not Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization means when there is classified society begins: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. And without this classification, the whole society will remain in chaotic condition. Just like the comparison is given, mukha-bāhūru. Just like in our body there is mouth, there is ūru, there is leg, there is bāhu. These divisions are required. Mukha means brāhmaṇa, bāhu means kṣatriya, and ūru means the vaiśya, and pāda means śūdra. The body can be maintained when four things are properly maintained. So these things are required, and they should be classified by quality and work.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

The whole life should be engaged how to satisfy Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. That is varṇāśrama-dharma. The four orders, social orders and spiritual orders—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa—these orders are made for Kṛṣṇa realization. These Vedic principles are there to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).

So Kṛṣṇa says that out of many thousands of human beings, species of 400,000's of species... manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). They come to the principle of this Vedic system of varṇāśrama-dharma. That is the process of siddhi. Without coming to this process of varṇa and āśrama, cātur-varṇyam, the human life is animal life, or less than animal life. That is not accepted as human society.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

"Yes, you get yourself married." But one who is strict, one who can follow very rigidly the orders of brahmacārī and sannyāsī, they continue. Therefore you will find in our society there are sannyāsīs, there are brahmacārīs, there are gṛhasthas, there are vānaprasthas, like that. So no one is checked or hindered to make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone is welcome.

So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhaye means to enter into the institution of daiva-varṇa and āśrama. That is called siddhi. Otherwise animals. And yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). Those who are engaged in the four orders or varṇa and āśrama, out of them, yatatām api siddhānām.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

So that process is not. Nowadays the state simply collects taxes but never distributes. So we have no idea what is yajña. But this yajña is the performance of kings or the heads of the state, and dāna of the general householders, and tapasya for brahmacārī, sannyāsī, vānaprastha. So these are different kinds of rules in religious life.

So those who believe in scriptures, they adopt, not all. Just like I explained that mostly people, they simply accept a certain faith. Mouth, in mouth only. Actually, they do not do anything. Do not do anything. So out of that many, millions of people like that, somebody are religious, really religious, who perform this sacrifice, charity, and penances.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

Karmi means one who is acting according to the direction. Dharma karma. In Bengali this is a common word: dharma karma. Karma means dharma. And what is dharma? Dharma means varṇāśrama-dharma, four castes and four orders of spiritual life: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is the dharma. This is the division of dharma. And according to the dharma, one who is acting, that is called dharma karma. That is dharma-karma. Not that doing anything becomes karma. Karma means just doing. The Vedas are so arranged that we have come here to enjoy material things. So therefore there is prescribed duties. The prescribed duty is that you act, you enjoy life. For example, just like in the Vedas there, everything is there.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

They should be trained up how to offer respect to guru, to superior. These things are not taught. The Vedic system is first brahmacārī, then gṛhastha. That is compulsory, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa, four divisions. First of all he must be trained up first-class brahmacārī, up to twenty-five years. And then, if he likes, he can enter into family life. That is also up to fifty years. Naturally a person after being trained up as brahmacārī enters family life, he cannot stay in family life for all the days. Fifty years, when his sons are grown up, say twenty years, twenty-five years, then he can retire from family life. That is called vānaprastha. The wife can remain as assistant, not for any other purpose. Then, when he is fully prepared, the wife goes to the care of elderly children and the wife takes sannyāsa.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

This is our position. All politicians, all big big men, they are not going to retire, stuck up. This is not civilization. When one is young, he can remain with family, wife, children, twenty-five to fifty years. That's all. No more. Give up. Then take vānaprastha. Train up yourself for becoming sannyāsī. Then take sannyāsa simply for understanding God. That is sannyāsa. You can take sannyāsa from the very beginning, but if it is not possible, at least at the fag end of your life everyone should take sannyāsa and completely devote in understanding the science of God. That is called sannyāsa.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

Hindu is not found even in the scriptures. This is a name given by the Mohammedans. Sindu. There is a river, Sindu. From Sindu it has come, "Hindu." Actually the Vedic culture is varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas. That is real Vedic culture, how to create brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa—eight. This is called varṇāśrama-dharma.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

Another process is you become a devotee of Vāsudeva, then jñāna, vairāgya, will automatically come. You'll... Because the human life, the perfection of human life is to accept jñāna and vairāgya. That is perfection. In our Vedic civilization, this is the process, perfection. There are different stages of life. Brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. So what is the sannyāsa law? Sannyāsa means perfection. Jñāna and vairāgya. Who can take sannyāsa, renounced order, unless he has got full knowledge? As Śaṅkarācārya explains, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Unless one understands fully that "Our these material engagements, they are simply waste of time." He can attain perfection knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya (SB 1.2.12).

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

This division of varṇāśrama, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they're all meant for satisfying the Supreme. Varṇāśrama. Varṇāśramācāravatā. Those who are strictly following the rules and regulations of the varṇa and āśrama, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. These are varṇa and āśrama.

So this Vedic civilization is meant for, I mean to say, training the whole people in such a way, that they'll be engaged in the performance of yajña. That is called yajña, yajñārthe karma. So that either he acts as a śūdra or either he acts as a brāhmaṇa, it doesn't matter.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

Suppose that you have got good brain, but you have leg, there is no leg. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Then you have to take help from others. So yajñārthe karma. The brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, everyone should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then the society will be perfect. Otherwise, there will be chaos.

Otherwise there be chaos and that is the position at the present moment. People are not happy. Although there is enough money in Western countries. Enough enjoyable things. And we see in other countries like Australia and Africa, there is enough potency of producing food and grains and milk.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

So this is the classification of a society. And there is another classification which is called spiritual developmental classification. The brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsī. Brahmacārī means student life, student life to acquire knowledge. And gṛhastha life is householder. After acquiring knowledge, one may get himself married with a suitable girl and live peacefully in the society—for spiritual cultivation. Everything for spiritual cultivation. And then vānaprastha, retired life; then sannyāsa, renounced order of life. So Rāmānanda Rāya explained these four principles, four divisions of social order and spiritual development, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, "Oh, this is not for Me." Eho bāhya āge kaha āra.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 3, 1973:

The society was in those days varṇa and āśrama. Varṇa means the four divisions of the society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. Catur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Similarly, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. This is Vedic culture. Varnāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ.

So Sūta Gosvāmī said that everyone has got his particular duty, varṇa and āśrama. Atha pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Everyone has got duty, but saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Nobody is concerned whether I am doing something, I am engaged in certain occupation, whether I am getting perfection. Because human life is meant for attaining perfection. And what is that perfection? That also we do not know.

Lecture on BG 13.13 -- Bombay, October 6, 1973:

That is your dharma. So everyone has got particular occupational duty. (break) Actually, what is going on as Hindu dharma... Actually, Hindu dharma this word is not there in the śāstras. In the śāstra it is called varṇāśrama-dharma. Four varṇas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. These are called varṇāśrama-dharma. So in every varṇa, brāhmaṇa, his qualification is described in the śāstra. Śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ kṣāntir jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Similarly, kṣatriya, vaiśya. So by discharging one's occupational duty according to varṇa and āśrama, if one does not understand Kṛṣṇa, the Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam. Then he's simply spoiling his time and wasting his labor. That's all.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

Suppose one lives for a hundred years. He should become brahmacārī, student, for twenty five-years, then a married man for another twenty-five years, and after fifty years, pañcaśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet, he should accept the vana-vāsī. Vana-vāsī means vānaprastha. Vāna: from vana, vāna, "one who has gone to the forest," vānaprastha. So then, when he is prepared, he should take sannyāsa. The whole institution is meant for sattva, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. So one has to purify his existentional life; otherwise, if he does not purify his existence, then he has to transmigrate from one body to another, and that is material existence. That is material existence. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. One has to transmigrate from lower species of life, aquatic life, to trees; from trees to insect; insect to birds; birds to beasts; and from beasts, that is evolution. That evolution is not Darwin's evolution.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

First of all we have to make our life perfect by following these principles. Not that we shall remain all along gṛhastha. No. That is not Vedic injunction. At a certain age you must give up your gṛhastha life. Whatever is done is done. That's all. Finished. That is Vedic civilization. Brahmacārī, vānaprastha, uh..., gṛhastha, vānaprastha, then sannyāsa. Four orders of spiritual life and four orders of material life, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. This is called varṇāśrama-dharma. So India, it is especially practiced, India. This bhārata-bhūmi specially. Therefore bhārata-bhūmi is called puṇya-bhūmi. But we are giving up all this. We are becoming allured by something else. That is our misfortune.

Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:

Four varṇas means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. This is social arrangement. And spiritual arrangement-brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So we are known, advertised, as Hindu. Actually there is no such word in the whole Vedic literature, Hindu. It is a name given by the Mohammedans on account of the river Sindu. They pronounced sa as ha. So the Sindu was mispronounced as Hindu and the side, or this side of Indus River, who resided, they are called by the Mohammedans as Hindus. The Hindu name is given by the Mohammedans. Actually, our dharma is varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas. That is the real name, varṇāśrama-dharma.

Page Title:Vanaprastha (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:22 of Nov, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=51, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:51