19901203 Bhagavad-gītā 4.13

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on December 3^rd 1990 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The class begins from a reading from the Bhagavad-gītā chapter 4 verse 13.

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhy akartāram avyayam

Translation: 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 non-doer, being unchangeable.

Purport: The Lord is the creator of everything. Everything is born of Him, everything is sustained by Him, and everything, after annihilation, rests in Him. He is therefore the creator of the four divisions of the social order, beginning with the intelligent class of men, technically called brāhmaṇas due to their being situated in the mode of goodness. Next is the administrative class, technically called the kṣatriyas due to their being situated in the mode of passion. The mercantile men, called the vaiśyas, are situated in the mixed modes of passion and ignorance, and the śūdras, or laborer class, are situated in the ignorant mode of material nature. Despite His creating the four divisions of human society, Lord Kṛṣṇa does not belong to any of these divisions, because He is not one of the conditioned souls, a section of whom form human society. Human society is like any other animal society, but to elevate men from the animal status, the above-mentioned divisions are created by the Lord for the systematic development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The tendency of a particular man toward work is determined by the modes of material nature which he has acquired. Such symptoms of life, according to the different modes of material nature, are described in the Eighteenth Chapter of this book. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, is above even the brāhmaṇas. Although brāhmaṇas by quality are supposed to know about Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, most of them approach only the impersonal Brahman manifestation of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But a man who transcends the limited knowledge of a brāhmaṇa and reaches the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, becomes a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness – or, in other words, a Vaiṣṇava. Kṛṣṇa consciousness includes knowledge of all different plenary expansions of Kṛṣṇa, namely Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, etc. And as Kṛṣṇa is transcendental to this system of the four divisions of human society, a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also transcendental to all divisions of human society, whether we consider the divisions of community, nation or species.

Thus end the translation and purport text 13 chapter 4, the Bhagavad Gita by His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: Originally the different kinds of works according to the three modes of material nature was find by Lord Kṛṣṇa and thus created the varṇāśrama-dharma. Although Kṛṣṇa created the system Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do with the, He’s not the part of the system. He’s always transcendental. Sometimes when Kṛṣṇa is here in His pastimes He would act according to different varṇas, but Kṛṣṇa is always transcendental. But he was in Vṛndāvana He was acting like a Vaiṣṇava, while He was in Dvārakā He was acting like a kṣatriya. But sometimes Kṛṣṇa will do things, He should demonstrate that He was transcendental. So if person in this material world doesn’t follow his own nature and his own duties then they become affected by that, they become entangled by sinful reactions. And since in the system of brahmacāri, unmarried men should not associate with any women. But then or later according to the Vedic wedding sacrifice of vivāha-yajña then they can accept the hand of a women in marriage. But then as a gṛhastha they have the responsibility to maintain the wife and children, to maintain a proper Kṛṣṇa Conscious housewife. But if they don’t do that then also they can get sinful reactions. So in all the different varṇas a person is advised to act, and also in different āśramas. But actually Kṛṣṇa is not dependent on these things although He created the system. Therefore the human being who are conditioned in this material world so that they can be uplifted. The Lord actually always is transcendental. So many of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes He appeared, acted like a kṣatriya. Cause a kṣatriya or a monarch who was protecting the citizens. So like that God is protecting everyone. But what was wonderful about Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes is that He acted like cowherd boy and He was taking the cows and the calves in the forest. So he was very easily approachable. A King is very formal. But a cow man, cowherd boy is very informal. So very easily to, to approach.

There’s interesting to know how the, that when Kṛṣṇa appeared as Caitanya Mahāprabhu He came as a brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa has other types of pastimes. So, Lord Caitanya when His childhood He manifested this activities that a young brāhmaṇa form, which are very interesting. He was also mischief just like when, Kṛṣṇa was mischief. But living on the side of a sacred river Ganges He would go regularly to bathe in the Ganges. There the different would be coming to do their sacred bath, to do the prayers, to chant their Gayatri, to do the worship of the Ganges. But somehow Lord Caitanya five or seven years old. While they were saying Gayatri sometimes, He would spit water on them. They thought, they thought this is very offensive that why this boy is spitting on them? They didn’t know that the Lord Himself is blessing them. Sometimes He’d pull the legs under the water, Ah! (laughing) They’d fall in the water. Then look who did this, see of Him, or was some distance some, there will child Caitanya would come out of water (laughing). Sometimes while the brāhmaṇas were in the water, at that time the Lord Caitanya He’d take all the mens clothes and He would mix them in the women's clothes (laughing). And the women's clothes in them mens clothes (laughing). So when they came out of the water then, create some disturbance (laughing). Like this sometimes He would put mud or things on the offerings that they had brought to the Ganges. The little girls they would come to worship the Ganges and once a year they come to worship Lord Śiva. So Lord Śiva catches the Ganges in his head, so they worship with Ganges water Lord Śiva. So suddenly Lord Caitanya as a child He was known as Nimāi, He jumped out from a bush Ahh! (laughing) scared Ahh! Then He’d way what is all these offerings? This is for Lord Śiva, don’t you disturb. No no you give to Me. No this is for Śiva. And I’m the father of Śiva (laughing). Oh Viṣṇu Viṣṇu! But only Viṣṇu is the father of Śiva, how can you say such things? Of course He was Viṣṇu. He said no no you give me the offering. They said no no we cannot give. The He said if you don’t give the offering, I’m a brāhmaṇa, I’m going to curse you (laughing). I’m going to curse you, you’re going to marry old husbands (laughing). With many older co-wives (laughing). They’re going to make you work very hard in the house. So then they got all frightened. And that time Lakṣmipriyā, she the daughter of Vallabhācārya she had the spontaneous attraction for Lord Caitanya. So she came forward and put sandalwood pulp all over the six year old child form of Lord Caitanya, of course she is the Lakṣmī Devi.

But what was happened, all these things are going on. So one day all the brāhmaṇas came to complaint. They went to the house of Jagannātha Miśra and they saw him. Your child is too much (laughing). This Nimāi is creating so much disturbance. He is going in the Ganges and He’s doing all these things. Pulling our brāhmaṇa threads, pulling our legs (laughing), mixing the clothes men and women, so you have to punish Him, you have to do something. Like this, so then they left, then all the young girls came. Your son is too much (laughing). He’s going and taking our offerings and teasing us. What kind of brāhmaṇa boy is He? So then Jagannātha was, this is too much. Picked up his stick, this time I’m going to get Him (laughing). Where is that Nimāi? (laughing) Then he went, off towards to Ganges, and the girls they saw, oh! this is he, we don’t wanted to beat Him, they ran ahead. Then Nimāi was swimming with His friends. Nimāi! Watch out, your father is coming with a stick (laughing) he’s going to beat you! So then Nimāi called His friends to had a secret huddle. No one knows what they said. Then Lord Caitanya swam over, He escaped (laughing). Off came Jagannātha Miśra, where is? where is Nimāi? (laughing). All the children they said Nimāi? We ask you the same question. We are asking you the same question. When, when is He coming here to bath with us? (laughing) He’s not come yet from school? Jagannātha Miśra was in, fully confused. All those brāhmaṇas they couldn’t lie. You sure? Nimāi wasn’t here? We’re waiting for Him, when is He coming? (laughing) So then Jagannātha Miśra went back to his house, waiting for Nimāi. After sometime Nimāi came with His books (laughing), here I’m coming from school! Oh! Learned many nice things today! So Jagannātha Miśra came and looked, saw His hair, so it’s all covered with dust (laughing). Looked at his fingers, cause if you’re swimming, they become wrinkled. But they’re all dry, spots if ink on it. (laughing) What’s going on? And so Nimāi said anything you want, He touched their feet, my dear parents please allow, I’m very hard and tired, I want to go to the Ganges. Left His books, then He ran off to the Ganges (laughing). Jagannātha Miśra is such a, talking you know, how could this be? There’s no sign that He was swimming, that all the brāhmaṇas were complaining? Then some brāhmaṇas came and said, no no we don’t want you to beat your son, we’re just saying these things. But He’s not such a bad boy actually. Actually everyone love Nimāi, they love to talk about Him, no one wanted this to beat Him.

So Lord Caitanya was swimming in the Ganges. See the Ganges was the most happy. Think that Mahā Viṣṇu, Vāmanadeva just touched the Ganges just to the tip of His toe. For that she’s known as the caraṇāmṛta of the Lord. But in Caitanya’s pastime the Lord is bathing in the Ganges for hours and hours and hours. So the Ganges is feeling such ecstasy, the Lord is bathing in the waters. All of her desires are being fulfilled, she’s the purest devotee of the Lord, purifying the two worlds. Where here worshippable Lord, He just remain and submerged in her waters for so long. One day when Nimāi is coming out from the Ganges, He was alone, He swam down the stream. There was one sage, he was, he was worshipping the Ganges for a long time. Everyday he would come and worship the mother Ganges. So then he saw Nimāi was leaving out of the water. He was sitting to say His prayers.

Rādhā Govinda Ki! Jai!

Nimāi Ki! Jai!

Nitāi Ki! Jai!

All of a sudden the Ganges was just coming up, what? So what’s going on? It’s going up. The he looked and he saw that is Nimāi was leaving the Ganges. The river was going up higher higher (laughing). What is going on? I never saw that before. So Ganges was feeling, the Gaṅgā was feeling separation. She wanted to touch the Lotus feet. Finally the personified Gaṅgā Mātā came out. Offered her prayers to Nimāi, to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. He would come in the form of the young brāhmaṇa boy Nimāi, who has come to deliver the whole world, with the Harināma Saṅkīrtana. She’s offering her prayers to eternal master. And the rishi was for the first time in his life he was having darśana, of the personified Gaṅgā. He could hear what she was saying, then he could also realize Nimāi’s transcendental position. Then the Ganges again went back in her waters. And then the ṛsī went and he offered his obeisances to Lord Caitanya. You are the Lord of my worshipable deity mother Gaṅgā. You are the Supreme Viṣṇu. Please have your mercy upon me. So Lord Caitanya said, you don’t reveal this to anyone, and keep this a secret. So that brāhmaṇa ṛsī he remain in Navadvīpa and have the darśana of Lord Caitanya. So like this Nimāi was showing different activities of the brāhmaṇas.

On time when he was a small child actually what happened was the Nimāi’s older brother Viśvarūpa. His parents wanted to get him married by force, so he was very upset. He, he didn’t want to go in to grihastha life. He wanted to dedicate himself to Kṛṣṇa’s service. So suddenly he took sannyasa, so he left the house. So this was a very big shock for Jagannātha Miśra and Śacī Mātā. So Jagannātha Miśra someone told him that, if your son he becomes a learned brāhmaṇa also, he may also take sannyāsa. So Jagannātha Miśra decide, I won’t teach my son if, stop him from going to school. Because, so this way he thought I’ll keep him brave, keep him in house. So then Nimāi became really, really heavy, became very mischievous. Whole day during the school time He go and just spray water, He put water in babies ears, baby crying and mothers would come (laughing). He go and pinch the babies (laughing). Sorry, I got carried away (laughing)

Then he had all, then, so one day Nimāi He went and He stood on the dirty pot. You know I was explaining this pastime in Malaysia. There, nowaday people think that aluminium pots is advancement of civilization. You see, but actually think how opulent it was at that time, they had disposable pots. The pots were made out of clay, fired clay. So they cook once and then they will throw. So I was explaining to all the housewives, just imagine no washing pots (laughing), disposable pots (laughing). Think of that, fathers that the house hold, you don’t have to help in washing any pots (laughing). So, but the pots would be thrown out in a, in a pile, completely biodegradable, ecological balance. You see, so Nimāi He stood on those pots and His mother said, you’re brāhmaṇa boy, you’re standing in the dirty pile of that thrown out pots, this is garbage, you shouldn’t stand there. So how do I know? So in this way they could see that, they have to send Him to school. So then they finally Jagannātha Miśra agreed and send Him to school. So the Lord Caitanya went to school, they taught Him the alphabet in Sanskrit. As soon as they showed Him the letters immediately He remembered, He could write it. So the first day He learn whole alphabets. This was the, teacher was shocked. Six months course you finished it in one hour, one, one afternoon (laughing). The next day He came and learned all the joint akṣaras. In Sanskrit the letters are joined together so it’s, that’s more complicated, but He learned all that. Soon He showed He learned that. So like this by the age of eleven Lord Caitanya Himself was a greatest professor. He already got Phd (laughing) and He became a teacher.

So like this Lord Caitanya was showing many different activities in the brahminical point of view. It was also showing some special rasa. Kṛṣṇa He was showing the pastimes, taking out the calves, playing on His flute, playing in the forest throwing fruits, the tal fruit or throwing those balls.

You have tal in Indonesia? you make tal bora? You know how to make like a pakora from tal?

Also in India same. Tal you can take it in two ways, one it’s green and the inside there’s a type of fruit. It’s like a gel on, sweet. When it’s fully ripen then you have to squeeze the whole thing and out comes the liquid. And you mix that with bananas and some flour and then you deep fry and that’s what it called tal bora, favourite of Lord Caitanya. Flour and bora. Kṛṣṇa love also, tal bora, it’s in the, it’s in the song tal bora. Very highly aromatic. So that’s how these boys this tal of, ripen tal fruit smells very nice. So when they smell that they wanted to go in to the forest. But that demon was there, that Keśi, Keśi right? Keśi, Keśi asura. So that’s when Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma they took out the demon. So then all the cowherd boys and calves could go in the tālavana.

So, then when Kṛṣṇa went to Mathurā and Dvārakā then He’s acting like a prince. Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, with Arjuna, with all the kings. So there He’s showing the kṣatriya. And when Kṛṣṇa was in the āśrama of His guru, as a, in the āśrama of the guru the disciple serves the Guru like a menial servant. Sudra is a menial servant, or any kind of servant. So Kṛṣṇa also He was serving His guru like a menial servant. He was going getting wood from the forest and serving the guru in a humble way. So sometimes people may think that Kṛṣṇa is a kṣatriya or He is a vaiśya, but these are His pastimes. And within the varṇāśrama, with in this culture, civilization then all these things have got some deeper meaning. Without organizations society is anarchical.

And Prabhupāda even he was sometimes telling us the humor stories. And showing that how even in the humour of Vedic culture or the humor of Indian culture. That the Vedic culture is all pervasive. So one time the king was going and he was one brāhmaṇa carrying a śālagrama-śilā round his neck, in a certain bag. So that’s, brāhmaṇa went on the side of the road and he passes stool. So the king was shocked. He’s wearing śālagrama-śilā and he is passing stool. So he's a disgrace to all the brāhmaṇas. He's doing a great offence. This will hamper the whole kingdom. So he had the brāhmaṇa arrested, brought back to the court. There he have a trial, so he said you being a brāhmaṇa you're suppose to worship the lord. You're supposed to be clean. Instead you are carrying a deity around the neck and you put in a, instead you pass stool. So this means that you're gonna ruin the whole Vedic culture. So I sentence you to be killed, to save the kingdom from this offense. Meanwhile there is one courtier of the king. His name is Gopāla bhar and he was like a jester but he was very clever and he would always add some humor. So he, he came in and he say hey! what's happening? The king said don't get involved, we’re all serious. We're protecting the whole spiritual life of the kingdom. No no just I want to know what's happening, tell me what's happening? He said, this brāhmaṇa, explained him what happened. So we're gonna kill him as punishment. So Gopāla he was taking mercy on this brāhmaṇa. Obviously it was the foolish thing he did but death penalty was also a bit heavy. So then he told the king, but my lord, this, this brāhmaṇa was only the carrier of the śālagrāma. The king, so what? He was only the carrier. What do you mean? Don’t get involved in these things Gopāla, I’m very serious. He was the carries of the śālagrāma. So what do you mean Gopāla? So you’re riding on your horse, your horse is your carrier. When your horse passes stool, do you consider yourself contaminated? The king thought, so he was acting as a carrier for the śālagrāma. So if the śālagrāma is contaminated then every time your horse passes you have to take shower (laughing). So okay brāhmaṇa listen I’m releasing you this time but you never do that again. So this is like just a humorous story. But actually it reveals like the relation of the king to protect the dharma, the duty of the brāhmaṇas. Normally brāhmaṇas never punished by a king. But if he acts against religion he can also become punished. So the king was feeling responsible.

So like this every varna had it’s responsibility. But Kṛṣṇa actually He may have sometime acted like one varna and other. But actually He is always transcendental. And that He explains in this verse akartāram avyayam, the nondoer always being unchangeable. So actually the whole purpose of varṇāśrama is to please Kṛṣṇa, Hari-toṣaṇam. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased then everything is perfect. So nowadays in Kali-yuga it’s not possible to strictly maintain the same varṇāśrama. So our previous acharyas they recommend we have daiva-varṇāśrama. Daiva-varṇāśrama means that everyone understands themselves as just servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa and as a devotee engage in Kṛṣṇa’s service. But according to their nature they serve in that way. So because they’re all Vaiṣṇavas they are all transcendental. But externally they act according to their particular situation. So that way everyone is equally respectable. You see not, that they want is no, it has to be all Vaiṣṇavas. But to create order in society they externally maintain varṇāśrama.

Lord Caitanya he wanted His followers to maintain the āśramas. Those who were gṛhasthas He would name their children, He would give them blessings. But those who were in the renowned orders He’s very strict that they couldn’t associate in any intimate way with the women. And if they would do that He’d be very angry. Even Haridāsa, Junior Haridāsa He banned, because he was in the street with a women. So Lord Caitanya wanted that devote should be very sincere and follow whatever vows they’ve taken with the purpose of pleasing Kṛṣṇa. So this way devotees engage in the devotional service and maintaining the ashrams externally. Actually Vaiṣṇava is transcendental of varṇāśrama because a Vaiṣṇava is transcendental to three modes. So here mentions that this is been made according to the modes of material nature. So out of humility the devotee acts according to varṇāśrama. In actually devotees are transcendental. But knowing that if they would act without any regulation this will create the bad example for those who are, and then everyone would be acting in a irresponsible way. So that’s why the devotee they maintain the varṇāśrama.

After, 200 years after Lord Caitanya’s movement was began. There's some so called followers of Lord Caitanya who're called sahajīyas. Sahajīya means that they follow their own whims. They take the whole process very cheap. They consider that because the Vaiṣṇavas, they're transcendental. So they didn't do anything. So some of them are doing various illicit activities but presenting themselves as liberated souls. So this is creating a big disturbance. Rupa Gosvāmi said that anything not according to the śāstra,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktirutpātāyaiva kalpate

Any activity not following these Vedic scriptures is just a disturbance in society. Disturbance to our developing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. What they're doing is creating a disturbance. So then Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he took sannyāsa, and they said well this is proper for Vaiṣṇava take sannyāsa, Vaiṣṇava is above sannyāsa. But the Bhaktisiddhānta Ṭhākura explained that I’m not yet a Vaiṣṇava, I’m aspiring Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is very great thing, so I’m trying to become a Vaiṣṇava, I’m trying to be a pure devotee. So because therefore I’m taking the sannyāsa for purification. Actually of course he was a pure devotee, but he was, wanted to establish properly the activities. Okay these people were acting outside the varṇāśrama, in the name of being a pure devotee and creating disturbances. So he was teaching that it’s better to take the humble position, act within varṇāśrama, but actually be situated in pure devotional service.

So this important verse for preaching. Also now people think that by birth they become a particular varṇa. And this also, Kṛṣṇa doesn’t indicate here, janma karma, He said guṇa karma. According to the qualities and according to the nature of work. Actually the varṇāśrama system is not strictly hereditary, but rather just like a children of a particular father would generally be trained up in the same work. But if they won’t qualify they won’t be accepted that. Just like Nanda Mahārāja, he was the brother of Vasudeva. But Vasudeva was a kṣatriya and Nanda Mahārāja was a vaiśya, because Nanda Mahārāja is taking care of cows and Vasudeva was the king. Viśvamitra was born a kṣatriya but he became a brāhmaṇa by tapasyā. So in the Mahābhārata says you should recognize a person by their work and the qualities. Kṛṣṇa says He created varṇāśrama, but He’s transcendental to the varṇāśrama system.

So ultimate conclusion is if you please Kṛṣṇa by our activities then our life is a success. This is what Kṛṣṇa taught to Arjuna, that, if he, if Arjuna fulfils his duties in the Kurukṣetra battle for the purpose of pleasing Kṛṣṇa. So in that way he will achieve the eternal shelter of Kṛṣṇa, go back to the spiritual worlds. You see, so then Arjuna could realize that higher than being a kṣatriya, as a kṣatriya if he fights the battle they’ll get heavenly planets if he dies, while he will get the kingdom if he wins. But as a devotee you get the spiritual worlds, you get the eternal service of Kṛṣṇa. So he decided to fight for Kṛṣṇa, not just because he was a kṣatriya. So this is the highest principle for all the varṇas, just to work for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa. So that is called daiva-varṇāśrama, this is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wanted to establish. It was a prediction that in the future even the high court judges would be having tilaka. Then they all give the true verdict, beyond rivalry.

Thank you very much. What’s that Terima kasih. Any questions?

Question: why was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s identity kept a secret while He was present?

Jayapatākā Swami: Because He’s coming as a devotee. If it was known that He’s the Lord then how He could act as a devotee, it would have disturbed His pastimes. The Lord comes as a devotee. So devotee, devotee cannot think that he is the Lord. You can have the people yelling that He is the Lord. Just like if the president of the country decides he’s gonna make a secret visit and mingle amongst the people to see what the mood is, but if it comes out in the headlines of the paper. President coming 4pm in see, in the skies to see the people. Could be thousands of people will assemble and he’ll have no protection. Also in this age of Kali, there’s no scheduled avatāra, who comes as a proclaimed avatāra. The avatāra, Lord Caitanya is predicted that He is a channa-avatāra, He’s a secret, He’s the covered avatāra. Although He’s the Lord Himself He comes and covering Himself in the disguise as a devotee. After He left then you can reveal His identity. And after the president how did he came and why he didn’t say? He came, he was there (laughing). Oh, very interesting, everyone learnt this. But if you say before then it spoils. That’s how although many Vedas predicted He was coming, but Kṛṣṇa covered by the yoga-māyā. So the sages couldn’t understand clearly.

Is that clear? Any other question?

Question: In India generally the people chant the Gayatri mantra while submerging themself in the Ganges. Is there any special significance to that or any special benefit that one gets from chanting the Gayatri mantra like that?

Jayapatākā Swami: There’s different, if you chant mantra in certain places you get more benefit. If you chant by the sacred rivers and if you chant the, I’m not, exactly not sure about the river and the land. You chant by the side of the sacred river you get so many times more benefit. And if you chant in a holy place, the pilgrimage you get so many times. So once like, a thousand and others like, hundred thousand, what figure which is which. And you chant in front of the tulasī then you get, like a million times. So if you chant in the Ganges you get many times more. And if you chant in front of the deities, installed deities you say your Gayatri you get unlimited times of benefit. Everyone should say the Gayatri mantra. So that’s why the sages say in the Ganges.

Question: What is the policy of, the opinion of the devotees regarding the caste system after after and becoming devotees of the explanation given here.

Jayapatākā Swami: The devotees appreciate the varṇāśrama system. They feel that the varṇāśrama system was perfect, for it was main. While in the age of Kali it started to degenerate. So what we have left over varṇāśrama system now is just like kind of a perverted reflection, was imperfect representation. But they appreciate the other caste system. And in fact they like to create society, say communities based on a, as I mentioned the kind of streamlined, spiritualized varṇāśrama system. Where it would be in one sense casteless, but everyone would be a Vaiṣṇava, not for practical purposes. People would be acting according to their different natures and types of work. And Prabhupāda stress that the, this divisions are there anyway in the modern society, they’re all, there these occupations exist. There’s intellectuals, there’s teachers, priests, the problem is that they don’t take the responsibility. But in varṇāśrama system the brāhmaṇas or the teachers and priests, they had to be vegetarians, they had to worship God, they had to lead the holy life. If they didn’t they, they couldn’t act those positions. So now you have them, like in America problem that is school teachers, sometime they’re found to molest the children. Even recently the priests in Canada they’re found that they were molesting the children. So that, they don’t follow the, they’re not following the rules. So according to varṇāśrama if someone does that they’re banned, they’re, they’re banned from being a brāhmaṇa. Then they’re, they’re called as criminals. So due to lack of this, just the profession is there, but the, the spiritual training is lacking. So we like to see a type of spiritualized varṇāśrama program in the worlds (laughing). Is there still varṇāśrama in Indonesia? That’s, That’s what Prabhupāda said was, it’s not possible to reinstate the original thing now in Kali-yuga. So but somehow the basic principles could be . It needs to be fully spiritualized so that one caste doesn’t think that they’re better than the other caste. Because that creates itself the hatred and the imbalance. But that, we’ll see that this is all part of the same body, so we all have to work together. They’re trying in Canada to make a varṇāśrama, in many countries they’re trying to make varṇāśrama community, so they’re inspired.

And Prabhupada said in order to varṇāśrama is based upon agricultural production, we have to also cow protection. Unless that one thing missing in modern society, they’re slaughtering the cow, but in varṇāśrama the cow is to be protected by the vaiśyas and everyone drinks the milk of the cow. Cause milk is needed to give higher intelligence to understand spiritual subject matters. It said fish make people clever, but spiritually dull. Materialy clever, spiritually dull. But eating milk gives spiritual intelligence, creates a finer tissue to understand the higher philosophical knowledge. So milk is a type of miracle food. But we need to protect the cow. Here they protect mother cow (laughing). It’s the most protected cow I’ve ever seen (laughing), mosquito net (laughing) Very nicely protected (laughing).

Have you seen that cow?

Devotee: I used to sleep there.

Jayapatākā Swami:I see (laughing), peaceful place. Any other question?

You know now that I’m just coming from India, in Assam which is a kind of trouble place but the local devotees they constructed a beautiful temple. About 30 miles in the Bangladesh border and it’s about two storey temple and guest house, we had a big grand opening, prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā of the deities. We’re opening that there Gaura prabhu would come about 12.

The problem is there’s like kind of a revolutionary, some, some of the people they’re having revolution type of thing, so this political oneness, political not religious oddness some, some religious oddness also, some communal problem also. Because of this Rāma birth place some communal misunderstanding also. So there’s all, all around was disturbance where we were, it was like a island of peace. So,

But this particular area was part of bangla, was part of Bengal before the partition of India. And when India was partitioned then this part stayed with India and the rest became East Pakistan. So these are primarily, this is the part of Assam, lower Assam, these are Bengali speaking Asami's it’s called Kacha it’s in the city of Sucha. So it’s between Tripura and Bangladesh and Manipur, so little place there, little valley. So it’s a multinational place, there’s Manipuris there’s Bengalis, there’s Meghas there’s Kasis, there’s all kind of. There’s Hindus there’s Muslims there’s various communities. But, so there’s some tension. But the river was very peaceful. So 12 devotees came from soviet union and they gave the experience how they were, they were been prosecuted. But then they were free. And now this year they have 27 rath yatras in the Soviet Union. And millions of Bhagavad-gītās were ordered at the books fair. So it looks like there’s going to be millions of Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees in Soviet Union (aside: Jai!). How a two hundred and fifty thousand books were sent there in January for the whole year. But in five weeks they are all sold, there’s, they are supposed twelve months supply in five weeks sold out. Now all the bookstores want. So they’re making special big mass runs.

So Śrīla Prabhupāda had predicted before that America and Russia are heading for world war, this is 15 years ago. But if you can get the people of Soviet Union to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa then there will not be a war. So we all thought well anyway, that’s impossible, but actually that happened. Thousands, tens and thousands of people were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in Soviet Union. And the whole karma of the country changed, cold war is over. Now America and Soviet Union are friends (laughing). 5 years ago we couldn’t imagine. So we see the recent because there’s so many thousands of people were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

This is the power of the Vedas, power of sanātana-dharma, power of the mahā-mantra.