By Bhakti-vikasa Swami
Those who have come to the platform of human civilization should be divided into a society of brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras. The brahmanas should follow the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as stated in Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures. The criterion must be guna and karma. In other words, one should acquire the qualities of a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra and act accordingly. This is the civilization accepted by the Aryans. Why do they accept it? They accept it because they are very much eager to satisfy Krsna. This is perfect civilization.i
Contrary to the misunderstanding that varnasrama-dharma is merely a material arrangement that has nothing to do with devotional service, Srila Prabhupada clarified that “the purpose of varnasrama is to enable people to become God conscious.”ii Thus although devotees “are above varnasrama, to give others facility to come to the stage of Krsna consciousness, this program must be done.”iii “Therefore we must pave the situation in such a way that gradually [people in general] will be promoted to the spiritual plane, “iv for “the system of varnasrama-dharma prepares a man for going back to Godhead.”v In fact, by varnasrama-dharma “people will be automatically enlightened.”vi
NoD Chapter 2.The Krsna consciousness movement is intended to set the whole of human society in proper condition, so that everyone will be happy and take profit from developing Krsna consciousness.
The effect of adhering to the institution of varnasrama is gradual elevation to the spiritual platform and liberation from material bondage. By following the principles of varnasrama-dharma, one gets the opportunity to associate with devotees. Such association gradually awakens one’s dormant propensity to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead and frees one from all the basic principles of sinful life. One then gets the opportunity to offer unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Vasudeva.vii
In pursuance of the conclusions of sastra, Srila Prabhupada envisaged that the best means to benefit everyone, both materially and spiritually, was to introduce daiva-varnasrama-dharma along with the practice of Krsna consciousness. Thus:
Srila Prabhupada gave a lifestyle that rejected and transcended materialistic values. No hard work for sense gratification. No divorce. No democracy. No false equality. No anything without Krsna. He wanted society organized into varnas and asramas, with ideal, peaceful brahmanas giving direction to powerful pious kings. He wanted women to be chaste, shy, and submissive to their husbands—no feminism, just happy women. He wanted cow protection. He wanted all of this in the world today.viii
For material wellbeing also, “although the Krsna consciousness movement is a movement of brahmanas and Vaisnavas, it is trying to reestablish the divine varnasrama institution, for without this division of society there cannot be peace and prosperity anywhere.”ix As Srila Prabhupada several times stated, the very purpose of the Krsna consciousness movement is to reestablish varnasrama-dharma:
SB 5.19.19, ppt.The Krsna consciousness movement is being propagated all over the world to reestablish the varnasrama-dharma system and thus save human society from gliding down to hellish life.
SB 9.10.51, ppt.Among the four yugas-Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali-the Kali-yuga is the worst, but if the process of varnasrama-dharma is introduced, even in this age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare Krsna movement, or Krsna consciousness movement, is meant for this purpose.
One of the functions of a Krsna conscious society is to establish daiva-varnasrama all over the world to constitute a perfect society for Krsna consciousness.x
The Krsna consciousness movement is meant for reestablishing the system of four varnas and asramas.xi
Because “the transcendental devotees of the Lord are free from material envy” and “are well-wishers to everyone,” “they strive to establish a competitionless society with God in the center.”xii Hence the Krsna consciousness movement as a whole is very eager to reintroduce varnasrama-dharma:
SB 10.8.6, ppt.The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, says in Bhagavad-gita (4.13), catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah: the four varnas-brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra—must be present in society. The brahmanas are required for the guidance of the whole society. If there is no such institution as varnasrama-dharma and if human society has no such guide as the brahmana, human society will be hellish. In Kali-yuga, especially at the present moment, there is no such thing as a real brahmana, and therefore society is in a chaotic condition. Formerly there were qualified brahmanas, but at present, although there are certainly persons who think themselves brahmanas, they actually have no ability to guide society. The Krsna consciousness movement is therefore very much eager to reintroduce the varnasrama system into human society so that those who are bewildered or less intelligent will be able to take guidance from qualified brahmanas.
Without varnasrama-dharma, people will be animalistic and cannot be happy:
Unless human society is regulated by varnasrama-dharma, it is no better than a bestial society of cats and dogs; and you cannot be happy, however you may adjust, in a society filled with cats and dogs.xiii
Thus reestablishing varnasrama-dharma will bring happiness to the world:
If the people of the world, taking into account their respective material qualities, divide the whole society into four orders for material progress and four orders for spiritual progress, centering these orders on Krsna and following the instructions of Krsna as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the entire human society will undoubtedly be happy.xiv
The above quotes are just some of Srila Prabhupada’s innumerable references to and details about varnasrama-dharma and traditional Indian life that he cited from sastra, history, and personal experience. Clearly, his varnasrama initiative was a major factor in his overall endeavor to benefit human society.
This was in pursuance of the vision of the major recent Gaudiya acaryas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had conceptualized the reestablishment of daiva-varnasrama for the upliftment of human society and the facilitation of the worldwide spread of Krsna consciousness. Subsequently, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati established the principle of the brahminical status of Vaisnavas, and our own Srila Prabhupada took the varnasrama project worldwide. Yet the major work is yet to be done.
Nor should it be delayed. In 1974 Srila Prabhupada stated, “Varnasrama college has to be established immediately, everywhere, wherever we have got our center, to train four divisions: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra.xv
i SB 6.16.43, ppt.
ii SB 9.10.50, ppt.
iii Morning Walk Vrindaban, March 14, 1974.
iv Conversation, 14 Feb 1977.
v SB 1.19.4, ppt.
vi Bhagavad-gita 2.40 — September 13, 1973, London.
vii SB 5.19, chapter summary.
viii From My Memories of Srila Prabhupada, by Bhakti Vikasa Swami.
ix SB 7.11.18-20, ppt.
x SB 5.1.24, ppt.
xi Letter to: Rupanuga : 72-05-03
xii SB 1.1.2 ppt.
xiii SB 5.1.29, ppt.; lecture, 20 Oct 1975.
xiv KB 73.
xv Morning Walk — March 12, 1974, Vrndavana.