20241014 Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta 2.3. Qualification for Karma and Caste Consideration

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Second Shower — Consideration of secondary rules

Third Stream — Qualification for Karma and Caste Consideration

5) Nature of the mixed lower classes (Antyaja-svabhāva)

The nature of the antyaja people are being without the understanding of what is to be done and what is not to be done, without proper behavior, always fond of quarrels, extremely selfish, gluttony for filling the belly, without marriage rules. If these natures are not given up, then there is no nature of human, so the human nature is only of four types.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he is explaining if someone has no human qualities, then they have the antyaja-svabhāva. That means they are not having any Vedic rules. So, he is recommending to practice devotional service, in order to give up these lack of rules.

The determination of caste according to nature is scientific and recommended by the ārya-ṛṣis.

The duty is to accept the instincts or qualities and the corresponding actions according to the nature. If actions against the nature is done, then those actions will not be good and fruitful. A portion of any nature is called ‘genius’ in English. Changing mature nature is not easy. Therefore, while working according to one’s nature, maintain life and strive for paramārtha.

In this Indian state, human beings have acquired the four castes from the above mentioned four natures. When one is situated in the society is according the division by caste, then all the social action becomes naturally fruitful and there is auspiciousness in the world. The society in which the caste system is adopted, that society is based on science and is worshiped by all mankind.

Some may doubt that when the human beings of the European continent have always done big tasks and been respectable in other countries without accepting the caste system, then there is no real need to accept the caste system. This doubt is futile; Because European nations are very young and modern. Humans of the younger race are often stronger and more daring. Due to that strength and courage, they are doing so many things in the world by collecting many knowledge, science and techniques that has been obtained from the people of the previous race. If the nation becomes gradually older, then due to the absence of science-based society, it will collapse very quickly.

Because of the presence of caste system among the Indian Āryans, caste symptoms are manifesting even in old age. Romans and Greeks were once stronger and more virile than modern Europeans. What is their situation today? They have become different, devoid of the signs of caste by accepting the religion and symptoms of other modern nations, and so they no longer feel proud of the bravery of their native heroes. In our country, even though the Āryan race is much older than the Romans and Greeks, but they are proud of the previous brave men of India. Why? Only because the varṇāśrama system was strong in force, their caste symptoms did not go away. Kinga Rāna, having been killed by the mlecchas is still known to everyone as a warrior born of Rāmacandra dynasty. No matter how much the people of India have fallen due to the old age of caste system, as long as the caste system prevails, they will be Āryans, never anāryan.

People of Āryan origin like Romans and so on in Europe have mixed with the antyaja caste peoples like Han and Bhandal. If we discuss the present society of the European nations, it will be seen that whatever beauty there is in that society also is by taking shelter of the inherent nature of caste. In Europe, a person with mercantile nature, likes only business and flourished through trade and commerce. A person who is of kṣatriya nature, adopts military line or the action of soldiers. Those who are of śūdra nature, love to do some general service. In fact, no society can function without adopting the caste system to some extent. Lower and higher status based on caste and nature are also seen in marriage ceremonies. Although caste system was adopted to some extent and established the society of European caste, that caste system did not take full form scientifically among them. As much the civilization and knowledge advance in Europe, to that extent the caste system will be more complete.

There are two types of methods in all matters i.e. unscientific method and scientific method. As long as the scientific method is not followed, the activity continues in the unscientific way; For example, till the steamboat was not prepared according to scientific methods, unscientific boats etc. were used for navigation. The society is also like that, that is, till the caste system is not run in a perfect manner in the country, its unscientific precursor continues to run the society of that country. The unscientific primary caste system has been the driving force of society in Europe (in short everywhere except India). For this reason, India is called the karma-kṣetra (place of action).

Jayapatākā Swami: So this writing of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives a broad conception of the human society. And we were reading earlier, he spoke a lot about Lord Caitanya. Just now he is speaking on the Aryan culture. According to the varṇāśrama system, people tend to follow whatever their nature is. And so that way they scientifically divided the society. India follows the scientific system of varṇāśrama and the rest of the world did not really follow it. They did it in a kind of different way. And Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying that the thing he could not establish was varṇāśrama. That he wanted to have the people follow the varṇāśrama system.

The current caste rules are corrupt

Now the question is whether the caste system that is currently being observed in India in healthy condition? The answer is no. Even after the caste system was fully established in India, finally due to contacting diseases, many sufferings and degradations were seen in India. Otherwise, even though the Indians retired from war due to old age, they could have happily settled in the role as advisers to other nations like a retired elder brother. It is necessary to consider what the unhealthiness is.

Brāhmaṇism is determined as per activity

At the beginning of the Tretā-yuga when the scientific discussion of the Āryan caste was sufficient, at that time the varṇāśrama system was established.*

Jayapatākā Swami: So Śrīla Prabhupāda, he wanted to establish varṇāśrama in ISKCON, mainly brāhmaṇas. People who knew the scriptures and they could advise people to lead their lives in a more spiritual way. So that was his hope, but he was taking yavanas and mlecchas and people who did not follow Vedic culture, and he was elevating them to brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas.

Note:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.17.10–13

ādau kṛta-yuge varṇo
nṛṇāṁ haṁsa iti smṛtaḥ
kṛta-kṛtyāḥ prajā jātyā
tasmāt kṛta-yugaṁ viduḥ

vedaḥ praṇava evāgre
dharmo ’haṁ vṛṣa-rūpa-dhṛk
upāsate tapo-niṣṭhā
haṁsaṁ māṁ mukta-kilbiṣāḥ

tretā-mukhe mahā-bhāga
prāṇān me hṛdayāt trayī
vidyā prādurabhūt tasyā
aham āsaṁ tri-vṛn makhaḥ

vipra-kṣatriya-viṭ-śūdrā
mukha-bāhūru-pāda-jāḥ
vairājāt puruṣāj jātā
ya ātmācāra-lakṣaṇāḥ

In the beginning, in Satya-yuga, there is only one social class, called haṁsa, to which all human beings belong. In that age all people are unalloyed devotees of the Lord from birth, and thus learned scholars call this first age Kṛta-yuga, or the age in which all religious duties are perfectly fulfilled. In Satya-yuga the undivided Veda is expressed by the syllable oṁ, and I am the only object of mental activities. I become manifest as the four-legged bull of religion, and thus the inhabitants of Satya-yuga, fixed in austerity and free from all sins, worship Me as Lord Haṁsa. O greatly fortunate one, at the beginning of Tretā-yuga Vedic knowledge appeared from My heart, which is the abode of the air of life, in three divisions — as Ṛg, Sāma and Yajur. Then from that knowledge I appeared as threefold sacrifice. In Tretā-yuga the four social orders were manifested from the universal form of the Personality of Godhead. The brāhmaṇas appeared from the Lord’s face, the kṣatriyas from the Lord’s arms, the vaiśyas from the Lord’s thighs and the śūdras from the legs of that mighty form. Each social division was recognized by its particular duties and behavior.

Jayapatākā Swami: We are in the Kali-yuga and there are four yugas – Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali. In Kali-yuga, gradually they are more and more degraded. But Lord Caitanya appeared in this Kali-yuga and He wants to deliver all the people by chanting the holy names of Kṛṣṇa.

The rule during that time was that every person would get caste according to his nature, and according to that caste he would get the qualification and perform the actions specified by that caste. The work of the world was conducted in a beautiful manner by the rules of division of labor and the rules of determining the nature. One who did not have the father's caste was classified by nature alone. Vedic history of Jābāli and Gautama, Jānaśruti and Citraratha are examples of this. About whom the caste of the father was specified, by seeing both the nature and lineage the caste was determined. Agniveśya himself became a Maharṣi by the name of Jātukarṇa in the Naviśyanta dynasty, and in his lineage arose the famous brāhmaṇa lineage called Agniveśyāyana. Jahnu, the son of Hotraka in the Aila dynasty, attained brāhmaṇahood. In the Bharata dynasty was Bharadvāja whose name is Vitatha Rāja. In his lineage, Naradi's son became a kṣatriya, and Garga's son became a brāhmaṇa. Maudgalya gotra’s Śatānanda, Kṛpācārya etc. were born in the dynasty of Bharyāśva king. Such examples are numerous in the scriptures, I have mentioned only a few of them. At the time when such genuine reforms were in vogue, the fame of India was as influential and powerful as mid-day sun. All nations then worshiped Indians as kings, controllers and gurus. At that time, people of countries like Egypt, China etc. used to take advice from Indians with respectful fear.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, India was having very advanced spiritual culture. And in the separation of the Hindu federation, different countries have taken some assets. So, they had Buddhists, Hindus. In Japan they are saying that the culture of the worshipers of the forefathers also came from India. And in Indo-China, they also have some aspect of Indian culture. When the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi went to the recent ASEAN summit they played a dance drama on Lord Ramacandra. So, when I was travelling to Russia, they had a Russian Veda. I don’t know its history but in that Russian Veda they had different aspects of India history. So, some people are military, some are scientists and scholars, some people are in business, and some people are workers. So, although they don’t firmly follow the caste system of varṇāśrama they still have people doing work according to different kinds of nature. Lord Caitanya whatever nature people would have, He would raise them to the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Things are very mixed up in Kali-yuga. But Lord Caitanya, He elevates people by His causeless mercy. Even if you chant the Pañca-tattva name, Hare Kṛṣṇa name, Lord Caitanya delivers you. And people would get a sublime taste by chanting the holy name. We are living here in the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. So, He has taught us that we should chant the holy name and that way we can advance spiritually. No matter where in the world you are, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you can get a sublime taste.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!

Like in Cambodia they have the Angkor Vat temple. In Thailand they have the dance drama called Ramakien.

Su-svāgatam to the Japanese devotees here today!