Text 15] The Perfect Society: Four Spiritual Classes 71

society —namely the bréhmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas—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 Siidras and antyajas. The Vedic literature gives the knowledge
that can lead one to understand the Absolute Truth—Brahman,
Paramatma or Bhagavan. Guru-kula, or the reformatory educational in-
stitution, 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 sidras,
whereas the Vedas are meant for the dvijas. Consequently this verse
states, dvijo ‘dhityavabudhya ca trayim sdngopanisadam. At the present
time, in the age of Kali, practically everyone is a Sidra, and no one is a
dviyja. Therefore the condition of society has very much deteriorated.

Another point to be observed from this verse is that from the
brahmacari-asrama one may accept the sannydsa-dsrama, vanaprastha-
asrama or grhastha-asrama. It is not compulsory for a brahmacadri to be-
come a grhastha. Because the ultimate aim is to understand the Absolute
Truth, there is no necessity of going through all the different asramas.
Thus one may proceed to the sannydsa-dsrama directly from the
brahmacari-asrama. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura accepted
the sannydsa-asrama directly from the brahmacdri-asrama. In other
words, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did not
think it compulsory to accept the grhastha-dsrama or vdanaprastha-
asrama.

TEXT 15

a TATA A ATTA |
qe: aaa: aeae swag eI

agnau gurdv atmani ca
sarva-bhiitesv adhoksajam
bhitaih sva-dhamabhih pasyed

apravistar pravistavat

agnau—in the fire; gurau—in the spiritual master; dtmani—in one’s
self; ca—also; sarva-bhiitesu—in every living entity; adhoksajam—the
