In the beginning... start a Varnasrama College - Srila Prabhupada

Extract From - Letter by Srila Prabhupada

To Sri Tarun Kanti Ghosh Babu — New Delhi, 11 March, 1974

This morning you were quoting from Sri Siksastaka, "Ceto darpana marjanam bhava maha davagni nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].'' This is the first installment of the benediction of Sri Krishna Sankirtana. "Param vijayate Sri Krsna Sankirtana.'' First of all, people are suffering on account of misunderstanding of self realization. The whole world is moving under the conception of the body in different names are caste, creed, nation, culture, like that. By chanting Hare Krishna Maha Mantra offenselessly, one immediately realizes himself as spirit soul which is described in the Vedas as aham brahmasmi. The Mayavadi philosophers cease to think further than this, but Bhagavad gita teaches us how to realize further advancement in spiritual life in devotional service. This is described in Bhagavad gita as follows:

brahma bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad bhaktim labhate param 
 [Bg. 18.54]

So bhakti is such a nice think. Bhakti is transcendental. When one is situated in bhakti life his mission of life is successful. That is called "ceto darpana marjanam bhava maha davagni nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].'' Everyone of us is suffering from the three fold miseries of material existence. Coming to the platform of bhakti, pure devotional service, one immediately ceases the blazing fire of material existence. That is the effect of Sri Krishna Sankirtana. The whole world is in chaotic condition without understanding this philosophy.

In the material life there must be division of activities. That is accepted in the Bhagavad gita as

catur varnyam maya srstam
guna karma vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam
viddhy akartaram avyayam
 [Bg. 4.13]

So in the beginning if we start a varnasrama college to teach internationally students from all over the world to learn to be educated as brahmanas, as Ksatriyas, as vaisyas, as sudras, by quality and work, that will be the basic principle of Krishna Consciousness. It is the duty of the government to see that everyone is employed. This is only possible when varnasrama is established. At the present moment everyone is sudra. This is not very good for the human society. Everyone has a right to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead but there must be a process for keeping the society in order. The intelligent class of men or the brahmanas, the martial class of men, the ksatriyas, the productive class of men, the vaisyas, and the working class of men, the sudras. All have the right to chant the Hare Krishna Mantra and by such devotional service everyone will be elevated to the transcendental platform. But there must be a division according to quality and work. At the present moment, so many so-called educated persons are unemployed because the division of work is neglected. If this division of society is maintained no one will be unemployed and there will be no unrest in society. It is a very scientific way of keeping peace in the world.

The brahmana class should be highly cultured in spiritual understanding; by their Vedic knowledge they will be able to educate the ksatriya and the vaisya in the value of life. It is the government's duty that according the division of human society everyone should be engaged in responsible duties. On the whole, at the present moment, there is not guidance from the authorized intellectual class. Therefore everyone is in darkness. The Krishna Consciousness movement is supposed to create actual intellectuals to guide society. The process if very simple.

If you kindly consider on this point and the varnasrama college is started, I am sure the chaotic condition of human society will be completely settled up. You think over this matter and we shall talk more when we meet again. Or if you like to discuss seriously by correspondence with me I shall be very glad to reply to you point by point on the basis of sastra.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami