76 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 2

business, industry and moneymaking; they are called vaisyas. And there is
another class who are neither intelligent nor martially spirited nor
endowed with the capacity for economic development but who simply
can serve others. They are called suidras, or the laborer class. This system
is sanatana~it comes from time immemorial, and it will continue in
the same way. There is no power in the world which can stop it.
Therefore, since this sandtana-dharma system is eternal, one can elevate
himself to the highest standard of spiritual life by following the Vedic
principles. It is stated that formerly the sages followed this system; there-
fore to follow the Vedic system is to follow the standard etiquette of
society. But the followers of Lord Siva, who are drunkards, who are
addicted to intoxicants and sex life, who do not bathe and who smoke
ganja, are against all human etiquette. The conclusion is that persons who
rebel against the Vedic principles are themselves the evidence that the
Vedas are authoritative because by not following the Vedic principles they
become like animals. Such animalistic persons are themselves evidence of
the supremacy of the Vedic regulations.

TEXT 32

aA TH As aa a aaaay |
fared ara me SH at aT YATE NZI

tad-brahma paramam suddham
satam vartma sanatanam

vigarhya yata pasandam
daivam vo yatra bhuta-rat

tat—that; brahma—Veda; paramam—supreme; suddham—pure; satam—
of the saintly persons; vartma—path; sanatanam—eternal; vigarhya—
blaspheming; ydla—should go; pasandam—to atheism; daivam—deity;
vah—your; yatra—where; bhuta-rat—the lord of the bhutas.

TRANSLATION

By blaspheming the principles of the Vedas, which are the pure and
supreme path of the saintly persons, certainly you followers of Bhitapati,
Lord Siva, will descend to the standard of atheism without a doubt.

PURPORT

Lord Siva is described here as bhita-rat. The ghosts and those who
are situated in the material mode of ignorance are called bhitas, so
bhiita-rat means the leader of the creatures who are in the lowest
