Text 29]
Further Inquiries by Vidura
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maintenance and destruction of the cosmic manifestation, they are not the final authority. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal, the cause of all causes. He is the  āśraya , or the final rest of everything.
TEXT 29
वर्णाश्रमविभागांश्च रूपशीतस्वभावतः । ऋषीणां जन्मकर्मादि वेदस्य च विकर्षणम् ॥२९॥
varṇāśrama-vibhāgāṁś ca rūpa-śīla-svabhāvataḥ ṛṣīṇāṁ janma-karmādi vedasya ca vikarṣaṇam
varṇa-āśrama —the four divisions of social statuses and orders of spiritual culture;  vibhāgān —respective divisions;  ca —also;  rūpa —personal features;  śīla-svabhāvataḥ —personal character;  ṛṣīṇāṁ —of the sages;  janma —birth;  karmādi —activities;  vedasya —of the  Vedas ;  ca —and;  vikarṣaṇam —categorical divisions.
TRANSLATION
O great sage, kindly describe the divisions and orders of human society in terms of symptoms, behavior and the characteristics of mental equilibrium and sense control. Also please describe the births of the great sages and the categorical divisions of the  Vedas .
PURPORT
The four statuses and orders of human society— brāhmaṇas ,  kṣatriyas ,  vaiśyas  and  śūdras , as well as  brahmacārīs ,  gṛhasthas ,  vānaprasthas  and  sannyāsīs —are all the divisions of quality, education, culture and spiritual advancement attained by practicing control of the mind and the senses. All these divisions are based on the particular nature of each individual person, not on the principle of birth. Birth is not mentioned in this verse because birth is immaterial. Vidura is famous in history as born of a  śūdrāṇī  mother, yet he is more than a  brāhmaṇa  by qualification because he is seen here to be the disciple of a great sage, Maitreya Muni. Unless one achieves at least the brahminical qualifications one cannot understand the Vedic hymns.  Mahābhārata  is also a division of the  Vedas , but it is meant for women,  śūdras  and  dvija-bandhus , the worthless children of the higher section. The less intelligent section of society can avail themselves of the Vedic instructions simply by studying the  Mahābhārata .