The best of all cultures is varṇāśrama, yet it has become contaminated by asuric influences, especially from the modern materialistic, global culture.[1] It is the natural tradition, coming from Kṛṣṇa, not an addition or modification. It is not a concoction. It is based on śāstra and paramparā.

It could be argued that the second half of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s movement is a Hindu revival. Thus, it becomes a Hindu movement, but in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s terms. The reason I present this perspective is to better understand how to implement varṇāśrama on a mass scale.

I am not trying to introduce something controversial. My idea is to offer another way of viewing daiva-varṇāśrama as a basis for newer, more dynamic methods of establishing it.

Some believe the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has nothing to do with Hinduism. And, in a sense, they are correct. Prabhupāda said, “It is a mistake to understand that we are trying to push on Hindu culture.”[2]

He often supported that idea by using a verse from the Nārada-pañcarātra, which is a definition of bhakti.[3] “This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. When one becomes freed from all designations, he can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As long as one is Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, there is no question of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”[4]

So, in what way is Prabhupāda’s movement Hindu revival? First, we must understand that Hindu means varṇāśrama. Śrīla Prabhupāda explained, “Hindu religion is a modern term given by foreigners. The religion of the Indians, the bhāratīya, is varṇāśrama-dharma, religion of four social classes and four spiritual orders.”[5]

However, Prabhupāda was not trying to make converts to varṇāśrama-dharma or Hinduism. He wanted to establish daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma. There are two differences introduced in the word daiva. First, it is Kṛṣṇa’s system, which is based on one’s work and qualification, not birth.[6] Second is that daiva indicates Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, meaning that the system is focused on Kṛṣṇa. It is a social system meant to elevate the people to bhakti that Prabhupāda describes as sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, free from bodily designations.

The existing system in ISKCON is to train brāhmaṇas. Prabhupāda described that as small scale. The large scale, or daiva-varṇāśrama, is to train everyone else—kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras.[7]

Śrīla Prabhupāda made several statements about large-scale daiva-varṇāśrama. For example, he said, “We want a stronghold of this culture, and I think it will be possible in Manipur. Establish daiva-varṇāśrama. There must be first-class brāhmaṇas, first-class kṣatriyas, first-class vaiśyas and first-class śūdras also. These are my ideas. The whole world will see that here is real culture, Vedic culture.”[8]

He also said, “There is a program, Manipur. I want to start in that small state varṇāśrama idea. That is my dream. [It is a] small state [so] it can be done.”[9]

Converting people on a large scale may seem like a huge task, and it will indeed be difficult. However, consider that starting with one man and $20 in 1965, there are now tens of thousands of brāhmaṇas, hundreds of temples, schools, research institutes, restaurants, farms, a billion books distributed in many languages, millions of friends, art, architecture, sculpture, dance, drama, music, and more—all from one man and us, his followers. We can extend the culture to a huge scale. We have only started with a small section of society.

Although the external process is to organize people according to work, the underlying principle is to raise them to the mode of goodness and pure goodness. That is done by arranging for them to offer the fruits of their work to Kṛṣṇa.[10]

People are happy doing so when they experience transcendental enjoyment by celebrating Kṛṣṇa’s names, līlās, and forms. When the members of society spend lavishly on temples, deity forms, līlā festivals, prasādam distribution, and entertainment, many will find it easy to enjoy.[11]

That is the basic principle of varṇāśrama society. Varṇāśrama-dharma is meant to elevate the members of society to liberation from suffering, which is equal to detachment from sense gratification.[12]

However, as we learn from the Gītā, such detachment cannot be truly successful without adding daiva.[13] That is one reason for calling it daiva-varṇāśrama. The Bhāgavatam explains that one’s work must be dharmic. Such dharmic work must elevate that person to renunciation. And renunciation must lead the person to bhakti. That is daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma.[14]

The process is simple. It is the offering of fruits of labor (karma-phala) that instills renunciation. And it is offering to Kṛṣṇa that raises one to bhakti.

Most agree that in modern culture, it is difficult to dedicate lavish amounts for the worship and glorification of Kṛṣṇa. Life’s problems become complex with the need for a nice house, car, and many other amenities. It may seem counterintuitive that living a simple farm life would offer greater facility to worship Kṛṣṇa.

However, the simple uncomplicated life at least gives the chance to be elevated to renunciation as stated above. And Kṛṣṇa supplies the fruits of work, the money or harvest offered to Him.[15] As we work in the modern world, we begin to think that we create the results or that living in a wealthy society influences wealth. That may be true on a superficial level; however, living a simple life does not mean Kṛṣṇa will refuse to give abundance to his servants so that they can worship Him lavishly.

The point is to establish a culture that works to satisfy the simple needs like eating without complicating those needs.

Thus, the ideal society satisfies its animal needs—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending—simply. When a culture adds unwanted complexity to the basic material problems, that becomes a distraction from the Supreme. It means that the Supreme is no longer the center of society.

For example, a thousand years ago, the people of the European countries satisfied their need for food in a simple way. Then about five hundred years ago, they became greedier. Their desires grew more complex, and they set out to conquer lands all around the world. Their simple food requirement increased due to greed. Prabhupāda discusses this idea in his conversation with Mr. Dixon, the state minister for social services in Australia.[16]

But the Europeans are just an example. All over the world people claim the land as their own when Kṛṣṇa is the true owner.[17] The point is not to try to create a world culture in which everyone communally shares the land and its produce. That is not possible despite the wishful thinking of Marx and his socialist followers.

Instead, society is best managed when it is organized as daiva-varṇāśrama culture. Humans are not perfect. The socialist idea of a utopian society is unproven and unrealistic. Imperfect humans cannot have a perfect society.

Nevertheless, varṇāśrama has all the necessary systems for managing imperfect humans. One of its prominent features is the control of greed and sense gratification and the elevation to freedom from suffering.

In the Satya-yuga, society was nearly perfect due to the elevated citizens. In Tretā-yuga, varṇāśrama manifested.[18] Two and a half million years have passed since then, and humans have deteriorated significantly. Thus, the idea of working for a perfect society is foolish. Instead, perfection may be found through gradual elevation to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Bhāgavatam explains that one can achieve perfection (saṁsiddhi) when one’s occupation according to varṇa and āśrama is to please the Supreme (hari-toṣaṇa).[19]

Now that ISKCON is not constrained by recruiting only brāhmaṇas, its preachers can compete with all the other prominent doctrines of the world.

Due to its greed, modern culture is ruining nature with no respite in sight, but varṇāśrama culture is harmonious with nature.[20]

Socialists think they have the solutions to inequality, injustice, and the abuse of nature. However, their solutions are impractical and unproven. Daiva-varṇāśrama is proven. It has worked for thousands of years.

Under the influence of Western Christian culture, the environment has degraded. They are concerned with individual and social sins, but their societies are based on the greed of exploitation of nature, which belongs to God. That is the greater sin. Daiva-varṇāśrama is the solution.

Islam puts Allah in the center of society, which is very good. Many in the Islamic world have a natural way of living; however, their sole focus is on going to heaven. They enjoy praying, but in daiva-varṇāśrama, the citizens are encouraged to enjoy at every step.[21] In other words, the emphasis on transcendental enjoyment is far greater in the daiva-varṇāśrama religion than in Islam.

Thus, compared to any culture in the world, Vaiṣṇava culture, on the whole, is more effective in curbing greed while satisfying its citizens with art, entertainment, literature, and chanting.

The external features of daiva-varṇāśrama briefly stated above may be expanded considerably and used to convert entire nations.[22] Prabhupāda said, “It is possible.”[23] He also said, “Impossible is a word found in a fool’s dictionary.”[24]

Thus, excuses for not acting now are unacceptable, as I have established in this issue’s article, “Social Chaos.” We cannot wait for a concocted definition of chaos. Prabhupāda explained that without daiva-varṇāśrama, society is already in chaos.[25]

Practical Implementation

Some devotees desire to implement daiva-varṇāśrama communities solely by referring to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s comments. However, at least some of his discussions may have been brainstorming sessions.

Before moving into the implementation stage, one must know what the two basic principles in a varṇāśrama community are. The first is renunciation (virāga or vairāgya). The second is service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (tīrtha-pada-sevā).[26]

Growing food naturally, caring for cows, and organizing society into varṇas and āśramas are some of the means to achieve those goals. They are not goals in themselves.

Mahāprabhu rejected varṇāśrama as eho bāhya (This is external.) However, Prabhupāda said, “But we are not going to be niṣkiñcana (without desire or having nothing).” He explained that although Mahāprabhu rejected everything external, our duty is to arrange society’s external affairs so that people will gradually, easily come to the spiritual platform.[27]

Thus, they will be elevated to the internal spiritual level so they will not require the external varṇāśrama structure. In other words, varṇāśrama is a means to an end, which is bhakti or śuddha-bhakti.

The reason I make that point is that we may try to implement varṇāśrama as best we can. It depends on the individuals who are doing so and the environment they are in.

If we look at Vaiṣṇava history, we may find many differences in practice and social organization depending on the time and region.

Nevertheless, broadly at the root of any varṇāśrama organization should be the worship of Viṣṇu and progression toward freedom from material life.

Here is a case study on varṇa in Manipur based on a paper by Mangoljao Maibam and Vethihu Kezo, both college professors: Prior to the introduction of Vaiṣṇavism, there were no varṇas in Manipur. Some Rāmānandī Vaiṣṇava preachers came to Manipur in 1717, converted the king, and encouraged him to establish casteism and other practices by force.

The preachers divided society into brāhmaṇas, those who had come from India and some converts, and kṣatriyas, who are the majority of Manipuri Vaiṣṇavas. There are no vaiśyas and śūdras. There is a third class, called Loi. They are outside the Vaiṣṇava communities and live in separate villages.

In the late 1700s, King Bhagyachandra converted to Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism and stopped using force. He was charismatic, and he established temples in every village along with the rāsa–līlā dance.[28] However, he did not change the caste scheme. [29]

In Indonesia, predominantly Bali, the Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva preachers established four wangsas: brahmana, satriya, waisya, and sudra.[30]

My point in citing these studies is that it is not practical to implement a varṇāśrama system in a vacuum. There are influences and controls from the government and external society. It is a good idea for a few intellectual devotees to study various systems around the world, especially in India and Bangladesh.

The purpose of studying varṇāśrama in India would be to observe how purely it might be done. Studying the castes of Manipur or Bali might give hints on how to implement the system on top of the local culture on a widespread basis.[31]

I am not suggesting that such studies should be exhaustively conducted prior to starting a farm community of 25 devotees, or even 250. But Prabhupāda’s vision of varṇāśrama was to organize thousands and even millions of people.[32] For that, we should consider how to proceed.

[1] Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, Chapter Eight, by Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami: “Praising Mahatma Gandhi for his Vaiṣṇava qualities, Abhay suggested that Gandhi had also esteemed the Gita-nagari concept. It was the only way of relief from the sufferings caused by “demoniac-principled leaders” who were misguiding the present demoralized civilization.”

[2] Morning Walk with Śrīla Prabhupāda, April 9, 1976.

[3] Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC) Madhya 19.70, quoted from the Nārada-pañcarātra: sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate, “Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.”

[4] Prabhupāda’s Vrindavan Lecture Nov 29, 1971

[5] CC Madhya 22.21-28 lecture, Jan 11, 1967.

[6] Bhagavad-gītā (BG) 4.13

[7] Room conversation, Feb 14, 1977: Prabhupāda: Brāhmaṇas are available. Why you are bothering about this? Brāhmaṇas are also available, śūdras are also available. Why śūdra should be artificially become a brāhmaṇa? Satsvarūpa: What will the śūdras do in the big city temple, in all the temples? Prabhupāda: Why you are bringing our temples? I am talking of the principle. Satsvarūpa: Oh. Hari-śauri: The principle we follow. We’re just thinking how it can be implemented. You were saying that it should be started in our society. Prabhupāda: Yes, that is a very broad idea. Now we are speaking of some of them, training them. [brāhmaṇas] That is another thing. That is small scale. Hari-śauri: The principle we’re following. [Editor’s note: Hari-śauri’s statement shows his misunderstanding of Prabhupāda’s desire to ensure his disciples understand the principles of varṇāśrama before foolishly rushing into implementation.] Prabhupāda: For the big scale, this [varṇāśrama] is the required. In big scale you cannot make all of them as brāhmaṇas or sannyāsīs. No. That is not possible. This [current ISKCON] 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 Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be introduced according to the Kṛṣṇa’s instruction [BG 4.13], if you want to do it in a larger scale, for the benefit of the whole human society. Now we are picking up some of them, best. That is another thing. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said para-upakāra. Why a certain section should be picked up? The whole mass of people will get the benefit of it. Then it is required, systematic. Sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ [BG 18.45]. Para-upakāra means mass benefit, not there is certain section. Then [to do that] we have to introduce this varṇāśrama-dharma. It must be done perfectly, and it is possible, and people will be happy.

[8] Room conversation, Feb 2, 1977

[9] Room conversation, Feb 14, 1977

[10] Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (SB) 3.29.10: “When a devotee worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offers the results of his activities in order to free himself from the inebrieties of fruitive activities, his devotion is in the mode of goodness.”

[11] Room conversation, Oct 8, 1977: “And money, spend for Kṛṣṇa—for Kṛṣṇa’s palace, for Kṛṣṇa’s temple, for Kṛṣṇa’s worship, gorgeous, as gorgeously as [possible]. And to organize this, varṇāśrama will help you to divide the society—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—as there is division in the body. That will help. Don’t waste the human form of body for sense gratification. I wanted to introduce this. Now I have given you ideas. You can do it. You are all intelligent. For Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s para-upakāra. So you do good to others, not exploit others. Any human being who has been bestowed by this body [given a body] has the capacity to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Give them chance and make situation favorable. Is that clear?”

[12] BG 2.14-15

[13] BG 17.28: “Anything done as sacrifice, charity, or penance without faith in the Supreme, O son of Pṛthā, is impermanent. It is called asat and is useless both in this life and the next.”

[14] SB 3.23.56: “Anyone whose work is not meant to elevate him to religious life, anyone whose religious ritualistic performances do not raise him to renunciation, and anyone situated in renunciation that does not lead him to devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must be considered dead, although he is breathing.”

[15] BG 3.1-5 lecture, Dec 20, 1968: “If you have got enough money, spend it for Kṛṣṇa. Don’t stock it. The more you spend, more you become balanceless for spending Kṛṣṇa, then more you are benefited. This is the process. That will be taught in the karma-yoga section [of the Gītā]. And how one can, unless one is spiritually advanced how he can sacrifice his hard-earned money for Kṛṣṇa?”

[16] Conversation, April 23, 1976: Prabhupāda: Actually, it is not your land. You come from Europe. But you are now claiming it is your land. The Africans, they are [also] claiming. So much land, you can produce ten times food grains for as many populations as there are. […] You take the total land as God’s property, and all the population, they are sons of God. Then whole problem solved. Everything solved.”

[17] Śrī Īśopaniṣad 1

[18] SB 11.17.16

[19] SB 1.2.13: 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 is to please the Personality of Godhead.”

[20] SB 8.19.21 purport: “To teach this highest culture, varṇāśrama-dharma is recommended. The aim of the varṇāśrama divisions—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmācarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa—is to train one to control the senses and be content with the bare necessities. Here Lord Vāmanadeva, as an ideal brahmacārī, refuses Bali Mahārāja’s offer to give Him anything He might want. He says that without contentment one could not be happy even if he possessed the property of the entire world or the entire universe. In human society, therefore, the brahminical culture, kṣatriya culture and vaiśya culture must be maintained, and people must be taught how to be satisfied with only what they need. In modern civilization, there is no such education; everyone tries to possess more and more, and everyone is dissatisfied and unhappy. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore establishing various farms, especially in America, to show how to be happy and content with minimum necessities of life and to save time for self-realization, which one can very easily achieve by chanting the mahā-mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.”

[21] Śikṣāṣṭaka 1, CC Antya 20.12: prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ, “it enables one to taste full nectar at every step.”

[22] Conversation Feb 14, 1977: “Manipur. I want to start varṇāśrama in that small state. That is my dream. Small state it can be done. [It can be more easily accomplished in a small state.]”

[23] Room conversation, Feb 14, 1977

[24] Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, chapter forty-five. [“Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.” The statement is from Napoleon that Prabhupāda borrowed.]

[25] BG 13.3 lecture, Dec 30, 1972: “If you want to, if you want to maintain, keep the perfect human civilization, then you must maintain this varṇāśrama. Otherwise, there will be chaos. Because we have created chaos in the world, without following the Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is trouble. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is all-around solution, overall solution of all problems.”

[26] SB 3.23.56, see footnote above for translation.

[27] Conversation, Feb 14, 1977, in Mayapur. The full statement is “Our position is different. We are trying to implement Kṛṣṇa consciousness in everything. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally took sannyāsa. He rejected completely material. Niṣkiñcana. But we are not going to be niṣkiñcana. We are trying to cement the troubled position of the… That is also in the prescription of Bhagavad-gītā. We are not rejecting the whole society. Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejected everything, ihā bāhya. Rejected meaning, ‘I do not take much interest in this.’ Bāhya. ‘It is external.’ He was simply interested in the internal, the spiritual. But our duty is that we shall arrange the external affairs also so nicely that one day they will come to the spiritual platform very easily, paving the way. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, personality like that, they have nothing to do with this material world. But we are preaching. We are preaching. Therefore, we must pave the situation in such a way that gradually they will be promoted to the spiritual plane, which is not required.”

[28] For successful expansion, there should be strong, charismatic leadership of good devotees. Also, the people must have transcendental enjoyment to sustain their devotion over hundreds and thousands of years.

[29] Mangoljao Maibam and Vethihu Kezo, “Origin of Caste System in Manipur: A Brief Analysis,” International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, www.ijfmr.com.

[30] Howe, L. E. A., “Hierarchy and Equality: Variations in Balinese Social Organization.” Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia

[31] Bhakti Rāghava and Bhakti Vikāsa Swamis already do this. Some ISKCON leaders who oppose daiva-varṇāśrama may not know about such practical models. The various experts like these two swamis, Śivarāma Swami, and others must be consulted, and indeed, revered for the expertise they have gained.

[32] Conversation, Feb 14, 1977: “There is a program—Manipur. I want to start in that small state varṇāśrama idea. That is my dream. Small state it can be done.”