Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Roy 247
taken as the aim of his life to understand the Supreme Lord, the Personality
of Godhead, and for which aim he has devoted himself to the learning of the
Vedas and similar literatures, is called a Brahmin. 2. A person who has taken
to the occupation of showing his force and of administering the government
is called a Kshatriya. 3. One who is engaged in agriculture and herding cows
and trade and business is called a Vaishya. 4. Persons who have no special
knowledge but are satisfied by serving the three other higher social divisions
are called Sudras. If one faithfully discharges his prescribed duties, it is surely
an advancement toward perfection. Therefore, regulated life is the source
of perfection for everyone. This regulated life, when culminating in devo-
tional service to the Lord, attains its perfection. Otherwise it is a useless waste
of time.

Therefore, Lord Chaitanya, after hearing from Ramananda Roy about
the proper execution of regulated life, said that this is external. Indirectly,
He asked Ramananda to state something which is better than this external
exhibition of life. Formal execution of this ritualistic life or religious life is
not very congenial unless it attains the perfection of devotional service.
Actually. Lord Vishnu is not satisfied simply by the ritualistic performance
of Vedic instructions, but He is actually pleased when one attains the stage of
devotional service.

The verse cited by Ramananda Roy in reply to Lord Chaitanya means
that, by the divisional ritualistic performances, one can rise up to the point
of devotional service. In the Bhagavad Gita we find that Lord Sri Krishna,
Who appeared Himself for the deliverance of all classes of people, has men-
tioned that the human being can attain the highest perfectional stage of life
by worshipping the Supreme Lord, from Whom everything has emanated,
by dint of his occupational duties. It is stated in the Bhagavad Gita: “A person
duly engaged in his occupational duties attains the highest perfection.” This
perfectional process is followed by great devotees like Bodhyana, Tanaka,
Dramida, Guhadeva, Kapardi, Bharuchi—all these great personalities have
followed this particular path of perfection of the human life. The Vedic injunc-
tions also aim at this point of life. Ramananda Roy wanted to present this
fact before the Lord. But, apparently, simply discharging the ritualistic duties
is not perfection. Therefore Lord Chaitanya said that it is external. Lord
Chaitanya’s purport was that a man having a material conception of life, even
if he follows the ritualistic regulations, cannot attain the highest perfection.
