116 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch, 3
TEXT 27
Ret Tat eat aaharaaer |
ard wanferary eT et TFT HTAAT (R11
hiranyam rajatam sayyam
vasamsy ajina-kambalan
yanam rathan ibhan kanya
dharam-vrtti-karim api
hiranyam—gold; rajatam—gold coins; sayyam—bedding; vasamsi—cloth-
ing; ajina—animal skin for seats; kambalan—blankets; yanam—horses;
rathan—chariots; ibhan—elephants; kanyah—girls; dharam—land; urtti-
karin—to provide livelihood; api—also.
TRANSLATION
The brahmanas were not only given well-fed cows in charity, but also
gold, gold coins, bedding, clothing, animal skin seats, blankets, horses,
elephants, girls and sufficient land for maintenance.
PURPORT
All these charities were meant for the brahmanas whose lives were
devoted entirely to the welfare of society, both spiritually and materially.
The brahmanas were not giving their services as paid servants, but the
society provided them with all necessities. It was arranged for some of the
brahmanas, who were in difficulty for marriage, to be given girls. The
brahmanas, therefore, had no economic problems. The ksatriya kings and
rich mercantile men would provide them with all that they needed, and in
exchange the brahmanas were completely devoted to the elevation of
socicty. That was the way of social cooperation between the different
castes. When the brahmana class or caste gradually became easygoing,
being fed by the society although they had no brahminical qualifications,
they degraded themselves into brahma-bandhus, or disqualified brahmanas,
and thus other members of society also gradually fell down from the
social standard of progressive life. As described in Bhagavad-gita, the
caste system is the creation of the Lord and is arranged according to the
quality of work rendered to society and not in terms of birthright, as
falsely claimed in the present degraded society.
TEXT 28
Me AR BA TAT AMAT ITT |
aifraratra: a: TAA aA: RII
