## A Varṇāśrama Mission While acknowledging the challenges of establishing *varṇāśrama* in the modern age, Śrīla Prabhupada cites his spiritual predecessors and sets the establishment of *varṇāśrama-dharma* social structure as a mission for the Krsna consciousness movement. Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, in this age of Kali, when there is no social structure or *varṇāśrama-dharma,* how can one discriminate how he is utilizing his energies for his prescribed duties? How can one determine his prescribed duties, as Lord Kṛṣṇa has described here, for Arjuna, to follow his prescribed duties? Prabhupāda: Yes. Before coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, were you in the *varṇāśrama*? Madhudviṣa: No. Prabhupāda: How you have come to this position? Madhudviṣa: Out of misery. Prabhupāda: No, no, no. You have come to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Before coming to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, were you in *varṇāśrama-dharma*? No. So at the present moment, there is no possibility of persons following the principles of *varṇāśrama-dharma,* either here or anywhere. Everyone is *varṇa-saṅkara. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ.* In this age, everyone is a *śūdra.* Nobody is *brāhmaṇa,* nobody is *kṣatriya,* nobody is *vaiśya. Śūdra.* So in this age, you won't find anybody following the *varṇāśrama-dharma.* Therefore this is the panacea, to engage everyone in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. He comes above the highest principle of brāhmaṇism. This is the greatest gift to the humanity, that even he is in the, I mean to say, fallen condition, the most degraded position, he can be raised to the highest position simply by chanting. This is the only remedy. Now you cannot again introduce this system of *varṇāśrama.* It is not possible. If one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, automatically he becomes immediately a *brāhmaṇa* and above the *brāhmaṇa.* A Vaiṣṇava is above the *brāhmaṇa. *Just like when we initiate, give Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra,* he is supposed to be above the all material modes of nature. And when he has practiced, we offer him the sacred thread. This is the prescription of this age. Otherwise, you cannot select who is *brāhmaṇa,* who is *śūdra,* who is *kṣatriya.* It is very difficult. [Bg 3.18-30 lecture, Los Angeles, 30 December 1968] Viṣṇu worship is the ultimate aim of human life. Those who take the license of married life for sense enjoyment must also take the responsibility to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and the first steppingstone is the *varṇāśrama-dharma* system. *Varṇāśrama-dharma* is the systematic institution for advancing in worship of Viṣṇu. However, if one directly engages in the process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it may not be necessary to undergo the disciplinary system of *varṇāśrama-dharma.* The other sons of Brahmā, the Kumāras, directly engaged in devotional service, and thus they had no need to execute the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma. [SB 3.13.11 Purport] It is no longer possible to revive the perfect system, *varṇāśrama.* Although we are trying to revive, it is not possible. It is very difficult. People are so fallen. *Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ* [SB 1.1.10]*. *They are so disturbed, *manda-bhāgyāḥ, *unfortunate, and *upadrutāḥ, *always disturbed. Especially *anāvṛṣṭi, durbhikṣa* and *kara-pīḍita.* The people of Kali-yuga will be very much, I mean to say, harassed by these three things. There will be no rainfall, and... There will be no rainfall, and there, food scarcity and taxation by government, income tax. Income tax is to plunder. If you have got some money, this is the means. So this is all stated in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.* People will be so much harassed that *ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam *[*SB* [[sb/12/2/8|12.2.8]]]. They'll be disgusted so much, they will give up their family all of a sudden. *Dāra-draviṇāḥ. Dāra* means wife, children and bank balance, everything, "Let them go to..." Recently we have seen one big industrialist, he has committed suicide. So people will do that, they'll be so much harassed. This is Kali-yuga. [SB 3.25.14 lecture, Bombay 14 November 1974] *Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate. Viṣṇur ārādhyate,* that is required, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious or Viṣṇu conscious and to worship Him. So that begins with this *varṇāśrama.* 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 good salary. We shall earn money." Yes. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, eho bāhya, āge kaha āra [*Cc Madhya* [[cc/madhya/8/59 1974|8.59]]]*.* In this age it is not possible, *varṇāśrama-dharma.* [SB 6.1.24 lecture, Chicago 8 July 1975] Lord Rāmacandra became King during Tretā-yuga, but because of His good government, the age was like Satya-yuga. Everyone was religious and completely happy. PURPORT Among the four *yugas—*Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali—the Kali-yuga is the worst, but if the process of *varṇāśrama-dharma* is introduced, even in this age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is meant for this purpose. [SB [[sb/9/10/51 1977|9.10.51]]] So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement includes this system of division of society. It is perfect society. Therefore we are trying to introduce the *varṇāśrama* system, although it is very difficult nowadays. [Interview with Trans-India Magazine, New York 17 July 1976] Human society has artificially created a type of civilization which makes one forgetful of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Modern society even enables one to forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead's grace and mercy. Consequently modern civilized man is always unhappy and in need of things. People do not know that the ultimate goal of life is to approach Lord Viṣṇu and satisfy Him. They have taken this materialistic way of life as everything and have become captivated by materialistic activities. Indeed, their leaders are always encouraging them to follow this path, and the general populace, being ignorant of the laws of God, are following their blind leaders down the path of unhappiness. In order to rectify this world situation, all people should be trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act in accordance with the *varṇāśrama* system. The state should also see that the people are engaged in satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the primary duty of the state. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started to convince the general populace to adopt the best process by which to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus solve all problems. [SB [[sb/4/14/20 1974|4.14.20]] Purport] Because there is no institution to teach people how to become *brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas* and *śūdras* or *brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas, vānaprasthas* and *sannyāsīs,* these demons want a classless society. This is resulting in chaotic conditions. In the name of secular government, unqualified people are taking the supreme governmental posts. No one is being trained to act according to the principles of *varṇāśrama-dharma,* and thus people are becoming increasingly degraded and are heading in the direction of animal life. The real aim of life is liberation, but unfortunately the opportunity for liberation is being denied to people in general, and therefore their human lives are being spoiled. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, however, is being propagated all over the world to reestablish the *varṇāśrama-dharma* system and thus save human society from gliding down to hellish life. [SB [[sb/5/19/19 1975|5.19.19]] Purport] The demigods are situated in the mode of goodness, but sometimes even one who is situated in such an exalted position as King Indra, the king of all the demigods, falls down because of material opulence. We are now actually seeing this in America. The entire American nation has tried to advance in material opulence without striving to produce ideal human beings. The result is that Americans are now regretting the wholesale criminality of American society and are wondering how America has become so lawless and unmanageable. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.31), *na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum:* persons who are unenlightened do not know the aim of life, which is to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore, both individually and collectively, they try to enjoy so-called material comforts, and they become addicted to wine and women. The men produced in such a society are less than fourth class. They are the unwanted population known as *varṇa-saṅkara,* and as stated in *Bhagavad-*gītā*,* an increase of *varṇa-saṅkara* population creates a hellish society. This is the society in which Americans now find themselves. Fortunately, however, the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement has come to America, and many fortunate young men are giving serious attention to this movement, which is creating ideal men of first-class character, men who completely refrain from meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling. If the American people are serious about curbing the degraded criminal life of their nation, they must take to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and try to create the kind of human society advised in *Bhagavad-gītā* (*cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-*vibhāgaśaḥ**). They must divide their society into first-class men, second-class men, third-class men and fourth-class men. Since they are now creating only men who are less than fourth class, how can they avoid the dangers of a criminal society? Long, long ago, Lord Indra regretted his disrespect to his spiritual master, Bṛhaspati. Similarly, it is advised that the American people regret their mistaken advancement in civilization. They should take advice from the spiritual master, the representative of Kṛṣṇa. If they do so, they will be happy, and theirs will be an ideal nation to lead the entire world. [SB [[sb/6/7/12 1975|6.7.12]] Purport] So this Vedic scheme, *varṇāśrama,* is a very important scheme. If possible it should be introduced and taken up very seriously. That is one of the items of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to reestablish the institution of *varṇa* and *āśrama.* Not by birth, but by qualification...Being separated from family and property, they will take shelter in the hilly ranges or in the forest to get relief. This will be the position. Harassment, so much harassment, by nature, by government. So therefore for complete happy society, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential. All intelligent persons, they should join this movement and reform the present social, political, religious. All field of activities, they should reform. Then people will be happy. Not only happy in this life, but also next life. [*Evening Darsana*, Washington, D.C. 8 July 1976] Although the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a movement of *brāhmaṇas* and *Vaiṣṇavas*, it is trying to reestablish the divine *varṇāśrama* institution, for without this division of society there cannot be peace and prosperity anywhere. [SB 7.11.18-20 Purport] One of the objectives of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to establish this *daiva-varṇāśrama,* but not to encourage so-called *varṇāśrama* without scientifically organized endeavor by human society. [SB [[sb/7/14/10 1976|7.14.10]] Purport] Before coming to the standard of *varṇāśrama-dharma* there is no question of human civilization. Therefore, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to establish this right system of human civilization, which is known as Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or *daiva-varṇāśrama—*divine culture. [Science of Self Realization, 3: *Discovering the Roots*] Do not misunderstand that we are trying to spread Hinduism. "Hinduism" is a fictitious term. Because there is no fixed-up conclusion. Somebody's accepting this, somebody... Even the Jains and the Sikhs and many other sub-religions, they are also ruled by the Hindu rules, Hindu law. So actually this word *Hindu* is given by the Muhammadans. We don't find this word in the Vedic literature, *Hindu*. It is later, I mean to say, *prākṛta.* Or in *Bhagavad-gītā* you won't find the word *Hindu,* or in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* or in any other Vedic literature. This is the convention of latest age. Actually, we, the followers of Vedic principles, our system is *varṇāśrama-dharma,* four *varṇas* and four *āśramas.* This is..., this can be applicable. But *varṇāśrama-dharma* is applicable in any, in anywhere. *Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ* [Bg [[bg/4/13 1972|4.13]]]*.* The creation of God... Just like sun. Sun is creation of God. Sun is visible everywhere. Not that something American sun and something Indian sun. No. The sun is the same. Similarly, *cātur-varṇyaṁ,* the four principles of division, *brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya* and *śūdra,* they are everywhere. It is not the monopoly of India. [The Nectar of Devotion lecture, *Vrndavana, 27 October 1972*] So just today is the appearance day of *hlādinī-śakti.* So if you want to please Kṛṣṇa... Because our business is to please Kṛṣṇa. *Hari-toṣaṇam.* Our this movement is *hari-toṣaṇam. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. *[Bg 18.5 lecture, London, 5 September 1973 (*Rādhāṣṭamī*)]* * Prabhupāda: So one side, there is no rain; one side, there is no rice, especially in India; and one side, heavy tax. So they'll be all confused. They have already become confused. So in the confusion state it will be very difficult to make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore preliminary help should be given. Viṣṇujana: Preliminary. Prabhupāda: Yes. That they should not be in chaos and confusion. Otherwise, how the brain will work? Viṣṇujana: Yes. No one can give rapt attention without peace of mind. Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Our main aim is how to give them Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if they are already disturbed in every respect, then how they'll take it? Therefore we are taking these subject, to help him to come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this is the method—varṇāśrama. [Morning Walk, March 14, 1974, Vṛndāvana] Śikṣāmṛta – Complete EditionVB25