By Ekendra das
Satisfaction of Vishnu is the ultimate goal of life. If we also accept this to be the inherent natural proclivity of every living entity we could, with broader vision, acknowledge that there could be many ways to achieve this aim depending on time, place and circumstance. In the first six chapters of Bhagavad-Gita there are several paths delineated, however bhakti-yoga, or the direct path of pure devotion, is declared to be the topmost means of pleasing the transcendent Lord. A nice analogy to illustrate this point is the story of a world traveler who is planning his journey while looking at a globe of the Earth planet.
If, for instance, he desired to travel from Calcutta to Delhi he could choose to travel in many different directions. He could map out a route from Calcutta eastward that traversed the globe, crossed many oceans and deserts, and finally arrived in Delhi after several months of circumambulating the planet. A more direct route would be to simply catch the Rajdhani Express from Howrah station and arrive in Delhi the next day. Besides devotional service, another system of satisfying Vishnu discussed in Bhagavad-Gita is that of varnasrama-dharma. While this is not as direct as bhakti-yoga the two paths are interrelated in at least a few different ways that will be discussed herein.
Varnasrama is often misunderstood to be the same as the modern day Hindu caste system. This is far from reality although many present day adherents to the caste system are not even aware of this. In the caste system one’s social position is determined by birth; whereas the original varnasrama system spoken of in the Bhagavad-Gita and other Vedic literatures holds that one’s status in society should be determined by one’s character and natural inclination towards work. This is stated implicitly in the Bhagavad-Gita chapter four: guna-karma-vibhagasah. Srila Prabhupada elaborates in the purport to this verse:
“The tendency of a particular man towards work is determined by the modes of material nature which he has acquired.”
In the varnasrama system the entire society is engaged in sacrifice to the Supreme Lord. This means that even a laborer in the mode of ignorance can gradually become elevated to the mode of goodness by the development of knowledge and detachment. Such knowledge comes by a gradual progression from work with attachment to the results to detached niskama-karma-yoga within varnasrama. As a pious individual becomes more and more convinced that he is not this body and identifies more with the spiritual self there is every opportunity for further elevation to bhakti-yoga by dint of association with the devotees of the Lord.
Bhakti-yoga is characterized by spiritual identification and attachment. In this process one understands one’s eternal constitutional position as a servant of Krishna and even in this life performs one’s activities accordingly. This is one of two kinds of sva-dharma. The other sva-dharma is that which pertains to the body in terms of prescribed varnasrama duties and serves as a stepping stone for spiritual understanding.
At this point a question may be raised as to whether or not someone who becomes aware of their spiritual sva-dharma in bhakti-yoga should give up their sva-dharma within the varnasrama system. In chapter three Krishna emphatically teaches Arjuna that this is not an acceptable course of action. Krishna educates Arjuna that although a self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of prescribed duties he still has no reason not to perform such work. He continues to explain that one who has achieved self realization in bhakti-yoga should still perform their prescribed duties in varnasrama just to set the example for the common man. Krishna further qualifies this by stating that although He Himself has no prescribed duties, wants or needs, He still engages in prescribed duties just to prevent men from becoming degraded by imitation.
In conclusion, we can see clearly a few ways in which bhakti-yoga is related to varnasrama-dharma. Varnasrama gradually develops transcendental knowledge and material detachment within the practitioner which makes the heart fertile for the seed of bhakti to be received. It is considered as a stepping stone for spiritual understanding and should be adhered to even within the process of bhakti-yoga at least for the sake of setting a good standard for others. Srila Prabhupada explains this concluding point in a lecture on Bhagavad-Gita 2.31 in London, 1973:
“Krishna is trying to put Arjuna in the dilemma, -This way or that way, you must have to fight. If you think that you are not in bodily concept of life, then it is My order, `You must fight.’ If you think that you are in bodily concept of life, then you are a ksatriya, you must fight. Both ways you have to fight.- This is Krishna’s conclusion.”
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References:
BG 6.47 : “And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me-he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.”
BG 2.48 Purport : “It is said in the Vishnu Purana that in the varnasrama-dharma the whole aim is to satisfy Vishnu.”
BG 4.13 : “guna-of quality; karma-and work; vibhagasah-in terms of division”; “According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.”
BG 2.31 Purport : “There are two kinds of sva-dharmas, specific duties. As long as one is not liberated, one has to perform the duties of his particular body in accordance with religious principles in order to achieve liberation. When one is liberated, one’s sva-dharma ‘specific duty- becomes spiritual and is not in the material bodily concept. In the bodily conception of life there are specific duties for the brahmanas and ksatriyas respectively, and such duties are unavoidable. Sva-dharma is ordained by the Lord, and this will be clarified in the Fourth Chapter. On the bodily plane sva-dharma is called varnasrama-dharma, or man’s steppingstone for spiritual understanding. Human civilization begins from the stage of varnasrama-dharma, or specific duties in terms of the specific modes of nature of the body obtained. Discharging one’s specific duty in any field of action in accordance with the orders of higher authorities serves to elevate one to a higher status of life.”
BG 3.18 : “A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.”
BG 3.21 : “Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.”
BG 3.22-23 “O son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything-and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties. For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Partha, certainly all men would follow My path.”
Ekendra, in the Gita, varnasrama is discussed in the context of yajna, or sacrifice. Thus, when mentioning varnasrama, Prabhupada often refers to yajna and to sankirtana, which is the yajna for the Kali Age. Your article contains some nice thoughts and sentiments, but you’ve made only a single statement about yajna or sacrifice, “In the varnasrama system the entire society is engaged in sacrifice to the Supreme Lord.” From this point, you don’t really elaborate on yajna Krishna does in the Gita.
I’m not so much disappointed in your article, but more concerned that it represents typical thinking in ISKCON, which has gradually drifted away from yajna, and more specifically sankirtana.
It is unfortunate that so many nondevotees comment on the Bhagavad Gita and foolishly suggest that Krishna is just offering a smorgasbord of different yogas to choose from, as if none is higher or better than the other. They dare to criticize Srila Prabhupada for pointing out the preeminance of Krishna’s devotional service in the Gita. They really have no understanding of the Gita.
As Ekendra points out, Krishna clearly recommends throughout the Gita that the goal of all yoga is to come to Him, to His abode, to worship Him and become His devotee, to always glorify Him and remember Him, to do everything as an offering to Him, with bhakti. Bhakti yoga is undeniably presented by Krishna as the topmost, and is definitely preferred over worship of the unmanifested.
But real bhakti is no easy thing. It is obtained by those who are already transcendentally situated, beyond material hankering and lamenting (18.54).
If we cannot always fix our mind on Krishna, He advises us (12th Chapter) to follow the regulative principles of bhakti yoga, and if we cannot do that we should try to work for Him. If we cannot even do that we should try to act giving up the results of our work and try to be self-situated. If we cannot do that, we should take to meditation and cultivation of knowledge.
Krishna describes karma yoga and jnana yoga (and asthanga yoga) and how they ultimately culminate in full surrender to Him, for at least two reasons:
(1) Not everyone is going to even try to surrender to Him (four kinds of miscreants do not surrender to Him). He is describing the whole range of people, fruitive workers (who follow Vedic rituals for elevation in birth and opulence and sense enjoyment), various kinds of transcendentalists and philosophers, godly men and materialistic, self-centered demons. The Gita is astonishingly universal in its scope, explaining all Vedic (and even non-Vedic) philosophy in relation to Krishna’s devotional service.
(2) Even those of us who take up the process of trying to fully surrender to Krishna in bhakti yoga are usually going to take a while to get rid of all of our anarthas. It is a “gradual process”, even for those who follow it stricly without deviation. In the mean time we are attached, to a greater or lesser degree, to cultivation of knowledge and to fruitive work.
Hearing and discussing Krishna’s statements about jnana yoga and karma yoga and about the modes of nature and about His own qualities and His relation to the universe and to the living entities will undoubtedly help us ultimately achieve pure devotional service.
Such hearing and chanting is also in the category of “sankirtan”, and we will not be able to sell these books very well if we do not study them and take pleasure in discussing them amongst ourselves.
In Chapter 3, Krishna tells Arjuna not to try to stop working (which is impossible anyway), but to work according to the duties prescribed by the Vedas according to varna and asrama (which are directed toward sacrifice), and to do so in full knowledge of Him, without desire for profit of claims of proprietorship (Srila Prabhupada comments that text 3.30 “clearly indicates the purpose of the Gita”)
In Chapter 4, Krishna explains various kinds of sacrifices, divided broadly into (1) sacrifice of possessions, and (2) sacrifice in knowledge of one’s relation to Krishna, that all living entities are but parts of Him, that His appearance and activities, (such as His creation of the four varnas themselves), are completely transcendental and beyond the realm of cause and effect or karmic reactions.
In Chapter 5, Krishna explains more fully how one working in Krishna consciousness is situated beyond reactionary work (living happily in the city of 9 gates, not doing anything or causing anything to be done). He states that working in Krishna consciousness is better than renouncing work, but explains how analytical study (sankhya yoga or jnana yoga) is not really separate from karma yoga (Krishna consciousness or devotional service) because one who achieves success in either enjoys the results of both.
In Chapter 6, Krishna describes the meditation process of the eightfold yoga system, but Srila Prabhupada points out that this system is impractical for this age. How can modern people sit alone in solitary places and control their minds? However, the ultimate goal to be achieved by such meditation is bhakti, which can be achieved more easily by the process of devotional service practiced in ISKCON (japa, kirtan, study of the Gita and Bhagavatam, active service of the ISKCON preaching mission, Deity worship, etc.)
The emphasis on the varnasrama system in the Third and Fourth Chapter and the 18th Chapter is a little confusing for modern man, because we do not live in a Vedic society where the work of the citizens is guided by brahmanas and saintly kings toward various Vedic sacrifices. What are our “prescribed duties” based on the Vedas (see, e.g., 3.14-15)?
Srila Prabhupada points out (as Ekendra notes) that there are material prescribed duties and spiritual prescribed duties. But what are they? How are they distinguished?
Direct service in ISKCON, whether sweeping the floor, offering arati, going out on book distribution, or attending class, etc., seem to be spiritual prescribed duties. Full-time ashram devotees seem to have few material prescribed duties. (Am I right?)
Those who do not live in ISKCON ashrams can still practice Krishna consciousness (the Gita is very universal, as we said), but they may have material duties, like earning a living, maintaining family dependents nicely, serving in the military, paying taxes, being a good neighbor, obeying the law, etc. (I suppose even those who live in ashrams may have some of those duties, too)
Are those the “material prescribed duties”? I guess they are not really 100% the same as the material duties prescribed in the Vedas according to varna and asrama. But they may be compared to varnasrama occupational duties, inasmuch as they constitute work people are performing in society.
Anyway, I agree wholeheartedly with Dayananda’s important point that the sacrifice recommended for this age is Sri Krishna Sankirtan.
To “work for Krishna” means to support the sankirtan mission. To offer the fruits of one’s work to Krishna can be done by worshipping the Deities at home, and by seeing Him as the proprietor of mind, body, house, family, but it is most successfully accomplished by giving money to the ISKCON preaching projects and volunteering one’s free time for direct service in ISKCON as far as possible.
I am still curious about what the “material prescribed duties” are in modern society and how they can be performed in Krishna consciousness. Can anyone help clarify?
Dear Akruranatha,
It is very nice to see such Dialogue on Varnashram Dharma. I wish there can be more discussions on this topic.
My understanding of “material prescribed duties” is all obligatory duties of all classes of human beings. E.g. Stri dharma, Pati-Dharma, Putra Dharma, Raja Dharma (Niti), Dharma towards your neighbours as you mentioned., dharma of various varnas and ashrams are considered material duties. So basically it referes to the Vedic Path as metioned in the 11th Canto.
So as devotees of Krsna we should not give up these duties but carry them out for two reasons – 1) to show an example of how to fulfill one’s obligations and duties and 2) to maintain harmony in the varnashram society created by Lord Krsna Himself. But a Devotee of Lord Krsna carries out Both. Performs his prescribed duties and also carries out his Sadhana Bhakti and Man, Mana Bhavo — (9.34). He will not distrupt the mind of ignorant but will gradually guide him towards devotional service.
Many Kings in the past have done this. E.g. King Janaka, King Privyavrata, Maharaj Yudhirsthir, Svayambhuva Manu, Maharaja Ambarish, even Lord Krsna Himself in Dwarka would carry out all the prescribed duties of a householder by getting up early in the morning, meditating on Himself, worshipping his parents, giving respects to elders, giving in charity to brahmans, offering oblations to forefathers (pitris), going to the assembly hall for daily Kingly duties, taking care of his wives and children, (taking them on holidays in caravan to Hastinapur)!, playing watersports with his queens and giving used clothes to the servants.
Same prescribed duties were carried out by Bhaktivinod Thakur and Srila Prabhupada where he made sure all his children were married.
I will be happy to discuss this further.
Thanks mother Gandharidasi. Your words are clearly correct and enlightening.
Lord Krishna refers to King Janaka and his performance of prescribed duties in Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, sloka 20.
I have asked around trying to hear more about the pious activities of King Janaka, but I have not yet found the story. I am sure there must have been some extraordinary deeds, because he is Sitadevi’s own father, and because Krishna has given them special mention in the Gita.
Someone once told me that there are wonderful descriptions of King Janaka’s acts of charity, not in Valmiki’s Raymayana as we might expect, but in one of the great Puranas such as, perhaps, Vishnu Purana. I would like to know where I can find this story.
We all know that Vaisnavas quickly develop spotless character, and that nonvaisnavas, no matter how well-mannered, are considered bereft of good qualities. “One is called a faithful man who thinks that simply by acting in Krishna consciousness he can attain the highest perfection.” (B.G., 4.39 Purport)
Still, it is nice to discuss and learn about what good manners and good character really are. We should not exalt good manners over Krishna consciousness, but one of the reasons the Lord descends is to reestablish the principles of good conduct, and we know that the qualities of religious persons are dear to Him.
The modern world is topsy-turvy and many unclean, ugly habits are found in modern people. Yet, most people even today still recognize and appreciate when they meet someone of good character. Many nondevotees appreciated Srila Prabhupada charming, gentlemanly behavior, and the good behavior of his disciples like Jayananda.
Giving thousands of cows with opulent blankets and gold-plated horns may not be possible for modern kings (let alone presidents and prime ministers). We live in a different age and atmosphere.
However, the underlying qualities of the heart that dictate such behavior (and its modern-day equivalent) are something we ought to discuss and know about. If Vaisnavas display spotless character we should be able to tell what that character is, within the modern world and within our ISKCON society.
One thing we know: The most munificent act of charity is Lord Caitanya’s distribution of Krishna prema, and we are called upon to help Him in His unparalelled magnanimity.