22 minute read
Var£§ªrama: Neither Outdated Nor Dangerous
Since the time of ¼r¦la Prabhup§da’s departure from this world, there have been controversies in ISKCON on the relevance today of var£§ªrama to ISKCON and to greater society. Those who doubt or deny that relevance consider var£§ªrama to be an outdated social structure that has been supplanted both for Vai¢£avas and for the world by n§ma-sa¯k¦rtana. They say it cannot be practised today. Moreover, continue sceptics, the corrupted, prejudicial caste system of India shows the dangers associated with var£§ªrama. And the global notoriety that casteism has garnered precludes any thinking person from accepting it.
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However, if we study the chronology of ¼r¦la Prabhup§da’s teachings, we see that as years passed, His Divine Grace gave increasing importance to var£§ªrama both for ISKCON and for the whole world.1 The twelve years of ISKCON’s history under ¼r¦la Prabhup§da’s direction is evidence of that. Indeed it was a theme of his last instructions to his followers. ¼r¦la Prabhup§da wanted ISKCON to be a pilot project that could show the world the perfect social structure designed for man by God. And if thinking people
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free of prejudice truly examine var£§ªrama, they will agree with ¼r¦la Prabhup§da’s assessment of its need and unique status as the template for a perfect society.
Prabhup§da’s Instructions on Var£§ªrama
In introducing var£§ªrama while touring the Hungarian y§tr§ in 2015, ¼ivar§ma Swami presented in detail the increased emphasis ¼r¦la Prabhup§da gave to this part of his mission. To summarise Mah§r§ja’s presentation, we quote some passages from one lengthy conversation between ¼r¦la Prabhup§da and senior devotees in M§y§pur on February 14, 1977. We have put topic headings above the passages, which are not necessarily in the order ¼r¦la Prabhup§da spoke them.
We Do Not Reject Var£§ªrama:
Satsvar¡pa: Lord Caitanya, when R§m§nanda R§ya brought this up He said it was not possible in this age to introduce this. Prabhup§da: Yes. Not... He did not say possible. Ih§ b§hya. Caitanya Mah§prabhu was interested only on the spiritual platform. He had no idea of material side. He rejected material side. Satsvar¡pa: But don’t we do that also? Prabhup§da: No. Our position is different. We are trying to implement K¥¢£a consciousness in everything. And Caitanya Mah§prabhu personally took sanny§sa. He rejected
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Var£§ªrama is Neither Outdated Nor Dangerous
completely material. Ni¢kiñcana. But we are not going to be ni¢kiñcana. We are trying to cement the troubled position of the... That is also in the prescription of Bhagavad-g¦t§. We are not rejecting the whole society.
Chanting and Var£§ªrama Complement Each Other:
Hari-ªauri: But in Caitanya Mah§prabhu’s practical preaching He only induced them to chant. Prabhup§da: That is not possible for ordinary man. Hari-ªauri: What, to simply induce people to chant? Prabhup§da: Hm? Hari-ªauri: He only introduced just the chanting. Prabhup§da: But who will chant? Who’ll chant? Satsvar¡pa: But if they won’t chant, then neither will they train up in the var£§ªrama. That’s the easiest. Prabhup§da: The chanting will be there, but you cannot expect that people will chant like Caitanya Mah§prabhu. They cannot even chant sixteen rounds. (And) these rascals are going to be Caitanya Mah§prabhu. Satsvar¡pa: No. But if they at least will chant and take some pras§da... Prabhup§da: Chanting will go on. That is not stopped. But at the same time the var£§ªrama-dharma must be established to make the way easy.
Hari-ªauri: Well, at least my own understanding was that the chanting was introduced in the age of Kali because var£§ªrama is not possible. Prabhup§da: Because it will cleanse the mind. Chanting will not stop.
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Hari-ªauri: So therefore the chanting was introduced to replace all of the systems of var£§ªrama and like that. Prabhup§da: Yes, it can replace, but who is going to replace it? The... People are not so advanced. If you imitate Harid§sa çh§kura to chant, it is not possible.
We in ISKCON Must Establish Var£§ªrama:
Satsvar¡pa: Var£§ªrama is not required. Prabhup§da: Not required. Caitanya Mah§prabhu denied, “I am not br§hma£a, I am not k¢atriya, I am not this, I am not this.” He rejected. But in the Bhagavad-g¦t§, the c§tur-var£ya° may§ s¥¢±am [Bhg. 4.13]. So we are K¥¢£a..., preaching K¥¢£a consciousness. It must be done.
Prabhup§da: Just like the sahajiy§s also have got the beads and..., but they have got three dozen women. This kind of chanting will go on. Just like our (name withheld). He was not fit for sanny§sa but he was given sanny§sa. And five women he was attached, and he disclosed. Therefore var£§ªrama-dharma is required. Simply show-bottle will not do. So the var£§ªrama-dharma should be introduced all over the world...
Prabhup§da: To save the mass people from falling down to the repetition of birth and death, that is welfare activity. To save them by K¥¢£a consciousness, we have to keep this ideal at least, var£§ªrama, that “Here is the position.”
Hari-ªauri: At this time should we try to introduce it in our centres or not?
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Prabhup§da: Always we shall try. Human society will be always there. We have to serve them, para-upak§ra. We have to keep them in the right position. Hari-ªauri: I just remember two or three years ago there was a thing... A pamphlet came out about introducing the var£§ªrama system in the society, but actually nothing came of it. Prabhup§da: Yes. That time was not right. Now you can do something.
ISKCON Should be a Var£§ªrama Pilot Project for the World:
Satsvar¡pa: Introduced starting with ISKCON community? Prabhup§da: Yes. Yes. Br§hma£a, k¢atriyas. There must be regular education. Hari-ªauri: But in our community, if the..., being as we’re training up as Vai¢£avas... Prabhup§da: Yes.
Hari-ªauri: Where will we introduce the var£§ªrama system, then? Prabhup§da: In our Society, amongst our members. Hari-ªauri: But then if everybody’s being raised to the brahminical platform... Prabhup§da: Not everybody. Why you are misunderstanding? Var£§ªrama, not everybody br§hma£a. Hari-ªauri: No, but in our Society practically everyone is being raised to that platform. So then one might ask what is... Prabhup§da: That is... Everybody is being raised, but they’re falling down.
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Hari-ªauri: The principle we follow. We’re just thinking how it can be implemented. You were saying that it should be started in our Society. Prabhup§da: Yes, that is a very broad idea. Now we are speaking of some of them, training them. That is another thing. That is small scale. Hari-ªauri: The principle we’re following. Prabhup§da: Yes. In the... For the big scale, this is the required. In big scale you cannot make all of them as br§hma£as or sanny§s¦s. No. That is not possible. This is a small scale. How many percentage of people of the world we are controlling? Very insignificant. But if you want to make the whole human society perfect, then this K¥¢£a consciousness movement should be introduced according to the K¥¢£a’s instruction, if you want to do it in a large scale for the benefit of the whole human society.
Prabhup§da: That “We said” means not we are going to take them, but we are simply giving the ideas. We are not going to be a ª¡dra. But to show the... Just like you play in a drama. You are playing the part of a king. You are not a king. Hari-ªauri: No. Prabhup§da: So similarly, just to give them idea, we have to play like that. Hari-ªauri: Well, again, that’s... Prabhup§da: Not necessarily that we are going to be ª¡dra. So that is it. That is the thing. We are servant of K¥¢£a. That’s all. And as servant of K¥¢£a, we have to execute the order of K¥¢£a. Satsvar¡pa: So we can ideally organise ourselves and then
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for the rest of the people all we can do is hope that they’ll follow it. Prabhup§da: Yes. Bhav§nanda: Set the example.
Prabhup§da: In order to serve the mass of people, to bring them to the ideal position, we should try to introduce this var£§ªrama, not that we are going to be candidates of var£§ªrama. It is not our business. But to teach them how the world will be in peaceful position we have to introduce.
It Is Possible:
Prabhup§da: In this way, gradual step... So it is very difficult to bring, introduce var£§ªrama, but at least there must be some idea.
Prabhup§da: Then we have to introduce this var£§ªrama-dharma. It must be done perfectly, and it is possible and people will be happy.
Prabhup§da: It must be done.
To conclude on this theme we quote a statement from çh§kura Bhaktivinoda emphasising the importance of var£§ªrama for the practising devotee and for society at large:
“In the assembly of the wise, everyone can understand the meaning of the scriptures. Therefore I shall not give any comment on these words
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(¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 11.17.15-21). I will only say this: the duties of var£a and §ªrama are the root of following the scriptural rules and regulations (vaidha). A country is impious to the degree it does not follow var£§ªrama.”2
The Risk of Casteism
¼r¦la Prabhup§da’s statements above answer many objections of devotees who doubt the relevance of var£§ªrama to ISKCON and its mission today. There is no doubt, however, that the risk of var£§ªrama degrading into a materialistic caste system exists.
But that does not mean we should not establish var£§ªrama.
In the past there have been deviations from the practice of pure devotional service, deviations that have opened the floodgates to degraded practices and erroneous philosophies, which the §c§ryas group under the epithet of sahajiy§ism.3 No doubt such sahajiy§s also thrive at present and will do so in the future. But that did not, does not, and will not stop us from taking up or practising K¥¢£a consciousness. It should be the same with var£§ªrama.
The antidote to material casteism is to clearly imbibe K¥¢£a’s teachings in which social and spiritual classification is not primarily determined by birth, but by qualities and activities.4 The Lord says,
c§tur-var£ya° may§ s¥¢±a° gu£a-karma-vibh§gaªa¤
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“According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me.”5
In N§rada Muni’s words,
yasya yal lak¢a£a° prokta° pu°so var£§bhivyañjakam yad anyatr§pi d¥ªyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiªet
“If one shows the symptoms of being a br§hma£a, k¢atriya, vaiªya or ª¡dra, as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those symptoms of classification.”6
Vai¢£avas are Beyond Their Var£a and ݪrama
Another distortion of var£§ªrama is to consider that Vai¢£avas belong to a particular var£a or §ªrama.
The role of var£§ªrama in greater society is to bring people to the stage of surrender to K¥¢£a, to inspire people to practise pure bhakti. When someone is already a Vai¢£ava, then that is his primary identity and it is offensive to call him, for example, either a vaiªya or a g¥hastha. ¼r¦la Prabhup§da would quote the verse arcye vi¢£au ªil§-dh¦r guru¢u nara-matir vai¢£ave j§ti-buddhi¤, “One who thinks the Deity in the temple to be made of wood or stone, who thinks of the spiritual master in the disciplic succession as an ordinary man, who thinks the Vai¢£ava in the Acyuta-gotra to belong to a certain caste or creed or who thinks of
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cara£§m¥ta or Ganges water as ordinary water is taken to be a resident of hell.”7
Prior to becoming a Vai¢£ava, social identity is based on var£a and §ªrama, “here is a g¥hastha-br§hma£a.” Since one has not realised his spiritual identity as servant of K¥¢£a, identification is on the basis of the body.
But once one takes to K¥¢£a consciousness, one has embraced the spiritual identity, “I am a servant of K¥¢£a.” At that time the material identity is secondary and the spiritual one both primary and dominant. As long as that understanding and nomenclature is kept in the forefront, offenses will be avoided. Neglecting to do so will result in offense, and the pilot project ¼r¦la Prabhup§da envisaged in which ISKCON exemplifies a model society, finished.
Devotees Are Not Transcendental to Var£§ªrama
That the identity of devotees transcends the material identity based on var£a and §srama does not mean that devotees themselves are automatically transcendentally situated, or transcendental to var£§ªrama. Transcendence comes not by proclamation but by purification of the heart. Neither does it mean that var£§ªrama for the devotee community is a show.
In the conversation quoted previously, ¼r¦la Prabhup§da explains that as long as devotees are conditioned—as long as they are below the stage of ecstasy, bh§va—their K¥¢£a consciousness is dependent on material conditions. The most favourable material condition in which to practise K¥¢£a consciousness is goodness, and the principles of var£§ªrama raise and keep devotees in that mode.
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Var£§ªrama is Neither Outdated Nor Dangerous
For this reason, practising devotees observe the principles of var£§ªrama because, in ¼r¦la Prabhup§da’s words, it “makes the way easy for chanting” and for a life based on good s§dhana. It may be noted that even devotees who are perfected continue to follow var£§ªrama to set the example for others, and because it is also part of the eternal social structure in Vaiku£±ha.
Var£§ªrama in Vaiku£±ha
The eternality of var£§ªrama is confirmed in B¥had-bh§gavat§m¥ta when, in celestial Dv§rak§, Uddhava hesitates to instruct Gopa-kum§ra in N§rada’s presence. K¥¢£a’s cousin says that as a k¢atriya he is inferior and so should not speak in the presence of a br§hma£a, N§rada. The sage responds by proposing that var£§ªrama designations belong to conditioned souls in the material world, to which Uddhava replies, “What can I say? How can someone like me stop thinking himself a k¢atriya when even our Lord does not?”8
yath§ tatra tath§tr§pi sad-dharma-parip§lanam g§rhasthy§ri-jaya-jye¢±havipra-samm§nan§dikam
“Here in Vaiku£±ha the Lord maintains the religious principles of civilised people, just as He does on earth. He behaves like a proper family man, conquers His enemies, shows respect to elders and br§hma£as, and so on.”9
In other words, var£§ªrama is the social structure in
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which the Lord, in His unlimited forms on unlimited Vaiku£±ha planets, displays pastimes.
Furthermore, readers may also consider K¥¢£a’s pastimes in Goloka-Vraja. There the Lord is a cowherd boy, part of a vaiªya community which, although they are the most exalted of transcendentalists, follows the strictures of var£§ªrama.
Indeed K¥¢£a’s conjugal pastimes with the gop¦s, His parak¦ya-rasa, are contingent on the norms of the var£§ªrama that everyone else follows. The supreme taste of that forbidden relationship is dependent on breaking the rules of var£§ªrama. In this way var£§ªrama serves K¥¢£a’s identity and pastimes in the spiritual world, as it does when He descends to earth.
Obviously, if var£§ªrama is relevant to K¥¢£a and His associates in Vaiku£±ha, it is relevant to us practitioners
in ISKCON.
Var£§ªrama is Relevant Today
According to J¦va Gosv§m¦, the var£§ªrama system naturally arises in the world at the time of creation, and therefore should be accepted by all intelligent human beings.10 About var£§ªrama, Viªvan§tha Cakravart¦ çh§kura says that while var£as and §ªramas are external designations, conditioned souls should follow these scientific divisions until they reach the stage of liberation.11 K¥¢£a says the same thing to Uddhava.
The ideal K¥¢£a conscious society that var£§ªrama sceptics sometimes speak about is to be found in Satya-yuga
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when everyone is a pure devotee from birth, and thus religious duties are followed spontaneously and perfectly. In that age there is no lower and higher in terms of social or spiritual divisions, and the mode of goodness is dominant.
Var£§ªrama became an organisational necessity in Tret§-yuga when society was driven predominantly by the mode of passion. At that time the social divisions were clearly recognised by their unique duties and qualities, being very clearly manifest. Indeed, birth was an indication of var£as. In other words, a k¢atriya was almost always born in the family of k¢atriyas, and it was the same with the other var£as.
In Dv§para-yuga the mixed mode of passion and ignorance is dominant, and the k¢atriyas and br§hma£as are most numerous, both being devoted to study of the Vedas. In this age var£§ªrama-dharma remains the structure of society, but because people are not as qualified as in Tret§-yuga, their duties are adjusted to facilitate the dominant modes of nature.
Finally, in Kali-yuga, irreligion is dominant and ignorance is the presiding mode. S¡ta Gosv§m¦ says,
“In the Kali age people tend to be greedy, ill-behaved and merciless, and they fight one another without good reason. Unfortunate and obsessed with material desires, the people of Kali-yuga are almost all ª¡dras and barbarians.”12
We may well ask, “Under these conditions in Kali-yuga, is var£§ªrama really possible?”
The answer of course is “Yes!”
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It is possible by ¼r¦la Prabhup§da’s grace in the form of this K¥¢£a consciousness movement and through his sincere followers. Although intrinsically conditions in Kali-yuga seem hopeless, there is hope, great hope.
The three modes of nature are always present everywhere, and so even within Kali-yuga, although ignorance dominates, passion and goodness are also present. Similarly, the other three ages are present as sub-factors in every age. Viªvan§tha Cakravart¦ çh§kura explains that these concealed ages may occasionally manifest as sub-ages in any yuga. So even in Satya-yuga there may be a brief Kali-yuga.13 That means that a golden age—as is well-known by devotees—lies dormant in Kali-yuga.14 That dormant age can be awakened by K¥¢£a consciousness, because goodness is invoked when its qualities are cultivated. This is described in ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam:
“When the mind, intelligence and senses are solidly fixed in the mode of goodness, that time should be understood as Satya-yuga, the age of truth. People then take pleasure in knowledge and austerity.”15
In other words, Satya-yuga is not just a period in time, it is a condition that can appear at any time, anywhere, when devotees cultivate transcendental knowledge and engage in n§ma-sa¯k¦rtana. The same can be said of Tret§- and Dv§para-yugas. The former appears when devotees perform their duties but have ulterior motive, and the latter when devotees are dutiful but also greedy, proud, and selfish. Since Lord Caitanya’s appearance is meant to usher in a golden age, a Satya-yuga, devotees should exhibit those
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qualities, and then var£§ªrama will be very easy to realise and to follow.
N§rada Muni explains that in each age, adjustments congruous with the prevailing mode of nature must be made in the duties of the var£as and §ªramas. Thus, while followers of Gaur§¯ga may live in Satya-yuga, they must establish and follow a form of var£§ªrama that is also practicable by the ignorant people of the world. This adjustment is explained thus:
pr§ya¤ sva-bh§va-vihito n¥£§° dharmo yuge yuge veda-d¥gbhi¤ sm¥to r§jan pretya ceha ca ªarma-k¥t
“My dear King, br§hma£as well conversant in Vedic knowledge have given their verdict that in every age [yuga] the conduct of different sections of people according to their material modes of nature is auspicious both in this life and after death.”16
So yes, var£§ªrama works in Kali-yuga! And ¼r¦la Prabhup§da left it to the K¥¢£a-conscious wisdom of his followers to establish the form of var£§ªrama suitable for both devotees and the common man. That is our mission.
Be Yourself, Not Someone Else
Although not the final argument that sceptics raise about var£§ªrama, the following hypothetical argument is the last one we shall respond to:
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“In today’s world, like everyone else, we devotees are encouraged to dream the impossible, reach for the stars, and fulfil our full potential. But var£§ªrama-dharma says that we should be satisfied with what our own social identity offers. Or as K¥¢£a says, ‘It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly.’17 In other words, every devotee should not get a higher university education and a well-paying job. Rather they should accept the role, work, or profession assigned to them by their nature, and the results that come from such efforts.”
The answer to this concern lies in the “full potential” that var£§ªrama encourages people to fulfil. That full potential is not directed to education, profession, or material achievement, but to spiritual attainment, to going back to Godhead, to attaining the real goal of human life. When devotees become too concerned with material goals, they are very likely to lose sight of spiritual goals. This will be the case when material goals are not suited to one’s nature, but when goals are merely the stuff of desires or dreams.
Our natures, gu£a, facilitate a certain type of work. And since devotees are meant to avoid over-endeavour, we need to be satisfied with what comes easily without excessive effort. The second verse of Upadeª§m¥ta gives six causes for spiritual weakness, all of which relate directly or indirectly to this concept of everyone becoming an achiever and striving to reach their full potential:
aty§h§ra¤ pray§saª ca prajalpo niyam§graha¤ jana-sa¯gaª ca laulya° ca ¢a¨bhir bhaktir vinaªyati
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“One’s devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) over-endeavouring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) practising the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in K¥¢£a consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.”
From this verse we see that four defects in s§dhana-bhakti are integral parts of today’s consumer society and its propaganda. These faults are: ati-§h§ra—too much collecting; pray§sa—over-endeavouring; niyam§graha—neglect of rules and regulations; and laulya—being greedy for mundane achievements. The result of succumbing to conforming to social expectations is often reflected in devotees’ meagre spiritual lives and their excuse for such weakness, “I don’t have time.”
Moreover, society cannot function when everyone aspires to be a top earner and in a leading occupation—or even a leading service. If we liken society to a machine, say an automobile, and devotees to parts of that automobile, it becomes obvious that there is a need for different complementary roles in order for the machine to work. If every devotee wants to be a wheel, for example, the automobile will not be functional. Devotees have to accept their role, be it small or large, subservient or dominant, and when they do, the social mechanism takes shape and
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the automobile of society can take all its parts to their destination—K¥¢£a.
So yes, devotees should accept work or service according to their ability, and be satisfied with the results that come from their efforts—even when those results are less than those attained by another devotee. We are not, as the saying goes, trying to “keep up with the Joneses,” or in our case, the D§sas. But to achieve real satisfaction, one needs to reject the ethos of greed inculcated by today’s materialistic, consumer-oriented society and live by what we need, by what our quota is, and not by our greed-fed wants. In the words of the Vedas:
“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.”18
Devotees should not shoot for the stars by doing anything and being anything. If one wants to shoot for the stars it should be in the firmament of the work that is borne of their nature. And for devotees to be content with their natural work and the results that come from it—with their quota—they must practise and perfect the quality of satisfaction, of which more is written in chapter 12 of this volume. In the meantime, however, readers may contemplate this wonderful instruction of N§rada Muni describing the benefits of self-satisfaction—being satisfied with your nature and the work ascribed to it:
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sad§ santu¢±a-manasa¤ sarv§¤ ªivamay§ diªa¤ ªarkar§-ka£±ak§dibhyo yathop§nat-pada¤ ªivam
“For a person who has suitable shoes on his feet, there is no danger even when he walks on pebbles and thorns. For him, everything is auspicious. Similarly, for one who is always self-satisfied there is no distress; indeed, he feels happiness everywhere.”19
In conclusion, much more could be said about these topics. We hope, however, that some objections have been suitably addressed and laid to rest. Following ¼r¦la Prabhup§da’s order, ISKCON and MKTHK must find the ways and means to make var£§ªrama the framework of its social structure. In that way we move from being a religion to a Society with established cultural norms.
NOTES
1. Speaking About Var£§ªrama: ¼r¦la Prabhup§da on Var£§ªrama and Farm Community Development. Vol. 1. 2. Jaiva-dharma, chapter 3. 3. In his purport to ¼r¦ Caitanya-carit§m¥ta, Ýdi-l¦l§ 7.48 ¼r¦la Prabhup§da lists the following sahajiy§ groups: §ula, b§ula, kart§bhaj§, ne¨§, daraveªa, s§¯i sahajiy§, sakh¦bhek¦, sm§rta, j§ta-gos§ñi, ativ§¨¦, c¡¨§dh§r¦ and gaur§¯ga-n§gar¦. 4. It is not that there is no validity to the concept of caste by birth. K¥¢£a says, “The various occupational and social divisions of human society appeared according to inferior and superior
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natures manifest in the situation of the individual’s birth.” (¼r¦madBh§gavatam 11.17.15) In a society where proper sa°sk§ras are performed and everyone engages in devotional service, it is likely that, for example, a child born in a vaiªya family will also be a vaiªya. But birth is always a secondary consideration. The qualities, lak¢a£a, are the primary consideration. So in our example, if the child of vaiªyas shows brahminical qualities, then the consideration of birth is overruled. 5. Bhagavad-g¦t§ 4.13. While the word “gu£a” in this verse refers to the three modes of material nature, it also refers to the qualities of living entities, or more specifically, as will be shown later in this volume, the characteristics of a person’s svabh§va, or intrinsic conditioned nature. 6. ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 7.11.35. 7. Padma Pur§£a, cited in ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 4.21.12. 8. This and the following verse is from ¼r¦ B¥had-bh§gavat§m¥ta 2.5.66-67. 9. The commentary to this verse is instructive: “In Dv§rak§, both on earth and in Vaiku£±ha, ¼r¦ K¥¢£adeva thinks and acts like a proper householder and k¢atriya. He dutifully does everything expected of a responsible householder, goes forth with relish into battle to subdue opposing kings, and sincerely honours the br§hma£as and His spiritual masters and His elders like Balar§ma. The word §di (“and so on”) implies other daily duties He performs as a g¥hastha k¢atriya, such as rising during the early hours of the br§hma-muh¡rta.” 10. Commentary to ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 11.17.10. 11. Commentary to ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 11.17.15. 12. ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 12.3.25. 13. Commentary to ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 12.3.26. 14. Gau¨¦ya Vai¢£avas accept that the appearance of Lord Caitanya ushered in a golden age within Kali-yuga, a golden age meant to last 10,000 years. 15. ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 12.3.27. 16. ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 7.11.31. 17. Bhagavad-g¦t§ 3.35. 18. ¼r¦ ¾ªopani¢ad 1. 19. ¼r¦mad-Bh§gavatam 7.15.17.
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