“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.13)

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चातुर्-वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं
गुण-कर्म-विभागशः
तस्य कर्तारम् अपि मां
विद्ध्य् अकर्तारम् अव्ययम्

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam

The origins of the currently degraded caste system can be traced to dharma itself. The divisions, which are known as varnas in Sanskrit, are like different departments of a properly functioning society. To insist that every person follows the same work is a preposterous scheme, doomed from the outset.

Bhagavad-gita provides the definitive word on this system. The divisions are created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that they are Divine in nature, in the same way that even the material energy is sourced in the individual who is beyond any such distinctions such as material, spiritual, living, dying, coming, going, and so forth.

दैवी ह्य् एषा गुण-मयी
मम माया दुरत्यया
माम् एव ये प्रपद्यन्ते
मायाम् एतां तरन्ति ते

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.14)

Shri Krishna claims to be the person who instituted the system of divisions. Varnas are due to Him. At the same time, He is not affected by them. We can never accurately say that Krishna belongs to the kshatriya-varna, the vaishya-varna, or even to the brahmana community.

The reason that Krishna is an exception to the rule is found within the very basis for the division. Two distinct Sanskrit words provide the foundation for the classification. The same Krishna in His avatara of Shri Rama provides a similar explanation when describing the real meaning behind a high birth, kulinam.

कुलीनमकुलीनं वा वीरं पुरुषमानिनम्।
चारित्रमेव व्याख्याति शुचिं वा यदि वाऽशुचिम्।।

kulīnamakulīnaṃ vā vīraṃ puruṣamāninam।
cāritrameva vyākhyāti śuciṃ vā yadi vā’śucim।।

“It is certainly a person’s conduct which speaks to whether they are high-born or low-born, heroic or cowardly, or pure or impure.” (Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 109.4)

1. No gunas

Stepping outside the realm of Vedic culture for a moment, we can understand the same concepts through studying a workplace environment. We will suppose that there is an opening at the multinational corporation. The hiring manager writes up the job description. They are looking for certain traits, characteristics, and skills. They insist upon a certain level of maturity accompanying experience within the field.

These characteristics are gunas. Not every person is fit for the job. This does not mean that they have no value. It does not mean that they are worthless or that they cannot help the company succeed. Rather, their specific skillset might be better suited for a different position.

It cannot be said that Krishna belongs to a particular varna particularly because He has no gunas. In this sense, He is known as nirguna. There are no material qualities which bind Him. He is not subject to the limitations imposed by the body. Only the fools think that He has assumed His specific covering or that He is an ordinary person.

अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिम् आपन्नं
मन्यन्ते माम् अबुद्धयः
परं भावम् अजानन्तो
ममाव्ययम् अनुत्तमम्

avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ
manyante mām abuddhayaḥ
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mamāvyayam anuttamam

“Unintelligent men, who know Me not, think that I have assumed this form and personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is changeless and supreme.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.24)

2. No karma

A person may have the qualities, but unless they take the job they will not be known by the specific title. There has to be work which accompanies the qualities. This is the karma to correspond with the guna. If Krishna has no gunas, it means that He also has no karma.

He follows action. He recommends the same for Arjuna. It takes an intelligent person to notice the intricacies of action and inaction. Sometimes not doing something is better than stepping in. Sometimes failing to act is worse than sitting on the sidelines.

कर्मण्य् अकर्म यः पश्येद्
अकर्मणि च कर्म यः
स बुद्धिमान् मनुष्येषु
स युक्तः कृत्स्न-कर्म-कृत्

karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed
akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ
sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu
sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt

“One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.18)

For work to qualify as karma, there has to be a corresponding reaction. This is the reason for our current situation. There is an original cause to associating with the different material qualities.

पुरुषः प्रकृति-स्थो हि
भुङ्क्ते प्रकृति-जान् गुणान्
कारणं गुण-सङ्गो ऽस्य
सद्-असद्-योनि-जन्मसु

puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi
bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ‘sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 13.22)

There are no reactions for the work that Krishna follows. He is not looking to improve His position in the next life. All of His work is auspicious; He does not play favorites. It only appears that way because of our condition. Our work always has conditions. We help someone and ignore someone else. This person is my friend and that person is my enemy.

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यम्
एवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर् जन्म
नैति माम् एति सो ऽर्जुन

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

Krishna is a friend to all, and the nature of His work is divyam. His janma is the same; Divine. The person who understands this about Krishna does not have to take birth again. They understand God through the simplest of ways.

In Closing:

Creating the divisions four,
Functioning society for.

But never to Krishna to apply,
Since not on karma to rely.

Or by any gunas bound,
Only transcendental qualities found.

Work with flaws and favorites free,
Liberated when this way to see.

Categories: the two

Tags: caste system, hare krishna, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, varnashrama