Varnashrama Dharma |
by
Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
The park where Srila Narayana Maharaja
walked every morning in Hawaii
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In the Delhi airport upon his return from Hawaii |
[A Morning Walk Conversation -- Hilo, Hawaii: February 7, 2005]
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] I
want that we follow varnasrama-dharma *[see endnote 1]. Varnasrama dharma is of
two kinds: daiva-varnasrama *[2] and smarta-varnasrama.*[3]. We reject smarta,
but we follow daiva-varnasrama – especially as established by Srila Sanatana
Gosvami in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
Prabhupada also established it, as did our Gurudeva Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava
Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja.
Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would become very angry when
he spoke about the smarta presentation of varnasrama. He declared, “We should
follow daiva-varnasrama, but smarta varnasrama-dharma should be ruined at
once.”*[4]
Are you in daiva-varnasrama-dharma or are you out of it?
[Devotee] I don’t know what the difference is between the first one and
the second one. I thought we are supposed to be trying to get out of the
varnasrama-dharma.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] All brahmacaris, grhasthas,
vanaprasthas and sannyasis are within varnasrama. The asramas are brahmacari,
grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. We are all naturally part of
varnasrama, and we should therefore try to accept and very strongly follow its
principles. Those who are married should be ideal grhasthas, following the
instructions in Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa. It is not that one may have two, three,
four or five marriages. Be satisfied with one wife or husband, and don’t
divorce. Remain together for your entire life. Then afterwards, in old age, if
you have life, give up all entanglements and become absorbed in bhajana.
Brahmacaris and sannyasis should hear hari-katha; then they will automatically
become detached. Why should a sannyasi marry? He should never
marry. And why should a vanaprastha marry again? Varnaprasthas should be
very strict. They should try to gradually progress, not to go down. If a
brahmacari is going to marry, or if a vanaprastha gives up his old wife and
wants a new one, it simply means that lust and so many anarthas are present in
his heart and his activities.
So try to advance. If you are grhastha, remain in that position and be
ideal, like Srivasa Pandita, Sri Advaita Acarya, the Pandavas and many others
like them. Be ideal; follow Hari-bhakti-vilasa.
Varnasrama-dharma is favorable when it assists in worshipping Lord Sri Krsna
and Sri Guru, and when it assists in developing bhakti; otherwise it is
unfavorable.
[Devotee:] Varnasrama dharma is not the goal, because Mahaprabhu
rejected it. He said it is only like a platform.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] But the platform must come first. If
even a sannyasi is marrying, where is his platform for developing bhakti?
If a brahmacari is always independently going here and there, and a grhastha is
remarrying and again remarrying, and within his marriage he does not follow the
scriptural principles of household life, this will not do. There should be a
ground, a foundation, and that foundation should be very strong.
[Rupa Manohara dasa:] Srila Gurudeva? Isn’t it also that the varnas
(occupational duties) include ksatriya, vaisya, brahmana and sudra as part of
varnasrama dharma?
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] This is not daiva-varnasrama. Any
sudra, any person who eats cow meat and other forbidden things, any Mohammedan,
Christian or Buddhist, can come and follow daiva-varnasrama-dharma. At
first, in the Sankara-sampradaya and even in the Ramanuja and Madhava
sampradayas, only a born-brahmana could be given sannyasa. But Srila
Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura introduced the understanding, and
also the practice, that anyone can be given sannyasa – not ladies, but all
males can – whether they are sudras, Mohammedan, outcasts, Christians or
persons of any other religious faith, position, cultural or family
background.*[5] They can all take sannyasa.
Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami established this, and his
followers have also established it. Otherwise, besides him, the members of our
samaja (society) were not accepting his understanding at all. He was very bold,
and he boldly taught and acted according to the principles of daiva-varnasrama.
Thus, many smarta-brahmanas opposed him.
[Gopa-vrindapala dasa:] Srila Gurudeva, after Mahaprabhu and before
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, was there no varnasrama in
the Gaudiya line?
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] They used to wear paramahamsa-vesa, the
dress of the paramahamsa. Paramahamsa is more than sannyasa, but these people
also rejected daiva-varnasrama and its principles and became so-called
paramahamsas. *[6] We are sannyasis. Even if we give someone
babaji-vesa (the dress and station of a babaji, he is still in
varnasrama. An ordinary person cannot be a paramahamsa. Lord Nityananda
Prabhu*[7] and Srila Sukadeva Gosvami*[8], who are real paramahamsas, are allowed
even to be naked. Such pure devotees are beyond all rules and regulations, and
they are even beyond the control of the Vedas.
[Padmanabha Maharaja] If babaji-vesa is still within varnasrama, why are
some persons given babaji-vesa instead of sannyasa?
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Only because they cannot preach.
Babaji-vesa is allowed for those who cannot preach, and for those who are not
in knowledge of siddhanta (established philosophical conclusions). Sannyasis
should know all siddhanta and preach throughout the world.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Regarding avadhuta-vesa,*[9] this is not
given at all. Rather, it comes automatically. The pure devotee avadhuta
may be naked or he may marry – whatever he does or doesn’t do, there is no harm
for him. Nityananda Prabhu was a paramahamsa avadhuta. He married,
and there was no harm for him in that. Lord Sri Krsna married thousands upon
thousands of wives, and at the same time He is the topmost paramahamsa.
*Endnotes:
1. [“Human civilization begins from the stage of varnasrama-dharma, or
specific duties in terms of the specific modes of nature of the body obtained.
Discharging one’s specific duty in any field of action in accordance with the
orders of higher authorities serves to elevate one to a higher status of life.
(Bhagavad-gita 2.31 purport)”]
2. [Before coming to the standard of varnasrama-dharma there is no
question of human civilization. Therefore, the Krsna consciousness movement is
trying to establish this right system of human civilization, which is known as
Krsna consciousness, or daiva-varnasrama – divine culture.( Science of
Self-Realization, Chapter 3)]
[“The acaryas who advocate the daiva-varnasrama (the social order of
catur-varnyam mentioned in Bhagavad-gita) do not accept the proposition of
asura-varnasrama, which maintains that the social order of varna is indicated
by birth.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.23.57 purport)]
3 and 5. [Yes. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah. This striya,
generally they take it, “Even she is prostitute,” striya. Te ’pi yanti param
gatim: “They can also go back to home, back to Godhead.” Mam hi partha... If he
takes Krsna very seriously, then everything is possible. No impediment.
Ahaituky apratihata. Krsna devotional service is so strong that it cannot be
checked by any material impediments. The smartas, they are thinking like that,
“How these mlecchas and yavanas can become a brahmana?” But they do not know
that by Krsna consciousness one can jump over. Mayam etam taranti te. Daivi hy
esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. Maya is very strong. Therefore
there are gradual process. Varnasrama-dharma, karma-tyaga, this, that, so many
things, pious activities, rituals. But this is the process, step by step, to
cross over maya. But Krsna said, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te.
Anyone who surrenders to Krsna sincerely, immediately he crosses over. As Krsna
says in another place, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami: [Bg. 18.66] “I’ll
do immediately.” So maya means papa. Unless one is sinful, he cannot be in maya.
So if one surrenders, then he, means, immediately crosses over maya. So these
smarta brahmanas, they consider this thing. They are thinking, “How a person
born in other families, they can become brahmana?” (Srila Prabhupada, Morning
Walk, February 9, 1976)]
[“One can acquire the respective qualifications by one’s own efforts, and thus
the son of a Vaisnava can become a mleccha, or the son of a candala can become
more than a brahmana, all in terms of their association and intimate relation
with the Supreme Lord.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.20 purport)]
4. [“Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, however, wanted to
re-establish daiva-varnsarama. In daiva-varnasrama there cannot be
acknowledgement of social status according to birthright because in Bhagavad-gita
it is said that the determining considerations are guna and karma, one’s
qualities and work. It is this daiva-varnasrama that should be established all
over the world to continue a perfect society for Krsna consciousness. This may
be astonishing to foolish critics, but it is one of the functions of a Krsna
conscious society.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.1.24 purport)]
6. [After Sriman Mahaprabhu, His lila-parikaras (eternal pastime
associates) such as the six Gosvamis, Sri Lokanatha and Bhugarbha, and later
Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja, Sri Narottama Thakura, and Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti
Thakura were naturally niskincana paramahamsa Vaisnavas. There was no need for
them to wear sannyasa-vesa, saffron cloth. Secondly, Sriman Mahaprabhu had
performed the lila of wearing sannyasa-vesa and saffron cloth. Thus considering
themselves to be worthless, lowly and unqualified, these mahatmas did not wear
sannyasa-vesa and saffron cloth in order to show honor and respect to the vesa
of Sriman Mahaprabhu and also to maintain their own identities as servants
under the shelter of His lotus feet. On the other hand, in order to express
veneration for the niskincana paramahamsa-vesa of the associates of Sriman
Mahaprabhu, and, under their guidance to preach His message throughout the
entire world, many akincana Vaisnavas on the path of raganuga-bhajana, holding
the paramahamsa-vesa upon their heads, have accepted a position below their
worshipable superiors by wearing the saffron cloth of the sannyasa asrama which
is included within the system of varnasrama dharma. These two customs, each
having their own place, are both exquisitely beautiful and also completely in
accordance with siddhanta. Today suddha-hari-bhakti has been, is being, and
will continue to be, preached and spread throughout the world by these
mahapurusas, great perfected saints, who wear this second type of niskincana
sannyasi-vesa. (from Five Essential Essays)]
[“When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura saw that many babajis were now
bogus, that they were with widow matajis and producing sons, he became very
furious and said that we will again accept the same saffron cloth of others
like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Mahaprabhu, and Isvara Puripada. He then
preached everywhere in the world. At that time, those family persons who
were of loose character and had no status in society honored these bogus
babajis. That is why Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
re-introduced the reddish cloth and sannyasa. Presently, those who are bogus persons,
but were previously in the Gaudiya Matha, have become lusty and have thus been
kicked out from the Gaudiya Matha. Now they have become babajis.”
(Lecture by Srila Nararyana Maharaja, June 10, 2001)]
7. [“By calling Nityananda Prabhu a bhrasta avadhuta (a rejected
paramahamsa), Advaita Acarya Prabhu in a sense accepted Nityananda Prabhu as a
paramahamsa. In other words, Nityananda Prabhu had nothing to do with the rules
governing smarta-brahmanas. Thus under pretense of condemning Him, Advaita
Acarya was actually praising Him. In the avadhuta stage, the paramahamsa stage,
which is the supermost stage, one may appear to be visayi, on the platform of
sense gratification, but in actuality he has nothing to do with sense
gratification. At that stage, a person sometimes accepts the symptoms and dress
of a sannyasi and sometimes does not. Sometimes he dresses like a householder.”
(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila 3.85 purport]
8. [At that moment there appeared the powerful son of Vyasadeva [Sri
Sukadeva Gosvami], who traveled over the earth disinterested and satisfied with
himself. He did not manifest any symptoms of belonging to any social order or
status of life. He was surrounded with women and children, and he dressed as if
others had neglected him. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.19.25)]
Editorial Advisors:
Sripad Madhava Maharaja and Sripad Brajanath dasa
Editor: Syamarani dasi; Transcriber: Radha-kanta dasa; HTML: Bhutabhavana dasa