266
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 2, Ch. 5]
TRANSLATION
The  brāhmaṇas  represent His mouth, the  kṣatriyas  His arms, the  vaiśyas  His thighs, and the  śūdras  are born of His legs.
PURPORT
All living beings are stated to be the parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, and how they are so is explained in this verse. The four divisions of human society, namely the intelligent class or the  brāhmaṇas , the administrative class or the  kṣatriyas , the mercantile class or the  vaiśyas , and the  śūdra  class or the laborers, are all in different parts of the body of the Lord. As such, no one is different from the Lord. The mouth of the body and the legs of the body are nondifferent constitutionally, but the mouth or the head of the body is qualitatively more important than the legs. At the same time, the mouth, the legs, the arms and the thighs are all component parts of the body. These limbs of the body of the Lord are meant to serve the complete whole. The mouth is meant for speaking and eating, the arms are meant for the protection of the body, the legs are meant for carrying the body, and the waist of the body is meant for maintaining the body. The intelligent class in society, therefore, must speak on behalf of the body, as well as accept foodstuff to satisfy the hunger of the body. The hunger of the Lord is to accept the fruits of sacrifice. The  brāhmaṇas  or the intelligent class must be very expert in performing such sacrifices, and the subordinate class must join in such sacrifices. To speak for the Supreme Lord means to glorify the Lord by means of propagating the knowledge of the Lord as it is, broadcasting the factual nature of the Lord and the factual position of all other parts of the whole body. The  brāhmaṇas , therefore, are required to know the  Vedas  or the ultimate source of knowledge.  Veda  means knowledge, and  anta  means the end of it. According to  Bhagavad-gītā , the Lord is the source of everything ( aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ ), and thus the end of all knowledge ( Vedānta ) is to know the Lord, to know our relationship with Him and to act according to that relationship only. The parts of the body are related to the body; similarly, the living being must know his relationship with the Lord. The human life is especially meant for this purpose, namely to know the factual relationship of every living being with the Supreme Lord. Without knowing this relationship, the human life is spoiled. The intelligent class of men, the  brāhmaṇas , are therefore especially responsible