102 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 2
atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam
atah—so; pumbhih—by the human being; dvija-sresthah—O best among
the twice-born; varna@srama—institution of four castes and orders of life;
vibhdgasah—by the division of; svanusthitasya of one’s own prescribed
duties; dharmasya—occupational; samsiddhih—highest perfection; hari—
the Personality of Godhead; tosanam—pleasing.
TRANSLATION
O best among the twiceborn, it is therefore concluded that the highest
perfection one can achieve, by discharging his prescribed duties [dharma]
according to caste divisions and order of life, is to please the Lord Hari.
PURPORT
Human society all over the world is divided into four castes and four
orders of life. The four castes are the intelligent caste, the martial caste,
the productive caste and the laborer caste. These castes are classified in
terms of one’s work and qualification, and not by birth. Then again there
are four orders of life, namely the student life, the householder’s life, the
retired and the devotional life. In the best interest of human society there
must be such divisions of life, otherwise no social institution can grow
up in a healthy state. And in each and every one of the above-mentioned
divisions of life, the aim must be to please the supreme authority of the
Personality of Godhead. This institutional function of human society is
known as the system of varndsrama-dharma, which is quite natural for
the civilized life. The varnadsrama institution is constructed to enable
one to realize the Absolute Truth. It is not for artificial domination of one
division over the other. When the aim of life, i.e., realization of the
Absolute Truth, is missed by too much attachment for indriya-priti or
sense gratification, as it is already discussed hereinbefore, the institution
of the varpasrama is utilized by selfish men to pose an artificial predomi-
nance over the weaker section. In the Kali-yuga, or in the age of quarrel,
this artificial predominance is already current, but the saner section of the
people know it well that the division of castes and orders of life are
meant for smooth social intercourse and high thinking self-realization and
not for any other purpose.
