CHAPTER ELEVEN

The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes

This chapter describes the general principles by following which a
human being, and specifically one who is interested in advancing in
spiritual life, can become perfect.

By hearing about the characteristics of Prahlada Maharaja, Maharaja
Yudhisthira became extremely pleased. Now he inquired from Narada
Muni about the actual religion of a human being and about special
characteristics of varndsrama-dharma, which marks the highest status
of human civilization. When Maharaja Yudhisthira asked Narada Muni
about these matters, Narada Muni stopped giving his own statements and
quoted statements by Lord Narayana, for He is the supreme authority for
giving religious codes (dharmarn tu saéksad bhagavat-pranitam). Every
human being is expected to acquire thirty qualities, such as truthfulness,
mercy and austerity. The process of following the principles of religion is
known as sandtana-dharma, the eternal religious system.

The varndsrama system delineates the divisions of brahmana,
ksatriya, vaisya and Siidra. It also sets forth the system of samskdras.
The garbhadhana sarnskara, the ceremony for begetting a child, must be
observed by the higher section of people, namely the dvyas. One who
follows the garbhadhdna samskdra system is actually twiceborn, but
those who do not, who deviate from the principles of varndsrama-
dharma, are called dvija-bandhus. The principal occupations for a
brahmana are worshiping the Deity, teaching others how to worship the
Deity, studying the Vedic literatures, teaching the Vedic literatures, ac-
cepting charity from others and again giving charity to others. A
brahmana should make his livelihood from these six occupational duties.
The duty of a ksatriya is to give protection to the citizens and levy taxes
upon them, but he is forbidden to tax the brahmanas. The members of
the Krsna consciousness movement should therefore be exempt from
government taxation. Ksatriyas may tax everyone but the brahmanas.
Vaisyas should cultivate the land, produce food grains and protect the

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