Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Canto 7: “The Science of God”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Eleven
SB7.11.15
TEXT 15
vaiśyas tu vārtā-vṛttiḥ syān
nityaṁ brahma-kulānugaḥ
śūdrasya dvija-śuśrūṣā
vṛttiś ca svāmino bhavet
SYNONYMS
vaiśyaḥ—the mercantile community; tu—indeed; vārtā-vṛttiḥ—engaged in agriculture, cow protection, and trade; syāt—must be; nityam—always; brahma-kula-anugaḥ—following the directions of the brāhmaṇas; śūdrasya—of the fourth-grade persons, the workers; dvija-śuśrūṣā—the service of the three higher sections (the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas); vṛttiḥ—means of livelihood; ca—and; svāminaḥ—of the master; bhavet—he must be.
TRANSLATION
The mercantile community should always follow the directions of the brāhmaṇas and engage in such occupational duties as agriculture, trade, and protection of cows. For the śūdras the only duty is to accept a master from a higher social order and engage in his service.
SB7.11.16
TEXT 16
vārtā vicitrā śālīna-
yāyāvara-śiloñchanam
vipra-vṛttiś caturdheyaṁ
śreyasī cottarottarā
SYNONYMS
vārtā—the occupational means of livelihood for the vaiśya (agriculture, cow protection, and trade); vicitrā—various types; śālīna—livelihood achieved without effort; yāyāvara—going to the field to beg for some paddy; śila—picking up the grains left in the field by the proprietor; uñchanam—picking up the grains that have fallen from bags in shops; vipra-vṛttiḥ—the means of livelihood for the brāhmaṇas; caturdhā—four different kinds; iyam—this; śreyasī—better; ca—also; uttara-uttarā—the latter compared to the former.
TRANSLATION
As an alternative, a brāhmaṇa may also take to the vaiśya’s occupational duty of agriculture, cow protection, or trade. He may depend on that which he has received without begging, he may beg in the paddy field every day, he may collect paddy left in a field by its proprietor, or he may collect food grains left here and there in the shops of grain dealers. These are four means of livelihood that may also be adopted by brāhmaṇas. Among these four, each of them in succession is better than the one preceding it.
PURPORT
A brāhmaṇa is sometimes offered land and cows in charity, and thus for his livelihood he may act in the same way as a vaiśya, by cultivating land, giving protection to cows and trading off his surpluses. A better process, however, is to pick up grains from a field or from a dealer’s shop without begging.
SB7.11.17 TEXT 17 jaghanyo nottamāṁ vṛttim anāpadi bhajen naraḥ ṛte rājanyam āpatsu sarveṣām api sarvaśaḥ SYNONYMS jaghanyaḥ—low (person); na—not; uttamām—high; vṛttim—means of livelihood; anāpadi—when there is no social upheaval; bhajet—may accept; naraḥ—a man; ṛte—except; rājanyam—the profession of the kṣatriyas; āpatsu—at times of emergency; sarveṣām—of everyone in every status of life; api—certainly; sarvaśaḥ—all professions or occupational duties.
TRANSLATION Except in a time of emergency, lower persons should not accept the occupational duties of those who are higher. When there is such an emergency, of course, everyone but the kṣatriya may accept the means of livelihood of others. PURPORT The occupational duty of a brāhmaṇa should not be accepted by persons in lower social orders, especially vaiśyas and śūdras. For example, an occupational duty of the brāhmaṇa is to teach Vedic knowledge, but unless there is an emergency, this professional duty should not be accepted by the kṣatriyas, vaiśyas or śūdras. Even a kṣatriya cannot accept the duties of a brāhmaṇa unless there is an emergency, and then even if he does so he should not accept charity from anyone else. Sometimes brāhmaṇas protest against our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for creating brāhmaṇas from Europeans, or, in other words, from mlecchas and yavanas. This movement, however, is here supported in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. At the present moment, society is in a chaotic condition, and everyone has given up the cultivation of spiritual life, which is especially meant for the brāhmaṇas. Because spiritual culture has been stopped all over the world, there is now an emergency, and therefore it is now time to train those who are considered lower and condemned, so that they may become brāhmaṇas and take up the work of spiritual progress. The spiritual progress of human society has been stopped, and this should be considered an emergency. Here is solid support from Nārada Muni of the movement known as Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
SB7.11.18-20 TEXTS 18–20 ṛtāmṛtābhyāṁ jīveta mṛtena pramṛtena vā satyānṛtābhyām api vā na śva-vṛttyā kadācana ṛtam uñchaśilaṁ proktam amṛtaṁ yad ayācitam mṛtaṁ tu nitya-yācñā syāt pramṛtaṁ karṣaṇaṁ smṛtam satyānṛtaṁ ca vāṇijyaṁ śva-vṛttir nīca-sevanam varjayet tāṁ sadā vipro rājanyaś ca jugupsitām sarva-vedamayo vipraḥ sarva-devamayo nṛpaḥ SYNONYMS ṛta-amṛtābhyām—of the means of livelihood known as ṛta and amṛta; jīveta—one may live; mṛtena—by the profession of mṛta; pramṛtena vā—or by the profession of pramṛta; satyānṛtābhyām api—even by the profession of satyānṛta; vā—or; na—never; śva-vṛttyā—by the profession of the dogs; kadācana—at any time; ṛtam—ṛta; uñchaśilam—the livelihood of collecting grains left in the field or marketplace; proktam—it is said; amṛtam—the profession of amṛta; yat—which; ayācitam—obtained without begging from anyone else; mṛtam—the profession of mṛta; tu—but; nitya-yācñā—begging grains every day from the farmers; syāt—should be; pramṛtam—the pramṛta means of livelihood; karṣaṇam—tilling the field; smṛtam—it is so remembered; satyānṛtam—the occupation of satyānṛta; ca—and; vāṇijyam—trade; śva-vṛttiḥ—the occupation of the dogs; nīca-sevanam—the service of low persons (the vaiśyas and śūdras); varjayet—should give up; tām—that (the profession of the dogs); sadā—always; vipraḥ—the brāhmaṇa; rājanyaḥ ca—and the kṣatriya; jugupsitām—very abominable; sarva-veda-mayaḥ—learned in all the Vedic understandings; vipraḥ—the brāhmaṇa; sarva-deva-mayaḥ—the embodiment of all the demigods; nṛpaḥ—the kṣatriya or king.
TRANSLATION In time of emergency, one may accept any of the various types of professions known as ṛta, amṛta, mṛta, pramṛta and satyānṛta, but one should not at any time accept the profession of a dog. The profession of uñchaśila, collecting grains from the field, is called ṛta. Collecting without begging is called amṛta, begging grains is called mṛta, tilling the ground is called pramṛta, and trade is called satyānṛta. Engaging in the service of low-grade persons, however, is called śva-vṛtti, the profession of the dogs. Specifically, brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas should not engage in the low and abominable service of śūdras. Brāhmaṇas should be well acquainted with all the Vedic knowledge, and kṣatriyas should be well acquainted with the worship of demigods. PURPORT As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: the four divisions of human society were created by the Supreme Lord according to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them. Formerly, the principle of dividing human society into four sections—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra—was strictly followed, but because of gradual neglect of the varṇāśrama principles, varṇa-saṅkara population developed, and the entire institution has now been lost. In this age of Kali, practically everyone is a śūdra (kalau śūdra-sambhavāḥ), and finding anyone who is a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya is very difficult. Although the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a movement of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, it is trying to reestablish the divine varṇāśrama institution, for without this division of society there cannot be peace and prosperity anywhere.
SB7.11.21 TEXT 21 śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ santoṣaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam jñānaṁ dayācyutātmatvaṁ satyaṁ ca brahma-lakṣaṇam SYNONYMS śamaḥ—control of the mind; damaḥ—control of the senses; tapaḥ—austerity and penance; śaucam—cleanliness; santoṣaḥ—satisfaction; kṣāntiḥ—forgiveness (being unagitated by anger); ārjavam—simplicity; jñānam—knowledge; dayā—mercy; acyuta-ātmatvam—accepting oneself as an eternal servant of the Lord; satyam—truthfulness; ca—also; brahma-lakṣaṇam—the symptoms of a brāhmaṇa.
TRANSLATION The symptoms of a brāhmaṇa are control of the mind, control of the senses, austerity and penance, cleanliness, satisfaction, forgiveness, simplicity, knowledge, mercy, truthfulness, and complete surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT In the institution of varṇāśrama-dharma, the symptoms of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsī are all described. The ultimate aim is acyutātmatvam—to think always of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. To make advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to become a brāhmaṇa, with the above-mentioned symptoms.
SB7.11.22 TEXT 22 śauryaṁ vīryaṁ dhṛtis tejas tyāgaś cātmajayaḥ kṣamā brahmaṇyatā prasādaś ca satyaṁ ca kṣatra-lakṣaṇam SYNONYMS śauryam—power in battle; vīryam—being unconquerable; dhṛtiḥ—patience (even in reverses, a kṣatriya is very grave); tejaḥ—ability to defeat others; tyāgaḥ—giving charity; ca—and; ātma-jayaḥ—not being overwhelmed by bodily necessities; kṣamā—forgiveness; brahmaṇyatā—faithfulness to the brahminical principles; prasādaḥ—jolliness in any condition of life; ca—and; satyam ca—and truthfulness; kṣatra-lakṣaṇam—these are the symptoms of a kṣatriya.
TRANSLATION To be influential in battle, unconquerable, patient, challenging and charitable, to control the bodily necessities, to be forgiving, to be attached to the brahminical nature and to be always jolly and truthful—these are the symptoms of the kṣatriya. SB7.11.23 TEXT 23 deva-gurv-acyute bhaktis tri-varga-paripoṣaṇam āstikyam udyamo nityaṁ naipuṇyaṁ vaiśya-lakṣaṇam SYNONYMS deva-guru-acyute—unto the demigods, the spiritual master and Lord Viṣṇu; bhaktiḥ—engagement in devotional service; tri-varga—of the three principles of pious life (religion, economic development and sense gratification); paripoṣaṇam—execution; āstikyam—faith in the scriptures, the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord; udyamaḥ—active; nityam—without cessation, continuously; naipuṇyam—expertise; vaiśya-lakṣaṇam—the symptoms of a vaiśya.
TRANSLATION Being always devoted to the demigods, the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu; endeavoring for advancement in religious principles, economic development and sense gratification [dharma, artha and kāma]; believing in the words of the spiritual master and scripture; and always endeavoring with expertise in earning money—these are the symptoms of the vaiśya. SB7.11.24 TEXT 24 śūdrasya sannatiḥ śaucaṁ sevā svāminy amāyayā amantra-yajño hy asteyaṁ satyaṁ go-vipra-rakṣaṇam SYNONYMS śūdrasya—of the śūdra (the fourth grade of man in society, the worker); sannatiḥ—obedience to the higher classes (the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas); śaucam—cleanliness; sevā—service; svāmini—to the master who maintains him; amāyayā—without duplicity; amantra-yajñaḥ—performance of sacrifices simply by offering obeisances (without mantras); hi—certainly; asteyam—practicing not to steal; satyam—truthfulness; go—cows; vipra—brahmaṇas; rakṣaṇam—protecting.
TRANSLATION Offering obeisances to the higher sections of society [the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas], being always very clean, being free from duplicity, serving one’s master, performing sacrifices without uttering mantras, not stealing, always speaking the truth and giving all protection to the cows and brāhmaṇas—these are the symptoms of the śūdra. PURPORT It is everyone’s experience that workers or servants are generally accustomed to stealing. A first-class servant is one who does not steal. Here it is recommended that a first-class śūdra must remain very clean, must not steal or speak lies, and must always render service to his master. A śūdra may attend sacrifices and Vedic ritualistic ceremonies along with his master, but he should not utter the mantras, for these may be uttered only by the members of the higher sections of society. Unless one is completely pure and has been raised to the standard of a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya—in other words, unless one is dvija, twice-born—the chanting of mantras will not be fruitful.
SB7.11.25 TEXT 25 strīṇāṁ ca pati-devānāṁ tac-chuśrūṣānukūlatā tad-bandhuṣv anuvṛttiś ca nityaṁ tad-vrata-dhāraṇam SYNONYMS strīṇām—of women; ca—also; pati-devānām—who have accepted their husbands as worshipable; tat-śuśrūṣā—readiness to render service to her husband; anukūlatā—being favorably disposed towards her husband; tat-bandhuṣu—unto the friends and relatives of the husband; anuvṛttiḥ—being similarly disposed (to treat them well for the satisfaction of the husband); ca—and; nityam—regularly; tat-vrata-dhāraṇam—accepting the vows of the husband or acting exactly as the husband acts.
TRANSLATION To render service to the husband, to be always favorably disposed toward the husband, to be equally well disposed toward the husband’s relatives and friends, and to follow the vows of the husband—these are the four principles to be followed by women described as chaste. PURPORT It is very important for peaceful householder life that a woman follow the vow of her husband. Any disagreement with the husband’s vow will disrupt family life. In this regard, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita gives a very valuable instruction: dampatyoḥ kalaho nāsti tatra śrīḥ svayam āgatāḥ. When there are no fights between husband and wife, the goddess of fortune automatically comes to the home. A woman’s education should be conducted along the lines indicated in this verse. The basic principle for a chaste woman is to be always favorably disposed toward her husband. In Bhagavad-gītā (1.40) it is said, strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ: if the women are polluted, there will be varṇa-saṅkara population. In modern terms, the varṇa-saṅkara are the hippies, who do not follow any regulative injunctions. Another explanation is that when the population is varṇa-saṅkara, no one can know who is on what platform. The varṇāśrama system scientifically divides society into four varṇas and four āśramas, but in varṇa-saṅkara society there are no such distinctions, and no one can know who is who. In such a society, no one can distinguish between a brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya, a vaiśya and a śūdra. For peace and happiness in the material world, the varṇāśrama institution must be introduced. The symptoms of one’s activities must be defined, and one must be educated accordingly. Then spiritual advancement will automatically be possible.
SB7.11.26-27 TEXTS 26–27 sammārjanopalepābhyāṁ gṛha-maṇḍana-vartanaiḥ svayaṁ ca maṇḍitā nityaṁ parimṛṣṭa-paricchadā kāmair uccāvacaiḥ sādhvī praśrayeṇa damena ca vākyaiḥ satyaiḥ priyaiḥ premṇā kāle kāle bhajet patim SYNONYMS sammārjana—by cleaning; upalepābhyām—by smearing with water or other cleansing liquids; gṛha—the household; maṇḍana—decorating; vartanaiḥ—remaining at home and engaged in such duties; svayam—personally; ca—also; maṇḍitā—finely dressed; nityam—always; parimṛṣṭa—cleansed; paricchadā—garments and household utensils; kāmaiḥ—according to the desires of the husband; ucca-avacaiḥ—both great and small; sādhvī—a chaste woman; praśrayeṇa—with modesty; damena—by controlling the senses; ca—also; vākyaiḥ—by speech; satyaiḥ—truthful; priyaiḥ—very pleasing; premṇā—with love; kāle kāle—at appropriate times; bhajet—should worship; patim—her husband.
TRANSLATION A chaste woman must dress nicely and decorate herself with golden ornaments for the pleasure of her husband. Always wearing clean and attractive garments, she should sweep and clean the household with water and other liquids so that the entire house is always pure and clean. She should collect the household paraphernalia and keep the house always aromatic with incense and flowers and must be ready to execute the desires of her husband. Being modest and truthful, controlling her senses, and speaking in sweet words, a chaste woman should engage in the service of her husband with love, according to time and circumstances. SB7.11.28 TEXT 28 santuṣṭālolupā dakṣā dharma-jñā priya-satya-vāk apramattā śuciḥ snigdhā patiṁ tv apatitaṁ bhajet SYNONYMS santuṣṭā—always satisfied; alolupā—without being greedy; dakṣā—very expert in serving; dharma-jñā—fully conversant with religious principles; priya—pleasing; satya—truthful; vāk—in speaking; apramattā—attentive in service to her husband; śuciḥ—always clean and pure; snigdhā—affectionate; patim—the husband; tu—but; apatitam—who is not fallen; bhajet—should worship.
TRANSLATION A chaste woman should not be greedy, but satisfied in all circumstances. She must be very expert in handling household affairs and should be fully conversant with religious principles. She should speak pleasingly and truthfully and should be very careful and always clean and pure. Thus a chaste woman should engage with affection in the service of a husband who is not fallen. PURPORT According to the injunction of Yājñavalkya, an authority on religious principles, āśuddheḥ sampratikṣyo hi mahāpātaka-dūṣitaḥ. One is considered contaminated by the reactions of great sinful activities when one has not been purified according to the methods of the daśa-vidhā-saṁskāra. In Bhagavad-gītā, however, the Lord says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ: [Bg. 7.15] “Those miscreants who do not surrender unto Me are the lowest of mankind.” The word narādhama means “nondevotee.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, yei bhaje sei baḍa, abhakta—hīna, chāra. Anyone who is a devotee is sinless. One who is not a devotee, however, is the most fallen and condemned. It is recommended, therefore, that a chaste wife not associate with a fallen husband. A fallen husband is one who is addicted to the four principles of sinful activity—namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. Specifically, if one is not a soul surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is understood to be contaminated. Thus a chaste woman is advised not to agree to serve such a husband. It is not that a chaste woman should be like a slave while her husband is narādhama, the lowest of men. Although the duties of a woman are different from those of a man, a chaste woman is not meant to serve a fallen husband. If her husband is fallen, it is recommended that she give up his association. Giving up the association of her husband does not mean, however, that a woman should marry again and thus indulge in prostitution. If a chaste woman unfortunately marries a husband who is fallen, she should live separately from him. Similarly, a husband can separate himself from a woman who is not chaste according to the description of the śāstra. The conclusion is that a husband should be a pure Vaiṣṇava and that a woman should be a chaste wife with all the symptoms described in this regard. Then both of them will be happy and make spiritual progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
SB7.11.29 TEXT 29 yā patiṁ hari-bhāvena bhajet śrīr iva tat-parā hary-ātmanā harer loke patyā śrīr iva modate SYNONYMS yā—any woman who; patim—her husband; hari-bhāvena—mentally accepting him as equal to Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhajet—worships or renders service to; śrīḥ iva—exactly like the goddess of fortune; tat-parā—being devoted; hari-ātmanā—completely absorbed in thoughts of Hari; hareḥ loke—in the spiritual world, the Vaikuṇṭha planets; patyā—with her husband; śrīḥ iva—exactly like the goddess of fortune; modate—enjoys spiritual, eternal life.
TRANSLATION The woman who engages in the service of her husband, following strictly in the footsteps of the goddess of fortune, surely returns home, back to Godhead, with her devotee husband, and lives very happily in the Vaikuṇṭha planets. PURPORT The faithfulness of the goddess of fortune is the ideal for a chaste woman. The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.29) says, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam. In the Vaikuṇṭha planets, Lord Viṣṇu is worshiped by many, many thousands of goddesses of fortune, and in Goloka Vṛndāvana, Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by many, many thousands of gopīs, all of whom are goddesses of fortune. A woman should serve her husband as faithfully as the goddess of fortune. A man should be an ideal servant of the Lord, and a woman should be an ideal wife like the goddess of fortune. Then both husband and wife will be so faithful and strong that by acting together they will return home, back to Godhead, without a doubt. In this regard, Śrīla Madhvācārya gives this opinion:
harir asmin sthita iti A woman should think of her husband as the Supreme Lord. Similarly, a disciple should think of the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a śūdra should think of a brāhmaṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and a servant should think of his master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way, all of them will automatically become devotees of the Lord. In other words, by thinking this way, all of them will become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
SB7.11.30 TEXT 30 vṛttiḥ saṅkara-jātīnāṁ tat-tat-kula-kṛtā bhavet acaurāṇām apāpānām antyajāntevasāyinām SYNONYMS vṛttiḥ—occupational duty; saṅkara-jātīnām—of the mixed classes of men (those other than the four divisions); tat-tat—according to their respective; kula-kṛtā—family tradition; bhavet—should be; acaurāṇām—not thieves by profession; apāpānām—not sinful; antyaja—lower classes; antevasāyinām—known as antevasāyī or caṇḍāla.
TRANSLATION Among the mixed classes known as saṅkara, those who are not thieves are known as antevasāyī or caṇḍālas [dog-eaters], and they also have their hereditary customs. PURPORT The four principal divisions of society—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra—have been defined, and now there is a description of the antyaja, the mixed classes. Among the mixed classes, there are two divisions—pratilomaja and anulomaja. If a woman of a high caste marries a man of a lower caste, their union is called pratilo. If a woman of a low caste, however, marries a man of a higher caste, their union is called anulo. The members of such dynasties have their traditional duties as barbers, washermen and so on. Among the antyajas, those who are still somewhat pure in that they do not steal and are not addicted to meat-eating, drinking, illicit sex and gambling are called antevasāyī. Among people of the lower classes, intermarriage and the drinking of wine are allowed, for these people do not recognize such conduct as sinful among themselves.
SB7.11.31 TEXT 31 prāyaḥ sva-bhāva-vihito nṛṇāṁ dharmo yuge yuge veda-dṛgbhiḥ smṛto rājan pretya ceha ca śarma-kṛt SYNONYMS prāyaḥ—generally; sva-bhāva-vihitaḥ—prescribed, according to one’s material modes of nature; nṛṇām—of human society; dharmaḥ—the occupational duty; yuge yuge—in every age; veda-dṛgbhiḥ—by brāhmaṇas well conversant in the Vedic knowledge; smṛtaḥ—recognized; rājan—O King; pretya—after death; ca—and; iha—here (in this body); ca—also; śarma-kṛt—auspicious.
TRANSLATION My dear King, brāhmaṇas well conversant in Vedic knowledge have given their verdict that in every age [yuga] the conduct of different sections of people according to their material modes of nature is auspicious both in this life and after death. PURPORT In Bhagavad-gītā (3.35) it is said, śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt svanuṣṭhitāt: “It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another’s duties.” The antyajas, the men of the lower classes, are accustomed to stealing, drinking and illicit sex, but that is not considered sinful. For example, if a tiger kills a man, this is not sinful but if a man kills another man, this is considered sinful, and the killer is hanged. What is a daily affair among the animals is a sinful act in human society. Thus according to the symptoms of higher and lower sections of society, there are different varieties of occupational duties. According to the experts in Vedic knowledge, these duties are prescribed in terms of the age concerned.
SB7.11.32 TEXT 32 vṛttyā sva-bhāva-kṛtayā vartamānaḥ sva-karma-kṛt hitvā sva-bhāva-jaṁ karma śanair nirguṇatām iyāt SYNONYMS vṛttyā—with the profession; sva-bhāva-kṛtayā—performed according to one’s modes of material nature; vartamānaḥ—existing; sva-karma-kṛt—executing his own work; hitvā—giving up; sva-bhāva-jam—born from one’s own modes of nature; karma—activities; śanaiḥ—gradually; nirguṇatām—transcendental position; iyāt—may attain.
TRANSLATION If one acts in his profession according to his position in the modes of nature and gradually gives up these activities, he attains the niṣkāma stage. PURPORT If one gradually gives up his hereditary customs and duties and tries to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his natural position, he is gradually able to become free from these activities, and he attains the stage of niṣkāma, freedom from material desires.
SB7.11.33-34 TEXTS 33–34 upyamānaṁ muhuḥ kṣetraṁ svayaṁ nirvīryatām iyāt na kalpate punaḥ sūtyai uptaṁ bījaṁ ca naśyati evaṁ kāmāśayaṁ cittaṁ kāmānām atisevayā virajyeta yathā rājann agnivat kāma-bindubhiḥ SYNONYMS upyamānam—being cultivated; muhuḥ—again and again; kṣetram—a field; svayam—itself; nirvīryatām—barrenness; iyāt—may obtain; na kalpate—is not suitable; punaḥ—again; sūtyai—for growing further harvests; uptam—sown; bījam—the seed; ca—and; naśyati—is spoiled; evam—in this way; kāma-āśayam—full of lusty desires; cittam—the core of the heart; kāmānām—of the desirable objects; ati-sevayā—by enjoyment over and over again; virajyeta—may become detached; yathā—just as; rājan—O King; agni-vat—a fire; kāma-bindubhiḥ—by small drops of clarified butter.
TRANSLATION My dear King, if an agricultural field is cultivated again and again, the power of its production decreases, and whatever seeds are sown there are lost. Just as drops of ghee on a fire never extinguish the fire but a flood of ghee will, similarly, overindulgence in lusty desires mitigates such desires entirely. PURPORT If one continuously sprinkles drops of ghee on a fire, the fire will not be extinguished, but if one suddenly puts a lump of ghee on a fire, the fire may possibly be extinguished entirely. Similarly, those who are too sinful and have thus been born in the lower classes are allowed to enjoy sinful activities fully, for thus there is a chance that these activities will become detestful to them, and they will get the opportunity to be purified.
SB7.11.35 TEXT 35 yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet SYNONYMS yasya—of whom; yat—which; lakṣaṇam—symptom; proktam—described (above); puṁsaḥ—of a person; varṇa-abhivyañjakam—indicating the classification (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, etc.); yat—if; anyatra—elsewhere; api—also; dṛśyeta—is seen; tat—that; tena—by that symptom; eva—certainly; vinirdiśet—one should designate.
TRANSLATION If one shows the symptoms of being a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those symptoms of classification. PURPORT Herein it is clearly stated by Nārada Muni that one should not be accepted as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra according to birth, for although this is going on now, it is not accepted by the śāstras. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Thus the four divisions of society—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra—are to be ascertained according to qualities and activities. If one was born in a brāhmaṇa family and has acquired the brahminical qualifications, he is to be accepted as a brāhmaṇa; otherwise, he should be considered a brahma-bandhu. Similarly, if a śūdra acquires the qualities of a brāhmaṇa, although he was born in a śūdra family, he is not a śūdra; because he has developed the qualities of a brāhmaṇa, he should be accepted as a brāhmaṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to develop these brahminical qualities. Regardless of the community in which one was born, if one develops the qualities of a brāhmaṇa he should be accepted as a brāhmaṇa, and he then may be offered the order of sannyāsa. Unless one is qualified in terms of the brahminical symptoms, one cannot take sannyāsa. In designating a person a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, birth is not the essential symptom. This understanding is very important. Herein Nārada Muni distinctly says that one may be accepted according to the caste of his birth if he has the corresponding qualifications, but otherwise he should not. One who has attained the qualifications of a brāhmaṇa, regardless of where he was born, should be accepted as a brāhmaṇa. Similarly, if one has developed the qualities of a śūdra or a caṇḍāla, regardless of where he was born, he should be accepted in terms of those symptoms.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Eleventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes.” THIS WEB PAGE URL: http://causelessmercy.com/SB7.11.1.htm
strīṇāṁ bhartari bhāvanā
śiṣyāṇāṁ ca gurau nityaṁ
śūdrāṇāṁ brāhmaṇādiṣu
bhṛtyānāṁ svāmini tathā
hari-bhāva udīritaḥ