Definition

The definition of daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma may be best understood by looking at the definition and expanded meaning of each word:

Daiva may mean the Supreme, Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa.¹ It may also mean godly or the divine.²

Varṇa means the four classes that Kṛṣṇa creates and Śrī Nārada Muni explains in the Bhāgavatam.³

Āśrama means the four orders of life.⁴ Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that they are for “cultural advancement towards the path of spiritual realization.”⁵

Dharma means duty, responsibility, or occupation.⁶ It also means the nature of a thing. In other words, it indicates that varṇāśrama is the fixed nature of human social organization from creation.⁷

Prabhupāda sometimes explains that varṇāśrama-dharma is the correct term for the foreign word “Hindu.” He further explains that that system without being qualified as daivic is asuric.⁸

The term daiva-varṇāśrama indicates two things. Daiva means that the system is delivered by Kṛṣṇa, as He declares in the Bhagavad-gītā (Gītā).⁹ Kṛṣṇa states that the four types of occupations (varṇas) are based on the qualities (guṇa) and karma of the individuals. Thus, a system that is based on birth in a particular family is not daivic. It is asuric, which is the opposite of godly.

Another meaning of daiva is Viṣṇu or Vaiṣṇava.¹⁰ Thus, daiva-varṇāśrama is centered on Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa.¹¹ As such, the daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma is organized to serve the Supreme via yajña.¹² In the Kali age, that yajña is saṅkīrtana-yajña.¹³

I have determined six varṇāśrama goals. They appear here in random order.¹⁴

1. Self-realization and Detachment
2. Mass Preaching
3. Hari-toṣaṇam
4. Agrarian economy
5. Varṇāśrama College
6. Entertainment and Enjoyment

Note that I have not mentioned yajña to Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa as a separate goal. However, it is a core component of all six and mentioned several times below.

1. Self-realization and Detachment from Sense Gratification

Self-realization and detachment from the material world are fundamental goals of varṇāśrama.¹⁵

Kṛṣṇa urges tolerance of nature to achieve liberation.¹⁶ Although that applies to the four varṇas and āśramas, such tolerance and austerity is especially meant for brahmacārīs, vānaprasthas, and sannyāsīs, who are the example for the rest of society.

There is a false idea about detachment that is widespread, even among some Vaiṣṇavas. Detachment does not mean that one should avoid a particular kind of work. It means one should give up the fruits of work in yajña to Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda explains, “There is no question of detachment. That is bogus propaganda. You cannot be detached. Duty does not mean detachment. You must do your duty. There is attachment. Where is the detachment? […] Real detachment means that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So you have no proprietorship. That is detachment. If you falsely claim, ‘It is mine,’ that is attachment, unnecessary. It is not yours.”¹⁷

Kṛṣṇa explains in the Gītā that when the fruits of labor (karma-phala) are used for sense gratification, one becomes bound. That is the process that results in karma-bandha, which literally means the bondage of karma.¹⁸ However, one must read carefully to understand that Kṛṣṇa does not say detachment from the work (karma). Rather, we must be detached from the karma-phala, the money.

The work only binds (karma-bandha) when one is physically attached to the money (karma-phala). The work must be done.¹⁹ And detachment is not a mental exercise. One physically gives up the money, transferring it from service to the senses to Kṛṣṇa’s service.²⁰

It is true that some verses seem to imply that some work (karma) should be renounced.

But that idea is dispelled in the Gītā’s 18th chapter, beginning with verses 2-3. Kṛṣṇa clarifies the matter in verses 7-11. He explains that when one does one’s duty and renounces the fruits (phala), the money, doing so is in the mode of goodness.

Thus, it is not the work (karma) that must be given up. Rather, the karma-phala (money) must be renounced. The varṇāśrama system, which centers on yajña to Viṣṇu, is designed for that purpose.

2. Mass preaching

Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke the following three verses. The first one is in Bengali, his words, and the following two he quoted from the Purāṇas.²¹

The Bengali verse is “One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.”

Here is an excerpt from Prabhupāda’s purport to that verse:

“This is not only the duty of Indians but the duty of everyone, and we are very happy that American and European boys and girls are seriously cooperating with this movement. One should know definitely that the best welfare activity (para-upakāra) for all of human society is to awaken man’s God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, everyone should help this great movement.”²²

The subsequent verse, quoted from the Bhāgavatam, is “‘It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities (śreya-ācaraṇaṁ) for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.’²³

The third verse, from Viṣṇu Purāṇa is “‘By his work, thoughts and words, an intelligent man must perform actions which will be beneficial for all living entities (prāṇinām upakāra) in this life and the next.’”²⁴

I’ve quoted these three verses, because Prabhupāda often cites para-upakāra, welfare for others, in connection with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In the second verse, which is from the Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa says one should use his life, wealth, intelligence, and words for the benefit (śreya) of others. These four items imply that the varṇāśrama system is meant to benefit all of society.²⁵

Para-upakāra involves mass saṅkīrtana and mass varṇāśrama:

In his Light of the Bhāgavata, published in 1961, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “This process of yajña is called the saṅkīrtana-yajña, or mass agitation for invoking man’s lost spiritual consciousness.”²⁶

During the first few years of ISKCON,²⁷ Śrīla Prabhupāda focused on saṅkīrtana and book distribution²⁸ as mass activities. Then in the last three years, he began emphasizing daiva-varṇāśrama as a mass solution, conforming with Mahāprabhu’s “para-upakāra” verse.²⁹

Nevertheless, there are many indications that daiva-varṇāśrama remains a niche program for most.³⁰ That is certainly not the fault of those who are busy maintaining ISKCON and their sādhana and have no time to develop it.

However, those who do not believe that saṅkīrtana, book distribution, and daiva-varṇāśrama are mass activities would do well to read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books and conversations.

3. Hari-toṣaṇam

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ | svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam ||

“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 (varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ) is to please the Personality of Godhead.”³¹

The following two paragraphs are summarized from some of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lectures and purport of that verse:

Human society all over the world is divided into four castes and four orders of life according to one’s qualities and work inclination. These natural divisions are for the best interest of society. And their aim is to please the Personality of Godhead.

The goal of life, which is realization of the Absolute Truth, is distracted by too much attachment for sense gratification. However, the daiva-varṇāśrama system gradually detaches the common people from that sense gratification and elevates them to service to Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda explains that sanātana-dharma and varṇāśrama-dharma are the same.³² Vedic civilization and varṇāśrama-dharma are also the same.³³

Vaiṣṇavas understand that sanātana-dharma does not just mean to focus on Brahman like the Māyāvādīs think. Vaiṣṇavas know that varṇāśrama-dharma must include daiva, Kṛṣṇa. And Vedic civilization is not meant for worshipping the demigods. It is meant for complete devotion to Kṛṣṇa.

The above verse, beginning with ataḥ pumbhir, is number 13 in the chapter.³⁴ Starting with the sixth verse, Śrīla Vyāsadeva entertains an eight-verse discussion of varṇa, dharma, and bhakti.

In these eight verses (6-13), the concept of dharma is so close to varṇa that Prabhupāda translates dharma as occupation in the four times it is used in the series. The basic theme of the verses is that one’s occupation is his dharma. And that varṇa-dharma or varṇāśrama-dharma must be directed toward bhakti to Adhokṣaja, Hari, Vāsudeva, Bhagavān, or Viṣvaksena—all names for Kṛṣṇa used in the verses.

Thus, the eight verses provide a wonderful discussion of the essence of varṇāśrama-dharma, which is the path to bhakti.

Moreover, they expand on SB 1.1.2, which basically says that an interpretation of dharma that is not connected to bhakti is cheating.

The eight verses also provide a good purport to BG 18.66, sarva-dharmān parityajya or Krsna’s instruction to give up all dharma that is not connected to bhakti to Īśvara Bhagavān Vāsudeva.³⁵

4. An Agrarian Economy

The following is adapted from my book, The Environmental Solution, section on “Agrarian Economy.”

The varṇāśrama system in India, based on an agrarian economy, still works successfully in Vaiṣṇava culture, albeit in extremely poor health due to the influence of modern, empirical, materialistic culture.³⁶ Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura discusses this in his Śrī Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta (3.2), which appears in this journal as “History of Varṇāśrama.”

Agrarian economies are usually called “traditional” by modern academics.

Modern “experts” often dismiss such economies as undeveloped or even primitive. The following definition is typical: “Some parts of the world still function with a traditional economic system. It is commonly found in rural settings in second and third world nations, where economic activities are predominantly farming or other traditional income-generating activities.”³⁷

Capitalism, socialism, or a mixture of the two are the globally dominant systems.³⁸ Many believe that these represent an advancement in society, primarily due to the comforts they provide.

The Vaiṣṇava perspective is that the pursuit of comfort has gone far beyond its healthy limit.³⁹ It is not just a question of restricting capitalism and socialism. Agrarianism must be redeveloped.⁴⁰

Due to industrialization and the global economy, no country has an agrarian economy. Some have agricultural economies, meaning that a large part of their GDP (Gross Domestic Product) comes from agriculture. That cannot be called agrarian in the sense of small or localized farms working integrally and sustainably with well-functioning rural communities.

Agriculture and yajña

Yajña was a central feature of the ancient Indo-European culture; it remains so in Vaiṣṇavism. Yajña connects to karma. The results of karma—that is, money, farm produce, power, or whatever human effort produces—must be used in yajña.⁴¹

The Gītā explains that not participating in the work-yajña cycle amounts to stealing from the demigods and Kṛṣṇa.⁴² Ideally, work is within the context of an agrarian economy. The various elements of a working society cooperate, with agriculture at the functional and economic heart, to practice yajña, whose goal is to please the Supreme.⁴³

Cow Protection

The two books that form the basis of the Vaiṣṇava or daiva-varṇāśrama culture, the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, contain many references to the importance of cow protection.⁴⁴

Kṛṣṇa Himself loved and protected cows as Gopāla.⁴⁵

Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently taught that the protection of cows is essential in human society. For example, he said, “But cows especially must be protected, for society’s good. Must be protected—from gratitude. We are drinking the milk of cow. How can we kill our mother? From all considerations, cow protection must be there. That is the duty of the vaiśyas, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ.

“Cow protection is especially mentioned. And the cow’s blood—the milk is nothing but blood [in another form]. So you get more vitamin value by drinking milk than eating or drinking the cow’s blood. From all points of view, cow protection must be there. That is human civilization. From all points of view.”⁴⁶

5. Varṇāśrama College

In early March of 1974, Śrīla Prabhupāda began speaking about establishing a varṇāśrama college.⁴⁷ In the coming years, he regularly mentioned it. For example, he said: “We are therefore proposing to start a college, varṇāśrama college. It is proposed… We are trying so many things, but this is also one of the programs, that the people of the world, they should be educated according to the quality and work–brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.”⁴⁸

Then in 1976, he escalated the conversation. And in 1977, his final year on earth, he spoke often of varṇāśrama and the concept of a varṇāśrama college as a next step in the development of ISKCON.

Note that his definition of college is the traditional British one, not an American college. “College courses in UK are designed to teach students to reach a certain level of skills and knowledge in a particular field of interest which makes them able to get a job or gain academic preparation to enter university.”⁴⁹

During his conversation about the Varṇāśrama College on March 14, 1974, Prabhupāda indicated that the varṇas should receive traditional training. He expressed his distaste for modern education, professions, and business that focus on technology. He said, “We are not going to open mills and factories.”

The following are extracted from Prabhupāda’s conversations: “The other day I was suggesting to the governor to open a varṇāśrama college.”⁵⁰ “We should have an ideal institution, a varṇāśrama college.”⁵¹

He explained how Mahāprabhu’s view of varṇāśrama fit with his and his guru’s: “Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do [with varṇāśrama], but to maintain the human society very peaceful, advancing in spiritual knowledge, this varṇāśrama is required. Therefore, sometimes I become very eager to start a varṇāśrama college. We have nothing to do with varṇāśrama, we Kṛṣṇa…, but we want to see that the whole human society is peaceful.”⁵²

He also acknowledged the difficulty. In June 1975, he said, “So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He knew that this is Kali-yuga; it is very, very difficult to engage people strictly in the varṇāśrama-dharma. Actually, it is difficult. Who is going? If you open a varṇāśrama college, there will be no student, because they will think, ‘What is this nonsense, varṇāśrama? Let us learn technology. We shall get a good salary. We shall earn money.’”

Then in August 1975, two months later, he again stressed opening such colleges. Those who are experienced followers of Prabhupāda understand that they must face the difficult challenges and find ways to attract students. They must do their best to introduce the traditional methods Prabhupāda loved and not compromise unless necessary. However, when compromise is needed in the beginning, the goal is to work to establish the traditional methods.⁵³ This idea of traditional methods is discussed a little more in an article in this journal called “Strategic Directions—Opinion” in the section on Varṇāśrama College.

6. Entertainment and Enjoyment

Without enjoyment, it is not possible to live. The living being is sac-cid-ānanda (existence, knowledge, and enjoyment).

And there must be transcendental enjoyment or else the souls, being trapped by māyā, will connect with the sense objects in the search for pleasure. However, that type of pleasure leads to suffering and death.

For example, regarding the higher form of enjoyment, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote, “Even one hundred years ago in India, all dramatic performances were centered around the superhuman activities of the Supreme Lord. The common people would be verily entertained by the performances of dramas, and yātrā parties played wonderfully on the superhuman activities of the Lord, and thus even the illiterate agriculturist would be a participant in the knowledge of Vedic literature, despite a considerable lack of academic qualifications. Therefore, expert players in drama, dancers, singers, speakers, etc., are required for the spiritual enlightenment of the common man.”⁵⁴

He also explained in a lecture on rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya: “So spiritual life, or transcendental life, does not mean that we are free from activity. Simply artificially if we sit down, ‘Oh, no more shall I do anything material. I shall simply meditate.’

“Oh? What meditation will you do? Your meditation will be broken in a moment, just like Viśvāmitra Muni. He could not continue his meditation. We must always, cent percent, be engaged in spiritual activities. That should be the program of our life. Rather, in spiritual life you will hardly find any time to get out of it, you have got so much engagement.

“Rasa-varjam. And that engagement can only be possible when you find some transcendental pleasure in it.”⁵⁵

Thus, pleasure must be a part of any varṇāśrama community. The brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas arrange for the enjoyment and entertainment of everyone, especially the śūdras.⁵⁶

Prabhupāda makes it clear that varṇāśrama communities are divorced from modern culture where the fundamental goal is comfort. Speaking about varṇāśrama communities, he said:

“No luxuries. Live a very simple life and save time for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Don’t waste time for bodily comforts.

“Granted, you have got this body, so you must eat something and cover yourself. You should produce your own food and cloth. Don’t be allured by the machine civilization. It is a soul-killing civilization. Establish this way of life (varṇāśrama) anywhere you can.

“And money, spend for Kṛṣṇa—for Kṛṣṇa’s palace, for Kṛṣṇa’s temple, for Kṛṣṇa’s worship, gorgeous, as gorgeously as possible. That is the true human civilization. And to organize this, varṇāśrama will help you to divide the society—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—as there is division in the body.”⁵⁷

On the one hand, Prabhupāda instructed his followers to shun the luxuries and enjoyments of the modern machine civilization. On the other hand, he stressed that the only way to do that is to cultivate the enjoyment of Kṛṣṇa’s līlās and nāmas through festivals, feasts, art, dance, architecture, sculpture, drama, music, education, parades, storytelling, and more.

That enjoyment of līlās and nāmas is part of saṅkīrtana-yajña. Prabhupāda explains, “Unless you have got enjoyment, how can you continue your activities? Therefore, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the more you become active in Kṛṣṇa conscious, the more you become joyful. Ānandamayo ‘bhyāsāt.⁵⁸ That means your real life becomes revealed—joyful life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam,⁵⁹ meaning there is an ocean of joy that does not remain stagnant. It increases. That is the beauty of this movement.”⁶⁰

Also, when commenting on BG, 10.8-11, Viśvanātha Cakravarti Ṭhākura paraphrases Kṛṣṇa: “These four verses, which are the essence of the Gītā for preventing the degradation of the jīvās, I [Kṛṣṇa] have explained to give happiness to all.”⁶¹