## Varṇāśrama is Not the Caste System Chandigarh, October 16, 1976 - Press Interview HIGHLIGHTS: **We're not only chanting, we're giving them work...varṇāśrama is not the caste system:** **Gopāla Kṛṣṇa:** This is a letter from Śrī Ambarish Sarkar, General Secretary of the Nadia District Congress Committee. "I had an opportunity to visit the Śrī Māyāpur Chandrodaya Mandir on the 12th August, 1975. It is absolutely a religious institution. Jayapātāka Swami has devoted all of his efforts and endeavors to organize and propound the sacred name of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I'm impressed by his charming manner and strength. Although it is a religious institution, this organization has performed many social services. Many poor and destitute families have had an opportunity to work and at the same time they have become worshipers of Lord Śrī Caitanya. To engage these workers, so many industrial centers have already been started, such as handloom cloth, printing, etc. I wish this organization, with its help of the local people, all success." **Prabhupāda:** **We're not only chanting, we are giving them work. We are trying to become self-sufficient, the same idea of Gandhi's village organization, so they may not come out from the village. They'll be satisfied, village economics. That we are doing.** **Gopāla Kṛṣṇa:** Actually, Prabhupāda is doing the same thing in America now. **Prabhupāda:** America we have nine, eleven centers like that. **Gopāla Kṛṣṇa:** Farms. This is a review from a local, from O.P. Baradraj, Principal of Government College for Men, Chandigarh. **Prabhupāda:** One minute. Perhaps you are, any representative of* Navbharat Times*? **Interviewer:** Yes, he is here. **Prabhupāda:** Yes. So you published I think two years before, about our New Vrindaban. And you stated that it is a wonderful land, that... We are giving cow protection in the country where they are eaten by the people. Their staple food, beef, and they are accepting this movement, giving cow protection. **Interviewer:** Which are those areas? **Prabhupāda:** West Virginia, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and where? Miami, Canada, Vancouver. Like that. **Interviewer:** So if you don't mind, what is bad about eating, people who are eating beef? What is bad about it? **Prabhupāda:** Bad means you become bad. That's all. You can see these things are... **Interviewer:** But we can eat goat's meat, and other animal's meat. **Prabhupāda:** Yes. **And the thing is that cow is especially recommended in the *Bhagavad-gītā*, *kṛṣi-go-rakṣya vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam*. **[Bg [[bg/18/44|18.44]]]: "Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the *vaiśyas*...] That you must produce enough food grains by agriculture and give protection to the cows.** That means if you have got enough food grains to eat and if you have got enough milk to get fatty substance, then your whole economic question is solved. *Annād bhavanti bhūtāni*.** [From *Bg*. [[bg/3/14|3.14]] :"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of *yajña* {sacrifice}, and *yajña* is born of prescribed duties.] If you get sufficient food there is no question of agitation. Everyone is satisfied. Animal and man. So you must produce. That is recommendation in the *Bhagavad-gītā*. **Interviewer:** Sir, in the modern technological... **Prabhupāda:** Modern, we are not talking of modern or... We're talking... **Interviewer: In this age, how has the, you know, instrument of production because of this tractor, mechanization of agriculture.** **Prabhupāda:** So that is your interpretation. But we are trying to present *Bhagavad-gītā* as it is. That is our mission. **That you produce food grains sufficiently and give protection to the cows so that food grains and milk will give you all benefits of economic question.** You'll be satisfied. That's all. Not only that, I have practically seen that **by God's arrangement there are so much land on this planet that you can produce ten times food stuff of the whole population. But they are not doing that. **They are utilizing land... Just like in Africa I have seen, enough land is there, but what they are doing? They are keeping some cows and bulls, and when they are grown up... They are not given anything to eat. There is enough grass. And as soon as they are fatty, they are taken to the slaughterhouse. Not for their own eating, but exporting. This business is going on. Similar business is going on in Australia and New Zealand. **Unnecessarily they are killing these cows, and this shortage of foodstuff and shortage of milk, this is not good arrangement. **The recommended process in the *Bhagavad-gītā*, that* annād bhavanti bhūtāni* [Bg [[bg/3/14|3.14]]]. If you have sufficient foodstuff, then everyone is satisfied. And it is the duty of the *vaiśya* class, *kṛṣi go-rakṣya vāṇijyam; go-rakṣya vāṇijyam vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam*. [Bg [[bg/18/44|18.44]]]: "Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the *vaiśyas*...] According to *Bhagavad-gītā*, this is the business of the *vaiśyas*. The *brāhmaṇas*, they should be very much highly educated, enlightened in spiritual knowledge. The *kṣatriyas*, they should govern, give protection. The *vaiśyas*, they should produce enough food. And those who are neither *brāhmaṇa* nor *kṣatriya*-*śūdras*—they can help. That's all. This is their.... Then everyone will be satisfied. The society will go on. **Just like in your body you require brain, the head, you require arms, you require belly, you require legs. Similarly, *brāhmaṇa*, *kṣatriya*, *vaiśya*, *śūdra*.** That is essential. If you have simply brain and no leg then it is also useless. There must be brain and leg also. There must be *brāhmaṇa*, there must be *śūdra*, there must be.... Then the social arrangement is perfect. **Interviewer:** **Would that mean that you support the ancient caste system?** **Prabhupāda:** Huh? **It is not caste system. It is division of labor. It is not caste system**. A class of men must be intelligent, a class of men must be strong to give protection. And a class of men must be to produce food, and a class of men, general worker. It is not caste system. *Bhagavad-gītā* never says "caste system": *Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ*. [Bg [[bg/4/13|4.13]]]: "According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me...] According to quality and work. ***You* have made it caste system. You have no qualification of a *brāhmaṇa*, you are [claiming], "I am *brāhmaṇa*." That is caste system.** But if you have got the quality of a *brāhmaṇa* and you work as a *brāhmaṇa*, that is necessary. That is necessary. *Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ*. Localized Economics, **India**, January 11, 1977: Conversation on Train to Allahabad