According to the Vedic system, there are four social divisions (catur-varnyam maya srishtam [Bg. 4.13]). The highest members of the social order are the brahmanas, those who are intelligent, and then come the kshatriyas (military men and administrators), the vaisyas (farmers and businessmen), and finally the sudrasguna-karma). The Bhagavad-gita mentions striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah [Bg. 9.32], and the Srimad-Bhagavatam speaks of stri-sudra-dvija-bandhunam [SB 1.4.25]. According to these references women, sudras, and dvija-bandhusdvija-bandhu refers to one who is born in an exalted brahmana or kshatriya family but who has no qualifications of his own. One's social standing, according to the Vedic system, is determined by one's qualifications. This is very practical. Suppose a man is born the son of a high-court judge. This does not mean that he himself is also a high-court judge. Yet because one happens to take birth in a brahmana family, even if he has no qualifications and is rascal number one, he claims to be a brahmana, and although his qualifications are less than those of a sudra, people accept him as a brahmana. This has caused the downfall of the Vedic civilization. The brahmanas in India are sometimes very much against my movement because I train and accept brahmanas from Europe and America. But we do not care about their arguments, nor will any other reasonable man. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: (ordinary laborers). One's place in this system is determined by one's qualities and work ( are considered to belong to the same category. The word
"In every town, city, and village of the world, the Krishna consciousness movement will be preached."
How is it, then, that Europeans and Americans will not become brahmanas? In fact, one who comes to Krishna consciousness has already surpassed brahmanism. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):
mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
"One who takes to bhakti-yoga surpasses the modes of material nature and comes immediately to the transcendental platform [brahma-bhuta] [SB 4.30.20]."
Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
No comments:
Post a Comment