Text 15] The Perfect Society: Four Spiritual Classes
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society—namely the  brāhmaṇas ,  kṣatriyas  and  vaiśyas —must learn the Vedic literatures according to their capability and power to understand. In other words, studying the Vedic literatures is compulsory for everyone but the  śūdras  and  antyajas . The Vedic literature gives the knowledge that can lead one to understand the Absolute Truth—Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.  Guru-kula , or the reformatory educational institution, should be used only to understand Vedic knowledge. At the present time there are many educational institutions for training and technology, but such knowledge has nothing to do with understanding of the Absolute Truth. Technology, therefore, is meant for the  śūdras , whereas the  Vedas  are meant for the  dvijas . Consequently this verse states,  dvijo 'dhītyāvabudhya ca trayīṁ sāṅgopaniṣadam . At the present time, in the age of Kali, practically everyone is a  śūdra , and no one is a  dvija . Therefore the condition of society has very much deteriorated.
Another point to be observed from this verse is that from the  brahmacārī-āśrama  one may accept the  sannyāsa-āśrama ,  vānaprastha-āśrama  or  gṛhastha-āśrama . It is not compulsory for a  brahmacārī  to become a  gṛhastha . Because the ultimate aim is to understand the Absolute Truth, there is no necessity of going through all the different  āśramas . Thus one may proceed to the  sannyāsa-āśrama  directly from the  brahmacārī-āśrama . Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura accepted the  sannyāsa-āśrama  directly from the  brahmacārī-āśrama . In other words, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura did not think it compulsory to accept the  gṛhastha-āśrama  or  vānaprastha-āśrama .
TEXT 15
अग्नौ गुरावात्मनि च सर्वभूतेष्वधोक्षजम् । भूतैः स्वधामभिः पश्येदप्रविष्टं प्रविष्टवत् ॥१५॥
agnau gurāv ātmani ca sarva-bhūteṣv adhokṣajam bhūtaiḥ sva-dhāmabhiḥ paśyed apraviṣṭaṁ praviṣṭavat
agnau—in the fire; gurau—in the spiritual master; ātmani—in one's self; ca—also; sarva-bhūteṣu—in every living entity; adhokṣajam—the