Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.13

Pradyumna: ...vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

[break] leads chanting of synonyms]

ataḥ—so; pumbhiḥ—by the human being; dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ—O best among the twice-born; varṅa-āśrama—the institution of four castes and orders of life; vibhāgaśaḥ—by the division of; svanuṣṭhitasya—of one's own prescribed duties; dharmasya—occupational; saṁsiddhiḥ—the highest perfection; hari—the Personality of Godhead; toṣaṅam—pleasing.

[02:57]

Translation: "O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging his prescribed duties, or dharma, according to caste divisions and orders of life, is to please the Lord Hari."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Ataḥ pumbhir-dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Varṅa and āśrama. This varṅāśrama is very important thing in the human society. Unless one accepts these principles of varṅa and āśrama, they're animal society. That is not human society.

Four varṅas—the brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, four divisions of the society; and āśrama, spiritual order—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. This is Vedic culture, varṅāśrama. Any society which is devoid of this Vedic culture, varna and asrama, that is not accepted as human society.

In the Viṣṅu Purāṅa also it is said,

varṅāśramācāravatā puruṣeṅa paraḥ pumān viṣṅur ārādhyate panthā nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṅam [Cc Madhya 8.58]

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṅu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṅa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṅas and āśramas.’]

The whole aim of life is to achieve the favor of Viṣṅu. Oṁ tad viṣṅoḥ paramaṁ padam. That is the Ṛg-Veda mantra. To reach Viṣṅu. But they do not know the goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅu [SB 7.5.31].

[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṅu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]

They do not know. Anyone, or any society who does not know the aim of life, they are in the darkness.

Actually, at the present moment especially, the whole human society has missed the point. They are trying to be happy by material adjustment. By social adjustment, by political adjustment, by economic development or by religious adjustment, they are trying to make the whole human society happy. But Bhāgavata says, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ: this is something which is beyond the fulfillment of hopes. This hope will never be fulfilled. Durāśayā. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Because they have accepted the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bahir-artha.

Just like this body. Your body, my body, this is bahir-artha, external. Just like my this wrapper, this is external. Real person is not this wrapper or this body. The real person is the soul. But they have no information of the soul, neither information of Viṣṅu, the origin of soul. They are interested with the external body. That is called bahir-artha. Bahi means external; artha means interest. Just like you have seen our..., in our Bhāgavata, the picture that one lady is taking care of the cage, and the bird within is dying. So bahir-artha-mānī means this, that we are taking care of the body, external body, but not taking care of the soul within. This is the civilization of cows and asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13].

[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]

Go means cows, and khara means asses.

Therefore here it is said, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ [SB 1.2.13]. Dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ. In that meeting of Naimiṣāraṅya, there were all best brāhmaṅas. Dvija means twice-born. Twice-born. The brahmanas, the kṣatriya and the vaiśyas, they are supposed to be twice-born. One birth by the father and mother, and the other birth is by the guru and Vedic knowledge. The guru is the father, and Vedic knowledge is the mother. This is, in Āryan civilization, this varṅāśrama, varṅa: brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.

Śūdra are once-born. They have no ceremony for twice-born. Or one who is not twice-born, he's a śūdra. If the twice-born ceremony is not observed, is not observed, then it is śūdra. Or act..., practically, at the present moment, even in India these ceremonies are not accepted or they do not care for it. And what to speak of other countries. Therefore the conclusion of the śāstra is kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: in this Age of Kali, there are only śūdras. Practically there is no brāhmaṅa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśyas. Maybe some vaiśyas. But this is the position.

But here it is said, varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Unless one..., unless the society comes to the institution for accepting these four varṅas and āśrama, it is not human society. And in the human society there is understanding of God, not in the animal society. Therefore as the institution of varṅāśrama is now abolished, people are becoming godless.

Because varṅāśrama means the institution or a set-up of society where gradually one can understand Viṣṅu and worship Viṣṅu. Viṣṅur ārādhyate [Cc Madhya 8.58].

[The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṅu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṅa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṅas and āśramas.’]

That is the system. Not that so-called brāhmaṅa and so-called kṣatriya, they have no information of Viṣṅu, and they are declaring, "I am brāhmaṅa," "I am kṣatriya." They are called, according to śāstra, brahma-bandhu, dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu. One who is born of a brāhmaṅa family or a kṣatriya family or vaiśya family, but do not act as brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya and vaiśyas, they are called dvija-bandhu. They are not accepted as dvija. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā [SB 1.4.25].

[Out of compassion, the great sage thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the Mahābhārata for women, laborers and friends of the twice-born.]

This Mahābhārata was compiled by Vyāsadeva for this purpose, because strī, women; śūdra, the fourth class of the society, laborer class, worker class; strī, śūdra; and dvija-bandhu, and persons who are born in the families of brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, but they do not act, they are called dvija-bandhu. For them, this Mahābhārata was compiled. It is called "Fifth Vedas." Four Vedas: Sāma, Yajur, Atharva..., Sāma, Yajur, Ṛk, Atharva. So this Vedic language cannot be understood by the less intelligent class of men, who are known as woman, śūdra and dvija-bandhu, strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnām [SB 1.4.25].

In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striyo śūdrā tathā vaiśyās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim [Bg 9.32]

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

So when one becomes Kṛṣṅa conscious, it does not matter whether he's a strī or a śūdra or a dvija-bandhu. Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: they also can be elevated to the highest platform of perfection.

So that is Kṛṣṅa's special favor. Ordinarily, this is the formula, this formula. What is that? Dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ..., ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ. This is the ordinary formula. Ataḥ pumbhir, pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. It is based on the varṅāśrama division. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13].

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

Everyone must have perfection, but people are not interested what is the perfection of life. Neither they know what is the position of perfection. The perfection is hari-toṣaṅam, to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It doesn't matter what you are. If you are brāhmaṅa, by your activities, satyaṁ śamo dama titikṣā, by your austerity, knowledge, you satisfy Kṛṣṅa, the Sup..., Viṣṅu, the Supreme. Kṛṣṅa and Viṣṅu, the same.

Viṣṅu-tattva..., Kṛṣṅa is the origin of viṣṅu-tattva. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg 10.8],

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

Kṛṣṅa says. He is the origin of Viṣṅu also. Sarvasya. Because in the creation, Brahmā, Viṣṅu and Maheśvara, the origin of original demigods of this creation. Brahmā is the creator, Viṣṅu is the maintainer and Maheśvara, or Mahādeva, or Lord Śiva, is destroyer. The three deities in charge of three departmental activities. So Kṛṣṅa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. That means He's the origin of Brahmā, He's the origin of Viṣṅu, He's the origin of Lord Śiva. Ahaṁ sarvasya pra..., mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate.

So therefore here it is said, hari-toṣaṅam. If we satisfy Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He includes everything. Sarvasya prabhavaḥ. You do not require to satisfy separately other demigods. There is no need. The example is given: yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ [SB 4.31.14].

[As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.]

Just like pouring water in the root of the tree, automatically you water the branches, the twigs, the leaves, the flowers and everything.

This is the way. Prāṅopahārāc ca yathendriyāṅām. You supply foods to the stomach, and automatically the energy will be distributed to other parts of the body. You do not require to supply food to the eyes, to the ear, to the nose. No. Simply supply food to the stomach, and the energy will be distributed. Similarly, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]: if you simply satisfy Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you satisfy all others. Tasmin tuṣṭo jagat tuṣṭaḥ.

Just like you know the story, in Mahābhārata, that Duryodhana planned... Duryodhana... Once Duryodhana satisfied Durvāsā Muni very nicely, and Durvāsā Muni wanted to give him some benediction, "Now you take some benediction, whatever you like." So Duryodhana was very cunning. His only aim was how to cheat the Pāṅḍavas. So he said, "My dear sir, I shall ask you some day. Not now." So "All right."

So when the Pāṅḍavas were in the forest and Duryodhana's plan was how to tease them, so he approached Durvāsā Muni, "My dear sir, you wanted to give me some benediction. I have come for it." "Yes" "Now, you go to the Pāṅḍavas with your all disciples, sixty thousand disciples, and you go when Draupadī has taken her food."

So Durvāsā Muni one day... Because he wanted to give that benediction, he approached the Pāṅḍavas in the forest. And it is the duty of the kṣatriya to receive the brāhmaṅas. So they were..., they were, they had finished their lunch, and Durvāsā Muni came. So how they can deny? They are kṣatriyas. "Yes, my lord. You can..., you are welcome. Just take your bath, and we are making arrangement..." What arrangement they will make, in the forest? So they were perplexed.

So Kṛṣṅa... Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṅaśyati [Bg 9.31].

[He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.]

Kṛṣṅa's vow is that He will see always His devotees are protected. So when they were perplexed, Kṛṣṅa came. Kṛṣṅa came that "What is the problem?" They explained, "This is the problem." Then asked Draupadī that "You have already finished..." Because Draupadī had an, a benediction that so long she does not take his [her] lunch, any number of men come, she, she will be able to feed. That was his [her]... But she had finished her lunch.

Then Kṛṣṅa said, "Just go, find out some foodstuff, any little in the kitchen." They said, "No, everything is finished. There is no food." "No, just try to see." Then in one pot they saw a little śāk, a vegetable, was stuck up. So they brought it and Kṛṣṅa took it, immediately. So as soon as Kṛṣṅa took, all the Durvāsā Muni and company, they, they felt that their belly is filled up. Tasmin tuṣṭo jagat tuṣṭaḥ. So they were feeling ashamed, that "How we shall go? We cannot take any food." So they fled away from the Ganges.

So the process is this, actually. If you can satisfy Kṛṣṅa, if Kṛṣṅa says, "All right," then every..., everything is all right. Bās. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Somehow or other, you satisfy Kṛṣṅa. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13].

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

Then you have all perfection. Very simple method. You try to satisfy Kṛṣṅa, and your everything satisfied. Every, everything is perfect. Kṛṣṅa also says that. It is not very difficult to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is so kind, He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg 9.26].

[If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.]

Kṛṣṅa says, "You want to feed Me. That's all right. You collect little flower, patram, a little leaf... Whatever you... Not that all. Any one of them." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, a little water, yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Real thing is bhakti, love, devotion. Not that Kṛṣṅa is asking you, "Bring volumes of lucī, purī, kachorī, halavā." No. Kṛṣṅa wants your love. Real thing. Bhaktyā. Yo me bhaktyā prayac... Kṛṣṅa is not beggar, neither Kṛṣṅa is hungry, that He has come to your place to eat something. That's not the position, Kṛṣṅa's. Kṛṣṅa wants only your love.

Just like father takes the responsibility of the whole family. He works hard day and night to maintain the family. He expects only love from his wife and children. That is the impetus of economic development. Otherwise he's earning daily thousands and lakhs of rupees. It is not that he will eat. He will eat that four cāpāṭis, that's all, worth six annas. But he works so hard just to be satisfied that his wife, his children love. When he comes at home, he sees them very satisfied.

Similarly, Kṛṣṅa has expanded this family. Ekaṁ bahu syām. He has become so many living entities. What is the idea? Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12]. Because He's ānandamaya, He wants to enjoy the love exchange between the living entities. That is His purpose. Otherwise, why He has created? He wants love. But these rascals, they have forgotten that thing. They are saying, "There is no God," "I am God," "I am enjoyer." Instead of loving God, they are becoming "God." This has killed the whole situation.

Therefore Kṛṣṅa comes, and He wanted to reestablish that reciprocal exchange of love, which is called bhakti. You love Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa loves you. Kṛṣṅa loves you, even without your love. Otherwise, how you are eating? You..., why..., you cannot live even for a moment without Kṛṣṅa's mercy. That's a fact. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān.

So Kṛṣṅa comes. Kṛṣṅa, when He says, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge, this is real dharma. Dharma means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19].

[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṅas.]

Dharma means the..., what is enjoined by the Lord, God. What God says, that is dharma. God says, "Do this." That is dharma. Not that you manufacture your dharma. God says, Kṛṣṅa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅam... [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

This is dharma. Anything beyond this, all nonsense. They are not dharmas. Dharmaḥ kaitavaḥ: cheating, simply cheating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhitaḥ atra kaitavaḥ: "All rascaldom dharma is thrown away, kicked out." This is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19]. This is dharma.

Therefore here it is same thing is confirmed. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]. You are religious. That's all right. But the purpose of religion is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is perfection. It doesn't matter. Because it is said, varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. A brāhmaṅa, brāhmaṅa-varṅa, he can satisfy Kṛṣṅa by his tapasya, by his truthfulness, by his knowledge of the śāstras. He can preach the knowledge of the śāstra to the world. He can eat on behalf of God.

Therefore according to Vedic civilization, there is brāhmaṅa-bhojana. Brāhmaṅa-bhojana means whatever a brāhmaṅa eats, it means God is..., Kṛṣṅa eats through the brāhmaṅa. Therefore brāh..., brāhmaṅa... In Vedic civilization there is no daridra-bhojana. There is no such word. Now they have manufactured: refugee-bhojana, daridra-bhojana. But the, the real is brāhmaṅa-vaiṣṅava-bhojana. Because through the mouth of the brāhmaṅa and Vaiṣṅavas, those who are real brāhmaṅa... So this is the saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13].

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

You may remain a brāhmaṅa. That's all right.

Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was a kṣatriya. He was not a brāhmaṅa; he was kṣatriya. He was not a sannyāsī; he was a gṛhastha, king. His business, he knew how to kill. So by killing he satisfied Kṛṣṅa. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam. This is the whole purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. He was unwilling to kill, and Kṛṣṅa was inducing him, "You must kill." And when he agreed to kill, then Kṛṣṅa became satisfied. He became perfect. These are the evidence. The purpose is to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. When he was denying to fight, that was his own satisfaction, that "I shall not kill my grandfather, my nephews, my brother on the other side. If they die, I shall be unhappy. So what is the use of killing them?"

These are all sense gratification, so-called nonviolence. A devotee does not know what is violence and nonviolence; he wants to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. That's all. They do not know what is morality or immorality. They want to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. Just like the gopīs. At dead of night, they went to Kṛṣṅa. This is immorality. But they did not know what is morality or immorality. They must go to Kṛṣṅa. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13].

So anyone, in whatever position he may be, it does not matter. Everyone should try to satisfy Kṛṣṅa. Mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. Man-manā mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

This is perfection of life. Always think of Kṛṣṅa, man-manāḥ. "Always become My devotee," mad-bhakta. "Always worship Me," mad-yājī. "Always offer your obeisances unto Me," māṁ namaskuru. "But I have got other religion, Sir. Why shall I think of You only? I have to think of Goddess Kālī; otherwise I cannot eat meat."

Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān paritya... "These are all nonsense. Give up all this nonsense." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

"Simply unto Me." Ekam. "Don't bother with other demigods. They are My servants. You are not to satisfy My servants." Of course, those who are real servant, that is different.

So this is the real dharma, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]. If you, someway or other, can satisfy Kṛṣṅa... Just like Arjuna, by killing, he sat... Killing art is not very good art. But because by killing he satisfied Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa gave him certificate, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg 4.3],

[That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.]

"Oh, you are My very dear friend." Because Kṛṣṅa's purpose was to kill the demons. Paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg 4.8].

[In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.]

So Arjuna helped to kill the demons and fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṅa. And therefore he became perfect by killing. So if you do anything which is sanctioned by Kṛṣṅa or by His bona fide representative, that is real dharma. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13].

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Devotees: Jaya! All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Jāyate Prabhupāda. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]