Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.66

Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Sixth Canto, First Chapter, verse number 66. [leads chanting of verse, etc.]

atas tataś copaninye nyāyato 'nyāyato dhanaṁ babhārāsyāḥ kuṭumbinyāḥ kuṭumbaṁ manda-dhīr ayam [SB 6.1.66]

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Prabhupāda:

yatas tataś copaninye nyāyato 'nyāyato dhanaṁ babhārāsyāḥ kuṭumbinyāḥ kuṭumbaṁ manda-dhīr ayam [SB 6.1.66]

So this is the beginning of saṁsāra. So there is attraction between man and woman, and as soon as the attraction becomes little intimate, they unite. Then they have children. Then they require money, apartment, so many things.

This man became sinful. He gave up his real wife, married wife, coming from very good family, but he became attracted with that śūdrāṅī, fourth class. Śūdra means fourth class, worker class. Brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So śūdra women, they are not chaste. Some of them are practically professional prostitute. But that is not in higher caste family—brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. But at the present moment it is very difficult to distinguish who is brāhmaṅa and who is śūdra. But formerly this is the system of Vedic civilization—ideal character, ideal behavior of the brāhmaṅa; less, little less, kṣatriya; little less, vaiśya; and less than the vaiśya, the śūdra; and less than the śūdras are called caṅḍālas. First class, second class, third class, fourth class and then fifth class.

So this man, being attracted with the śūdrāṅī, naturally there was children. So he began to maintain them. This is natural affection. Even cats and dogs, they maintain their children. The birds also, they maintain their kiddies. So although children were born of śūdrāṅī, natural there was affection. So he required money. But he became sinful; he could not earn money honestly. A sinful man cannot earn money honestly. Just like a thief: because he has adopted the means of earning money by sinful activities, he cannot take to honest work. He can work, but he is accustomed to steal. He knows that "This work is not good." If he is arrested, he will be punished. He has seen that one thief arrested and punished, and he has heard also that if one steals, he will be punished. And he has heard also from the śāstra, either law book or Vedic literature, that "Stealing is not good. It is punishable." But still, he does it. That means a sinful man cannot restrain himself from sinful activity. He has to do it. Kāraṅaṁ guṅa-saṅgo asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu [Bg 13.22]. Unless you give up the particular association with the modes of nature, it is not possible for him to restrain himself from committing sinful activities.

So he became sinful because he left his married wife and he became attracted with a śūdrāṅī immediately. That has been described in the previous verse, visasarjācirāt pāpaḥ [SB 6.1.65]. Pāpaḥ means sinful man. He became sinful immediately. Therefore we stress on marriage. They cannot understand why this Association stresses so much for marriage, not to live... They live as friend; that is śūdra. There is no legal marriage, śūdra and śūdrāṅī. Just like he was living with the śūdrāṅī—he was not married—as friend. So even śūdra's marriage there is. For the śūdra there is one āśrama—that is gṛhastha āśrama. And for the brāhmaṅas, four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is for the brāhmaṅas. For the kṣatriyas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. For the vaiśya: brahmacārī and gṛhastha. And for the śūdras: no brahmacārī, only family life, and that also sometimes without marriage. This is the low grade, first grade, second grade.

So now to live as friend, as śūdra, that is now current all over the world. Now marriage is being forgotten. That is also written the śāstra, that "There will be no more marriage. One man and woman should live together by agreement." That is going on now in Kali-yuga. Svikāram eva hy udvāhe, it is stated. Simply agree: "Yes, you become my bedfellow; I become your bedfellow." That's all. Svikāram eva hy udvāhe. That is marriage. No more that ceremonial marriage. That is being forgotten. This is Kali-yuga now. Dāmpatyam eva hi... Ratim eva hi dāmpatye: "And their so-called unity, man and woman, means sex." There is no other meaning. Dāmpatye, union of man and woman, means sex. There is no other religious system, I mean, that husband, wife live together; they should cooperate for advancing in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. These things are being forgotten.

So Kali-yuga, these things are very common, but in the previous yuga, Satya-yuga, they were not very common, but rare. This combination of the brāhmaṅa and the śūdrāṅī, this is accidental. It is not common. So anyway, accidental or organized, it doesn't matter. One who violates the rules and regulation, immediately he comes to the category of such classification. So he became a śūdra. Although he was born in a brāhmaṅa family, he was being trained up, but on account of the association of a śūdrāṅī, prostitute, he fell down and he became a pāpaḥ, most sinful man. So as a pāpaḥ, he did not know how to earn money honestly. He is neither brāhmaṅa, nor kṣatriya, nor vaiśya. He is now not even śūdra; less than that. Therefore it is said, yatas tataś ca upaninye: "somehow or other." According to classification, a brāhmaṅa has got specific function for earning his livelihood, a kṣatriya has got a specific action for livelihood, a vaiśya has got specific action for livelihood and a śūdra has got a specific action for livelihood. But he became less than śūdra. Therefore yatas tataś ca—"Somehow or other, bring money, bring money." This is called yatas tataś ca, no fixed up.

A brāhmaṅa... Everyone has to earn livelihood. That is a fact. Without working, you cannot live. So there are specific... Just like brāhmaṅa—yajan yājan paṭhan pāṭhan dānaḥ pratigrahaḥ. He must be very good worshiper of the Lord, and he must induce his yajamāna, his dependent. Brāhmaṅa is the head, and the kṣatriya, vaiśya, they are yajamāna. So they should induce, just like we are inducing all over the world, "Open temple. Worship Kṛṣṅa." This is brāhmaṅa's business.

śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi vande guroḥ śrī-caraṅāravindam

This is the duty of the guru. He worships himself. Unless he knows how to worship, how he will teach them? So he acts himself as brāhmaṅa, and he teaches the disciple how to work as a brāhmaṅa. Śrī-vigraha. This is called yajana yājana. Paṭhana pāṭhana: he must be a learned brāhmaṅa, and he must teach others how to become learned brāhmaṅa, paṅḍita. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha: he can accept charity from others, and he will distribute it by temple worship, distribute. All that you have collected, worship the Deity and distribute prasādam, distribute this, distribute... Dānaḥ pratigrahaḥ. This is brāhmaṅa's business. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana. And kṣatriya, they will be governor of certain villages or little extended, and they will give protection. Kṣatriya means giving protection. If somebody is coming outside to attack you, the kṣatriya kings will immediately come out, and with sword they will give you protection. And because the kṣatriya gives you protection, therefore you give him some tax. Unless the governor or the government does not give you protection, they have no place to tax. That is not... That is illegal.

Therefore kṣatriya can levy tax because he gives protection. And a brāhmaṅa, he elevates the society to spiritual standard. Then simply protection and advancing in spiritual life will not do. We must have food also. So that is vaiśya's business. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṅijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg 18.44].

[Farming, cow protection and business are the qualities of work for the vaiśyas, and for the śūdras there is labor and service to others.]

The vaiśyas should produce food. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni [Bg 3.14].

[All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.]

Unless people eat, how they will live? Simply becoming king for levying tax and simply becoming brāhmaṅa to teach how to worship, but if you have no food, then what you will do? There must be arrangement for food. That is entrusted to the vaiśyas. In this way this is classification. Not by birth one becomes brāhmaṅa, and working less than a śūdra, and he is still brāhmaṅa. This is not... This is nonsense. One must be guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13].

[According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.]

The society is divided according to the quality he is working, accordingly.

So this is the Vedic society. Now it is all lost. But if you revive it, people will be happy, if you can revive it. There is no difficulty. But unfortunately, in this age everyone has become śūdra, so it is little difficult to raise them again. But if everyone is engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, then everything is possible. Without chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra they are all fallen. Artificially you cannot raise them to the standard of living. That is not possible. Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam [Cc Antya 20.12].

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

They must be cleansed of the dirty things within the heart, and then it will. That is the instruction we are going... This man is falling down, and how he will be elevated by chanting the holy name of Nārāyaṅa, that is the narration we are going to have. Now, how he is fallen down, that is now being described. And how he'll be raised, that will be also described.

So now it is falling down. His business... He has got family, wife, children, and he requires money, because the economic development, economic impetus, begins from this family affection. It is fact. Nobody would earn money. Therefore, if one is not married, he does not like to earn money. This is natural. And if he has got family, wife and children, then he will try to earn money. So this man is a rogue, he is sinful, but because still he has got children and wife, therefore he has to earn money. But because he is sinful, he cannot earn money honestly. Yatas tataś ca upaninye. Yena tena prakāreṅa: "Bring money. Somehow or other, bring money." Yatas tataś ca upaninye nyāyataḥ anyāyataḥ. Nyāyataḥ means legally, lawfully. Nyāya means law. Anyāyataḥ, "without legal." Just like we can earn money by stealing, but that is anyāyataḥ. You cannot touch others' property. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam [Īśo mantra 1].

[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

This is Vedic instruction. Whatever you are allotted, you can... "A brāhmaṅa, you can earn like this. A kṣatriya, you can earn like this. A vaiśya, you can earn like this." But don't encroach upon others' property. But he became sinful, yena tena prakāreṅa. Nyāyataḥ anyāyataḥ. Nyāyataḥ is finished because he was a brāhmaṅa. No more he is brāhmaṅa. So anyāyataḥ, simply unlawfully. Anyāya. Why? Babhāra, maintaining; asyāḥ kuṭumbinyāḥ, the family members, wife and children. Kuṭumbaṁ manda-dhīr ayam. Manda-dhīḥ. Manda means very bad, very bad intelligence. In this way he began to earn his money and gradually he degraded, and that will be described, how he became degraded.

So beginning his degradation is the association. He was a brāhmaṅa, but by chance he became associated with a prostitute. So this association is very, very important. By association... Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ [Bg 2.62].

[While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.]

If you associate with good association, then you become good, and if you associate with bad association, then you become bad. Therefore we are establishing Kṛṣṅa conscious Society. A Kṛṣṅa conscious man cannot be bad. Therefore, if people are given chance to associate with this Society, automatically he'll become good. Otherwise there is no need of opening so many centers all over the world. But the idea is that to give the chance of good association.

Therefore, those who are members of this Society, they should be ideal. Simply by their association people will become good. Very good responsibility. And if they become bad themselves, there is no possibility, because we are giving instruction, we are behaving like that, still one becomes bad—oh, that is very great misfortune. Therefore all our members, the members of the Kṛṣṅa consciousness Society, should be ideal. At least people may see that "Here is a class of men—ideal character, ideal behavior, spiritual advanced, and very frugal and very nice." That is... Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṅais tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12].

[All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?]

That is natural. If one becomes a devotee... That is the certificate, that how one has achieved good qualities. That is the test of becoming a devotee. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṅais tatra samāsate surāḥ. A devotee means he has, what is called, awakened all the good qualities.

The good qualities are there. Because we are part and parcel of God, there is no bad quality in our constitutional position. We are godly. We may be small, but the same quality. So there cannot be originally. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. This is Vedic instruction. A living entity means spiritually part and parcel of God. There cannot be any bad quality. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg 10.12].

[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]

Arjuna said to Kṛṣṅa that pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the most pure." So how His part and parcel can be impure? Gold may be a small particle gold, but it is gold. It cannot be otherwise. Similarly, we, being mamaivāṁśaḥ... Kṛṣṅa says that "They are My living beings. They are My part and parcel." So there cannot be any bad thing. The bad thing is because we have accepted this material body.

So in order to come back to our original position—completely good; no bad thing—we must come to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Otherwise we are gone; we are condemned. This is the purpose of Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement: to bring him again to the platform of complete goodness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]